In this article, are are going to be telling you all you need to know about geriatric rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation as we all know is a restorative process to help clients physically impaired or handicapped regain their ,maximum physical, mental and vocational usefulness following disease or injury.
Because of the multiple incapacitating disease that affect the elderly, Geriatric rehabilitation services are very important to enable them cope with their physical and psychological changes.
Professional rehabilitation includes physical therapists, occupation therapist and speech pathologist. Effective rehabilitation for patients with improved mobility in an education process involving the coordinated efforts of patients, caregivers, nurses and various health specialists.
The ultimate goal for the elderly with physical impairment is to maximize their independence and daily function within the environment.
The incidence of illness, disease and injury that leads to physical disability increases with age resulting in an increased need for rehabilitation. To ensure patient’s maximum recovery a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Open communication among the nurses, physician and all rehabilitation professionals regarding the establishment and plan of care will result in an overall improvement in the quality of patient’s care.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is a philosophy of care that uses a set of techniques or intervention designed to enhance the functional abilities of disabled individuals. It is based on the fact that functional capabilities are modified even in the elderly.
Loss of functions that makes the elderly dependent on others cause anxiety in them, so promotion of function is the foundational aspect of geriatric care.
Rehabilitation addresses the clients medical , psychological and social problem so that the ability to live more independently is enhance in treating disease than in promoting the person’s ability to perform activities of daily living, get out into the community, enjoy leisure time or return to work.
Disability is very common as one ages, 40% of disabled individuals are over the age of 65 years and 63% are over the age of 75 years. Majority of stroke, amputation and hip fracture that demands rehabilitative intervention occur in elderly persons.
Rehabilitative Process
The process of rehabilitation is different for older adults when compared to younger individuals with the same diagnosis.
The process of rehabilitation are as follows;
Step 1: Stabilize the Client
It is difficult to stabilize the elderly especially when he/she has multiple medical conditions.
Step 2: Prevent Secondary Complications
The common secondary complications include;
- Malnutrition; this is worsen with long hospitalization and may go
- Confusion is common due to the effect of the illness, medication effect and environmental deprivation.
- Contractures occur when range of motion exercises is not due and within 3 weeks, it may be impossible to recover the full range of motion.
- Loss of strength and endurance due to prolonged bed rest, begins after a few days of bed rest. Recovery of loss of function may take weeks.
- Development of a new disability results to depression.
- Restricted mobility may result to incontinence.
- Prolonged bed rest may lead to pneumonia.
- With the presence of poor nutrition, pressure sore may develop fast.
- The chance of development of deep venous thrombosis increases with prolonged bed rest.
Read Also: Health Education of the Elderly on Drug Use
Step 3: Restore Lost Functions
The main objective of rehabilitation is to help the elderly restore their loss of function. Though the condition that caused the loss of function may never resolve, the person can still achieve an independent or less assisted lifestyle.
Step 4: Promote the adaptation of the elderly person to his/her environment
This can be done using adaptive aids.
Step 5: Adapting the Environment To The Person
A parallel adaptation process can involve changing the environment such as widening the doors to allow walker or wheel chair, raising the toiled seat and much more.
Step 6: Promotion Of Family Adaptation
In developing worlds, family provide all the care for the elderly, and this can place a lot of stress to the family. These care givers must be helped to adapt to the change in life.
The Role Of The Nurse In Geriatric Rehabilitation
- The nurse uses nursing process and wholistic approach to asses rehabilitative needs of the elderly as related to their physical challenges or disease process.
- The nurse help the elderly adjust to and accept alteration in the body image secondary to the disease by focusing on the ability not on the loss, anxiety and depression. This is done by helping the elderly to appreciate their ability rather than disability.
- The nurse implements the rehabilitation programme, for instance the nurse assist the elderly to ambulate.
- The nurse educates the elderly on the benefits of rehabilitation and expected outcome.
- The nurse helps the elderly to keep his/her appointment with the professional physiotherapist and other professionals involved in the rehabilitative process of the elderly.
- The nurse teaches the family their role in the rehabilitation programme of the elderly.
Conclusion
Rehabilitation is a common need of the elderly due to their medical and physical disability. The goal of rehabilitation is to restore in the elderly the maximum attainable level of function and independence.
W hope this information was helpful. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section bellow.
