Attached question

N orm al a gin g b rin gs a bout in evit a ble a nd ir re ve rs ib le c h anges. T hese n orm al a gin g c h anges a re p artia lly r e sp onsib le fo r th e i n cre ase d r is k o f d eve lo pin g h ealt h -re la te d p ro ble m s w it h in th e e ld erly p opula tio n. P re va le nt p ro ble m s e xp erie nce d b y o ld er a dult s i n clu de: s le ep d is o rd ers , p ro ble m s w it h e atin g o r fe edin g, in co ntin ence , c o nfu sio n, e vid ence o f fa lls , a nd s kin b re akd ow n. F am ilia rit y w it h th ese c o m monly -o ccu rrin g d is o rd ers h elp s th e n urs e p re ve nt u nnece ssa ry ia tr o genesis a nd p ro m ote o ptim al fu nctio n o f th e a gin g p atie nt. F la ggin g c o ndit io ns fo r fu rth er a sse ssm ent a llo w s th e n urs e to im ple m ent p re ve nta tiv e a nd th era peutic in te rv e ntio ns ( F ulm er, 1 991; F ulm er, 1 991).

B EST T O OL:

F ulm er S PIC ES, d eve lo ped b y T e rry F ulm er, P hD , A PR N, F A AN a t N ew Y ork U niv e rs it y C olle ge o f N urs in g, is a n e ffic ie nt a nd e ffe ctiv e in str u m ent fo r o bta in in g th e in fo rm atio n n ece ssa ry to p re ve nt h ealt h a lt e ra tio ns in th e o ld er a dult p atie nt ( F ulm er, 1 991; F ulm er, 1 991; F ulm er, 2 001). S PIC ES is a n a cro nym fo r th e c o m mon s yn dro m es o f th e e ld erly r e quir in g n urs in g i n te rv e ntio n:

S is fo r S le ep D is o rd ers P is fo r P ro ble m s w it h E atin g o r F eedin g I is fo r In co ntin ence C is fo r C onfu sio n E is fo r E vid ence o f F alls S is fo r S kin B re akd ow n T A RG ET P O PU LA TIO N:

T he p ro ble m s a sse sse d th ro ugh S PIC ES o ccu r c o m monly a m ong th e e ntir e o ld er a dult p opula tio n.

T here fo re , th e in str u m ent m ay b e u se d fo r b oth h ealt h y a nd fr a il o ld er a dult s .

V A LID IT Y A ND R ELIA BIL IT Y:

T he in str u m ent h as b een u se d e xte nsiv e ly to a sse ss o ld er a dult s in th e h osp it a l s e ttin g, to p re ve nt a nd d ete ct th e m ost c o m mon c o m plic a tio ns ( F ulm er, 2 001; L opez, e t a l, 2 002; P fa ff, 2 002; T u rn er, J ., e t a l, 2 001; N IC HE).

P sych om etr ic te stin g h as n ot b een d one.

S TR EN G TH S A ND L IM IT A TIO NS:

T he S PIC ES a cro nym is e asily r e m em bere d a nd m ay b e u se d to r e ca ll th e c o m mon p ro ble m s o f t h e e ld erly p opula tio n in a ll c lin ic a l s e ttin gs. It p ro vid es a s im ple s yste m fo r fla ggin g a re as in n eed o f fu rth er a sse ssm ent a nd p ro vid es a b asis fo r s ta ndard iz in g q ualit y o f c a re a ro und c e rta in p ara m ete rs . S PIC ES is a n a le rt s yste m a nd r e fe rs to o nly th e m ost f r e quently -o ccu rrin g h ealt h p ro ble m s o f o ld er a dult s . T hro ugh th is in it ia l s cre en, m ore c o m ple te a sse ssm ents a re tr ig gere d. It s h ould n ot b e u se d a s a r e pla ce m ent fo r a c o m ple te n urs in g a sse ssm ent.

F ulm er S PIC ES: A n O vera ll A ssessm en t T o ol f o r O ld er A dult s P atie nt N am e: D ate :

S PIC ES E VID EN CE S le ep D is o rd ers / _ _____________________________________ P ro ble m s w it h E atin g o r F eedin g/_ _______________________ I n co ntin ence /_ ________________________________________ C onfu sio n/_ ____________________________________________ E vid ence o f F alls /_ ___________________________________ S kin B re akd ow n/_ ______________________________________ A dapte d fr o m F ulm er, T . ( 1 991). T he G eria tr ic N urs e S pecia lis t R ole : A N ew M odel. N urs in g M anagem ent, 2 2(3 ), 9 1- 9 3. © C opyrig ht L ip pin co tt W illia m s & W ilk in s, http ://lw w.c o m .

1/2 M ORE O N T H E T O PIC :

B est p ra ctic e in fo rm atio n o n c a re o f o ld er a dult s :

www.G ero N urs e O nlin e.o rg .

F ulm er, T . ( 1 991). T he G eria tr ic N urs e S pecia lis t R ole : A N ew M odel. N urs in g M anagem ent, 2 2(3 ), 9 1-9 3.

F ulm er, T . ( 1 991). G ro w Y our O wn E xp erts in H osp it a l E ld er C are . G eria tr ic N urs in g, M arc h /A pril 1 991, 6 4-6 6.

F ulm er, T . ( 2 001). T he g eria tr ic r e so urc e n urs e : A m odel o f c a rin g fo r o ld er p atie nts . A m eric a n J o urn al o f N urs in g, 1 02, 6 2.

L opez, M ., D elm ore , B ., A ke , J ., K im , Y ., G old en, P ., B ie r, J ., & F ulm er, T . ( 2 002). Im ple m entin g a G eria tr ic R eso urc e N urs e M odel.

J o urn al o f N urs in g A dm in is tr a tio n, 3 2(1 1 ), 5 77-5 85.

N urs e s Im pro vin g th e C are o f th e H osp it a liz e d E ld erly ( N IC HE) p ro je ct a t th e H artfo rd In stit u te fo r G eria tr ic N urs in g, h ttp :

/ / w ww.h artfo rd ig n.o rg .

P fa ff, J . ( 2 002). T he G eria tr ic R eso urc e N urs e M odel: A c u lt u re c h ange. G eria tr ic N urs in g, 2 3(3 ), 1 40-1 44.

T u rn er, J . T ., L ee, V ., F le tc h er, K ., H udso n, K ., & B arto n, D . ( 2 001). M easu rin g q ualit y o f c a re w it h a n in patie nt e ld erly p opula tio n: T he g eria tr ic r e so urc e n urs e m odel. J o urn al o f G ero nto lo gic a l N urs in g, 2 7(3 ), 8 -1 8.

P erm is sio n is h ere by g ra nte d to r e pro duce , p ost, d ow nlo ad, a nd/o r d is tr ib ute , th is m ate ria l in it s e ntir e ty o nly fo r n ot- fo r-p ro fit e duca tio nal p urp ose s o nly , p ro vid ed th at T he H artfo rd In stit u te fo r G eria tr ic N urs in g, C olle ge o f N urs in g, N ew Y ork U niv e rs it y is c it e d a s th e s o urc e . T his m ate ria l m ay b e d ow nlo aded a nd/o r d is tr ib ute d in e le ctr o nic fo rm at, in clu din g P D A fo rm at. A va ila ble o n th e i n te rn et a t www.h artfo rd ig n.o rg a nd/o r www.G ero N urs e O nlin e.o rg . E -m ail n otif ic a tio n o f u sa ge to :

hartfo rd .ig n@ nyu .e du . A S ER IE S P R O VID ED B Y T he H artfo rd In stit u te fo r G eria tr ic N urs in g E M AIL :

hartfo rd .ig n@ nyu .e du H AR TFO RD IN STIT U TE W EBSIT E :

w ww.h artfo rd ig n.o rg G ER O NURSEO NLIN E W EBSIT E :

www.G ero N urs e O nlin e.o rg 2/2