unit I. Overview of aging. 1. Trends and issues : Introduction to geriatric nursing ; Attitudes toward aging ; Demographics ; Economics of aging ; Housing arrangements ; Health care provisions ; Impact of aging members in the family -- 2. Theories of aging : Biologic theories ; Psychosocial theories ; Implications for nursing -- 3. Physiologic changes : The integumentary system ; The musculoskeletal system ; The respiratory system ; The cardiovascular system ; The hematopoietic and lymphatic systems ; The gastrointestinal system ; The urinary system ; The nervous system ; The special senses ; The endocrine system -- The reproductive and genitourinary systems --

unit II. Basic skills for gerontologic nursing. 4. Health promotion, health maintenance, and home health considerations : Recommended health practices or older adults ; Factors that affect health promotion and maintenance ; Home health -- 5. Communicating with older adults : Information sharing (framing the message) ; Formal or therapeutic communication ; Informal or social communication ; Nonverbal communication -- Acceptance, dignity, and respect in communication -- Barriers to communication -- Skills and techniques -- 6. Maintaining fluid balance and meeting nutrition needs : Nutrition and aging ; Malnutrition and the elderly -- 7. Medications and older adults : Risks related to drug-testing methods ; Risks related to the physiologic changes of aging ; Beers criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults ; Risks related to cognitive or sensory changes ; Risks related to inadequate knowledge ; Risks related to financial factors ; Medication administration in an institutional setting ; Nursing assessment and medication ; Medications and the nursing care plan ; Patient rights and medication ; Self-medication and older adults ; Teaching older adults about medications ; Safety and noncompliance (nonadherence) issues -- 8. Health assessment of older adults : Health screening ; Health assessments ; Interviewing older adults ; Obtaining the health history ; Physical assessment of older adults ; Assessing vital signs in older adults ; Sensory assessment of older adults ; Psychosocial assessment of older adults ; Assessment of condition change in the elderly -- 9. Meeting safety needs of older adults : Internal risk factors ; External risk factors ; Summary --

unit III. Psychosocial care of the elderly. 10. Cognition and perception : Normal cognitive-perceptual functioning -- 11. Self-perception and self-concept : Normal self-perception and self-concept ; Self-perception/self-concept and aging -- 12. Roles and relationships : Normal roles and relationships ; Roles, relationships, and aging -- 13. Coping and stress : Normal stress and coping -- 14. Values and beliefs : Common values and beliefs of older adults -- 15. End-of-life care : Death in western cultures ; Attitudes toward death and end-of-life planning ; Values clarification related to death and end-of-life care ; What is a "good" death ; Where people die ; Palliative care ; Collaborative assessment and interventions for end-of-life care ; Communication at the end of life ; Psychosocial perspectives, assessments, and interventions ; Physiologic changes, assessments, and interventions ; Death ; Funeral arrangements ; Bereavement -- 16. Sexuality and aging : Factors that affect sexuality of older adults ; Marriage and older adults ; Caregivers and the sexuality of older adults ; Sexual health and sexual orientation --

unit IV. Physical care of the elderly. 17. Care of aging skin and mucous membranes : Age-related changes in skin, hair, and nails ; Age-related changes in oral mucous membranes -- 18. Elimination : Normal elimination patterns ; Elimination and aging -- 19. Activity and exercise : Normal activity patterns ; Activity and aging ; Effects of disease processes on activity ; Rehabilitation -- 20. Sleep and rest : Sleep-rest health pattern -- Appendices : A. Laboratory values for older adults ; B. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) ; C. Dietary information for older adults ; D. Resources for older adults.