
Active Ageing – Case Study on Health & Fall Prevention
Based on the profile of Madam Sumi below, discuss the ways in which she can keep healthy, so that she can embrace active ageing.
Madam Sumi is a 69-year-old retired secretary who lives alone in a 3-room flat. She has two grown children who live separately and have limited time to visit Madam Sumi due to work and family commitments. Since retiring, she has remained fully mobile and independent in her activities of daily living, though she mostly prefers to stay indoors to watch television. Her social circle has significantly diminished over the years, particularly after the passing of her husband and a few close friends. This has resulted in her occasional feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Her medical history includes hypertension where her recent blood pressure is at 148/95 mmHg, arthritis and joint degeneration which was likely exacerbated by a genetic predisposition and her overweight status. She has pain and pressure sensation in her feet due to her diabetic condition. Consequently, she has to wear loose-fitting slippers.
Madam Sumi frequently eats at the neighbourhood coffee shops, often choosing chicken rice or fried carrot cake. Her diet consists of high intake of fat and sodium, with low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods. She dislikes dairy products, which limits her calcium intake.
She was recently admitted to the A&E department after a fall in her home bathroom, resulting in hip and wrist fractures, which are consistent with underlying osteoporosis and impaired balance.
Your writing should be clear, concise, and well organised with good sentence/paragraph construction. Ideas should flow smoothly from one to another and are linked to one another. Reliable sources of references should be cited to support your statements.
As a guide to structure your assignment submission, you would need to include the following sections for the case study.
Section A
a) Explain how FOUR key physical changes to Madam Sumi’s musculoskeletal system due to ageing that will affect her activities of daily living.
b) List and explain SIX risk factors that could contribute to Madam Sumi developing arthritis.
Section B
a) Explain FOUR possible causes for Madam Sumi to fall in the home bathroom based on her medical conditions.
b) Discuss FOUR recommendations to reduce the risk of falling for Madam Sumi.
Section C
a) Discuss THREE potential factors that are preventing Madam Sumi from achieving optimal nutrition.
b) Propose and elaborate on THREE recommendations to help Madam Sumi eat more healthily for optimal nutrition.
c) Elaborate on FOUR types of physical activities that are suitable for Madam Sumi based on her medical conditions.
d) Identify and explain FOUR strategies that can enhance the mental well-being of Mdm Sumi.
Section D
a) Explain FOUR determinants of Active Ageing that can help Madam Sumi to embrace active ageing.
Experts Answer on Above Questions on Active Ageing Case Study
The four age-related musculoskeletal changes that affect ADLs are reduced muscle mass and strength, reduced bone density, joint cartilage degeneration and reduced flexibility and balance. Madam sumi can experience a reduction in leg and core strength because of age-related muscle loss, and her osteoporosis increases bone fragility. Ageing also results in reduction in the cartilage resilience and contributes towards osteoarthritis. Finally, ageing reduces joint flexibility and for Madam Sumi, impaired balance can Increase difficulty with transfers and walking and directly contribute towards the risk of another fall.
Six risk factors contributing to arthritis
The six contributing factors are age, overweight status, genetic predisposition, previous joint damage, physical inactivity and female sex/postmenopausal ageing. Madam Sumi at 69 has excess body weight and her reported family genetics increases her likelihood of developing joint degeneration.
Four possible causes of her bathroom fall
The four possible causes are arthritis and joint degeneration, diabetic foot problems, osteoporosis and age related balance impairment.
Four fall prevention recommendations
It is recommended to perform modification to the bathroom by installing grab rails and using non-slip flooring mats, undertake strength and balance training from a physiotherapist, manage diabetic foot problems and review medications and medical conditions.
Three factors preventing optimal nutrition
An analysis of the case scenario indicates the three important factors that prevent optimal nutrition are frequent coffee shop meals, low intake of nutrients, dense foods and avoidance of dairy products.
Create recommendations for healthier eating
It is recommended to select lower sodium and less oily options, increase fruit and vegetable intake, and make use of non-dairy calcium sources.
Four suitable physical activities
The four suitable physical activities are walking, chair-based exercises, strength training and balance exercises. These are suggested because she has recently sustained a hip and wrist fracture and exercise is very important for her at the current situation.
Four strategies for mental well-being.
The four suitable strategies are to increase social contact, join senior community activities, develop meaningful routines and hobbies, and address persistence loneliness.
Four determinants of active ageing
The four crucial determinants of active ageing are health and social services, behavioural determinants, social determinants and physical environment. With respect to Madam Sumi, active ageing does not mean physically active. The main priority should be to combine flexible rehabilitation, chronic disease management, nutritious eating, fall prevention, social participation and meaningful daily activities so as to remain independent and enjoy quality of life.
| This model answer is reviewed by Amanda Wun, Nursing Graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic a nursing expert having good understanding of analysing case studies on active ageing. Disclaimer: The response above to the case study is provided for academic study purposes and is not intended to offer any kind of medical advice, diagnosis or treatment guidance. This answer is a model for study and reference purposes only. Please do not submit it as your own work. |
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The analysis of the case of Madam Sumi ageing, arthritis, fall risks, nutrition, physical activity, mental welling and active ageing strategies above indicated significant findings which can be used to improve her condition. With our nursing assignment help from experts in Singapore, you can get a similar kind of case study analysis with detailed explanation. Not only with nursing, you can get complete assignment help across all major subjects by visiting our homepage. Not only this, you can also evaluate the quality of writing by our experts by analysing their sample assignment from Republic Polytechnic.
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