A 74-year-old healthy and happy retired attorney who complains that she is getting very forgetful but is still able to beat her 49-year-old son doing crossword puzzles asks if this is normal. The nurse tells her:
A) The loss of memory and intelligence is progressive and sometime in the future your son will most likely begin to win more games.
B) Crossword puzzles are a great way to spend time with your son; he must care about you.
C) That seems normal; we seem to lose short-term memory as we age but our problem-solving skills remain unchanged.
D) We often lose short-term memory when we have a stroke; do you think you have had a stroke?
Ans: C
Feedback: Many factors affect the ability of older people to learn, remember, and perform well in testing situations. Older adults with higher levels of education, good sensory function, good nutrition, and who have jobs that require complex problem-solving skills seem to demonstrate intelligence, memory, and the capacity for learning. Option C, "that seems normal, we seem to lose short-term memory as we age but our problem-solving skills remain unchanged," is the best answer. Option A is incorrect; there does not seem to be progressive loss of memory and intelligence as we age. Option B is incorrect; it fails to address the patient's question. Option D is incorrect; there is no evidence the patient has had a stroke.
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