Symptoms And Treatment Of Hospitalized Elderly Patients

INTRODUCTION Functional decline, in hospitalized elderly patients occurs at the time of admission. During admission for acute illness, elderly patients are not sometimes encouraged to get out of bed to ambulate within the unit. Instead, they remain in bed without any activity. (Convinsky, Palmer, Kresevic, Kahana, Counsell, Fortinsky 2011). This inactivity tends to cause weakness and some other complications such as falls, malnutrition, loss of independence, increased risk of hospitalization, and depression. Hospitalization is a major risk factor for functional decline in the elderly patients, accounting for thirty to sixty percent. This condition tends to prolong hospital stay necessitating nursing home placement and hospital readmission. This situation subsequently results in increased dependency, decreased quality of life and autonomy. (Boyd, Ricks, Fried, 2009). In the hospital setting, the elderly patients face additional set of challenges, often termed the â€Å"haza rd of hospitalization†, that include prolong bed rest, functional incontinence, unfamiliar environments, falls, and pressure ulcers (Leipzig, Bloom, Fernandez, 2011). The older population needs effective health care that is focused not only on the prevention and treatment of diseases but also effective interventions to prevent functional decline. Other factors influencing functional decline in elderly patients include level of physical activity, cognitive status andShow MoreRelatedSymptoms And Treatment Of A Common Infectious Disease755 Words   |  4 PagesSymptoms and Physical Findings Pneumonias can be classified by the type of agent that’s causing the infection, and distribution and location of the infection. 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