A nurse is responsible for assessing an older adult in an acute care setting. Which of the following statements most accurately captures the complexity involved in assessing the older adult?

Question

A) Older adults manifest fewer symptoms of illness than do younger clients.
B) Signs and symptoms of illness are often obscure and less predictable among older adults.
C) Care must be taken to avoid assessing normal, age-related changes.
D) Older adults experience fewer acute health problems but more chronic illnesses than do younger clients.

Answer 1

Ans: B
The manifestations of illness in older adults can be less clear and less predictable than among younger clients. Older adults often show different, but not necessarily fewer, symptoms than do younger clients. Age-related changes must be recognized and acknowledged, not excluded from the assessment process. Older adults do not experience fewer acute health problems than do younger adults but rather different manifestations of health problems.