Question

An older patient wants to grocery shop, do laundry, cook, and perform routine household chores. Which function should the nurse identify as being a priority for this patient?

Answer 1

Correct Answers:

Independence

Rationale :

💎 The patient’s desire to grocery shop, do laundry, cook, and handle household chores reflects a strong motivation to maintain independence — the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) without assistance.

💎 For older adults, maintaining independence is essential for self-esteem, dignity, and quality of life. It supports physical activity, cognitive function, and emotional well-being, while reducing dependence on caregivers.

💎 The nurse should encourage this independence by promoting safety, adaptive equipment if needed, and energy-conserving strategies, allowing the patient to remain active and autonomous.

💎 While amusement, socialization, and relaxation contribute to well-being, preserving functional independence is the top priority for sustaining health and preventing decline in older adults.

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Answer 2

Correct Answers:

Chair aerobics

Rationale :

💠 Chair aerobics is a safe and inclusive form of low-impact physical activity ideal for older adults or individuals with physical limitations. It allows participants to perform stretching, strength, and cardiovascular exercises while seated, minimizing fall risk and joint strain.

💠 This activity promotes circulation, flexibility, and muscle tone, helping older adults maintain mobility and independence without overexertion.

💠 It can also enhance mental well-being and social engagement, especially in a community setting where participation and enjoyment are encouraged.

💠 In contrast, activities like volleyball, tennis, and nature walks may require more balance, coordination, and endurance, making them less suitable for participants with limited mobility.

💠 By recommending chair aerobics, the nurse supports inclusive, safe, and health-promoting physical activity for all community members.

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Answer 3

Correct Answers:

Increasing isolation from friends, family, and activities

Rationale :

💎 Increasing social isolation in an older adult often signals potential changes in mental status, such as depression, cognitive decline, or early dementia. Withdrawal from previously enjoyed relationships and activities is a key behavioral indicator that mental or emotional health may be deteriorating.

💎 While occasional forgetfulness (like misplacing items or forgetting instructions) can be part of normal aging, social withdrawal reflects deeper cognitive or emotional changes requiring further assessment.

💎 During a home visit, the nurse should evaluate for depression, anxiety, memory loss, or confusion, and assess the patient’s support systems, mood, and safety at home.

💎 Early identification of mental health changes allows for timely intervention, counseling, and referral to appropriate healthcare providers.

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Answer 4

Correct Answers:

The patient is afraid of what her son might do.

Rationale :

🔷 When an older patient expresses fear of being left alone with a family member, especially while holding the nurse’s hand or seeking reassurance, it may indicate fear of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment.

🔷 This statement is a red flag for possible elder abuse, which can be physical, emotional, financial, or psychological. The nurse must take it seriously and assess further in a private, safe environment.

🔷 The nurse should avoid leaving the patient alone with the suspected individual, document the statement verbatim, and follow facility protocols for reporting suspected abuse to the appropriate authorities or social services.

🔷 The nurse’s priority is to ensure the patient’s immediate safety and provide emotional support while maintaining a nonjudgmental approach.

🔷 Early recognition and reporting are vital to protect the patient from further harm and connect them to protective and supportive services.

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Answer 5

Correct Answers:

Ensure the patient's safety

Rationale :

💎 The nurse’s first priority is always the patient’s safety. When entering the home and smelling smoke, the nurse must immediately ensure the older adult is safe and away from any potential fire or hazardous situation. Older adults are at higher risk for injury due to decreased mobility, slower reaction times, and sensory deficits, so confirming their safety is essential.

💎 Once the patient is in a secure location, the nurse can then proceed to identify the source of the smoke, call for help if needed, and take additional safety measures such as checking alarms or ventilating the area.

💎 This aligns with the nursing process and the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation)—protecting life and safety before addressing environmental factors.

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Answer 6

Correct Answers:

"Are you able to afford to buy food?"

Rationale :

🔷 This question directly addresses a possible cause of poor nutrition—financial hardship. When an older adult has no food in the cupboards and reuses tea bags, it can signal food insecurity or economic limitations, not simply personal preference.

🔷 Asking about the ability to afford food helps the nurse assess for risk of malnutrition, identify underlying socioeconomic barriers, and determine whether the patient needs referrals to social services or community resources like food assistance programs.

🔷 Open-ended and nonjudgmental questions that explore access and affordability provide a more accurate understanding of the patient’s nutritional status and help guide effective interventions.

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Answer 7

Correct Answers:

Recently widowed

Rationale :

🔹 Being recently widowed can lead to grief, depression, and social isolation, which are major contributors to decreased appetite and unintentional weight loss in older adults.

🔹 The loss of a spouse often results in emotional distress and disruption of eating routines, especially if the deceased partner was responsible for meal preparation.

🔹 Emotional and social changes after bereavement can significantly affect nutritional intake, motivation to eat, and overall health. Recognizing this psychosocial factor allows the nurse to assess for depression, social support, and need for grief counseling.

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Answer 8

Correct Answers:

Let the patient do as much as she can for mouth and personal care and toileting

Rationale :

💎 Encouraging the patient to perform as much self-care as possible promotes independence, self-esteem, and functional ability, which are essential in maintaining the health and dignity of older adults.

💎 For a frail 80-year-old with arthritis, assistance should support—not replace—independence. Allowing her to do what she can helps preserve muscle strength, joint mobility, and coordination.

💎 Over-assistance can lead to dependence, decreased confidence, and further functional decline, whereas supportive encouragement maintains a sense of control and autonomy.

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Answer 9

Correct Answers:

Comb hair

Rationale :

🔷 Combing hair involves repeated shoulder flexion, abduction, and elbow movement, which strengthens and maintains upper arm mobility. This activity encourages active range of motion in the upper extremities, promoting circulation and joint flexibility.

🔷 For older adults, such movements help preserve muscle tone and prevent stiffness that commonly accompanies decreased activity or arthritis.

🔷 The other options primarily involve lower extremity movement, which would not target the upper arm joints or muscles that the nurse is aiming to improve.

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Answer 10

Correct Answers:

Refuse because the patient has clearly stated wishes in a legal document

Rationale :

💎 A living will is a legally binding advance directive that specifies the patient’s wishes regarding medical treatment when they can no longer communicate. It must be honored over family requests, as it reflects the patient’s autonomy and right to self-determination.

💎 The nurse and healthcare team are ethically and legally obligated to follow the patient’s advance directives, not the desires of family members, even if the family disagrees.

💎 Upholding the living will prevents unwanted medical interventions such as intubation or tube feeding and ensures respect for the patient’s end-of-life decisions consistent with the Patient Self-Determination Act.

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VNSG201 Geriatrics Summer 2025 (NS) Final Exam

No.

1 :
An older patient wants to grocery shop, do laundry, cook, and perform routine household chores. Which function should the nurse identify as being a priority for this patient?

2 :
The nurse notes that activities planned for a community day are limited for older people or those with physical limitations. Which activity should the nurse suggest be added to engage the older adults in physical activity?

3 :
During a home visit the licensed nurse decides to focus on assessing an older patient's mental status. What did the nurse observe to make this clinical determination?

4 :
An older patient holds the nurse's hand and states, "Please don't leave me alone here when my son comes to visit." What should this indicate to the nurse?

5 :
When entering the home of an older patient the nurse smells smoke. What should be done first?

6 :
During a home visit the nurse notes that an older patient has no food in the cupboards and reuses tea bags. Which question should the nurse ask when assessing this patient's nutritional status?

7 :
An older patient has lost 15 pounds over the last 3 months. Which information should the nurse identify as being the reason for this patient's weight loss?

8 :
The nurse is assigning tasks to nursing assistants in a nursing home. Which would be the most appropriate instruction to give to the assistant who will care for a frail 80-year-old woman with arthritis?

9 :
The nurse is aware of an older patient having difficulty with upper arm mobility. Which activity should the nurse encourage to help this patient?

10 :
An older patient has a living will that clearly states no intubation, no IV hydration, and no feeding tube. As the end of life nears, the patient's daughter requests a feeding tube for the patient. What should the facility do?

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VNSG201 Geriatrics Summer 2025 (NS) Final Exam

No.

1 : An older patient wants to grocery shop, do laundry, cook, and perform routine household chores. Which function should the nurse identify as being a priority for this patient?

2 : The nurse notes that activities planned for a community day are limited for older people or those with physical limitations. Which activity should the nurse suggest be added to engage the older adults in physical activity?

3 : During a home visit the licensed nurse decides to focus on assessing an older patient's mental status. What did the nurse observe to make this clinical determination?

4 : An older patient holds the nurse's hand and states, "Please don't leave me alone here when my son comes to visit." What should this indicate to the nurse?

5 : When entering the home of an older patient the nurse smells smoke. What should be done first?

6 : During a home visit the nurse notes that an older patient has no food in the cupboards and reuses tea bags. Which question should the nurse ask when assessing this patient's nutritional status?

7 : An older patient has lost 15 pounds over the last 3 months. Which information should the nurse identify as being the reason for this patient's weight loss?

8 : The nurse is assigning tasks to nursing assistants in a nursing home. Which would be the most appropriate instruction to give to the assistant who will care for a frail 80-year-old woman with arthritis?

9 : The nurse is aware of an older patient having difficulty with upper arm mobility. Which activity should the nurse encourage to help this patient?

10 : An older patient has a living will that clearly states no intubation, no IV hydration, and no feeding tube. As the end of life nears, the patient's daughter requests a feeding tube for the patient. What should the facility do?

1 :
An older patient wants to grocery shop, do laundry, cook, and perform routine household chores. Which function should the nurse identify as being a priority for this patient?

2 :
The nurse notes that activities planned for a community day are limited for older people or those with physical limitations. Which activity should the nurse suggest be added to engage the older adults in physical activity?

3 :
During a home visit the licensed nurse decides to focus on assessing an older patient's mental status. What did the nurse observe to make this clinical determination?

4 :
An older patient holds the nurse's hand and states, "Please don't leave me alone here when my son comes to visit." What should this indicate to the nurse?

5 :
When entering the home of an older patient the nurse smells smoke. What should be done first?

6 :
During a home visit the nurse notes that an older patient has no food in the cupboards and reuses tea bags. Which question should the nurse ask when assessing this patient's nutritional status?

7 :
An older patient has lost 15 pounds over the last 3 months. Which information should the nurse identify as being the reason for this patient's weight loss?

8 :
The nurse is assigning tasks to nursing assistants in a nursing home. Which would be the most appropriate instruction to give to the assistant who will care for a frail 80-year-old woman with arthritis?

9 :
The nurse is aware of an older patient having difficulty with upper arm mobility. Which activity should the nurse encourage to help this patient?

10 :
An older patient has a living will that clearly states no intubation, no IV hydration, and no feeding tube. As the end of life nears, the patient's daughter requests a feeding tube for the patient. What should the facility do?