Representing the Profession in the Community

Nursing Roles for the Elderly

Nursing professionals play a number of valuable and important roles for members of society. They act as reliable sources of information regarding health issues. They also act as educators and counselors to help patients adjust to changes in their health, treatment and lifestyle. Most importantly, nurses act as caregivers who look after the physical, psychological as well as emotional well-being of their patients. Some of these roles become more essential and pronounced for elderly patients because of their distinct needs as opposed to those experienced by other patient groups.

Nurses as Caregivers for the Elderly

The most important role of nursing professionals is that of a caregiver or care provider. Nurses provide care to patients at the hospital as well as at home in the capacity of private nurses. They help patients in the administering of medical treatment and in following the lifestyle changes recommended by the physician. They also provide assistance to those with limited or restricted mobility. This role is especially important for elderly patients who become restricted in their bodily movements due to old age or medical ailments. Some of them also face difficulty in processing information around them and need constant care and attention to ensure their safety. As caregivers, nurses provide their elderly patients with assistance in performing daily tasks such as helping them with their toilette including shaving, dressing and cleansing; having balanced and nutritious meals; and taking medication on time. They also help the elderly in their exercise regimen through physiotherapy as well as by taking them out for fresh air in the community. They also help to keep their elderly patients adequately stimulated through engaging as well as relaxing activities. In the absence of family members, nursing professionals provide these essential functions for the elderly patients so that they may be well looked after when they are vulnerable and in need of care and attention.

Nurses as Sources of Information for the Elderly

Nursing professionals also act as valuable sources of reliable information for their patients. Physicians are not in frequent contact with patients and are hence unable to satisfy the informational needs of patients. Nurses are more accessible as they spend most of their time performing care giving functions. They are in a better position to answer the queries of their patients to enable them to look after themselves. In addition, nurses also play an invaluable role in educating family members and other caregivers about the best ways of caring for the patient. Most of the time, the caregivers of elderly patients consist of their children who may not have experienced the same psychological and physical problems. Hence, they may not understand the best way of dealing with these problems and the complaints of the elderly. Nursing professionals possess sufficient knowledge of these issues and can educate family members on how to look after the needs of the elderly patient. Nurses also act as counselors for elderly patients and their family members. They can assist elderly patients in interpreting life stage issues as well as health issues so that they may deal with their psychological anxieties. Nurses are capable of performing this role effectively since they assist and directly witness their patients dealing with the challenges of their physical condition.

Nurses as Advocates for the Elderly

In addition to performing functions of caregiver and information provider, nursing professionals also act as advocates of their patients, particularly of the elderly, because of their greater vulnerability and general lack of social awareness about their peculiar problems. There exists a lack of information or sensitivity to the problems of the elderly among people that nursing professionals can help to address. Prejudices and negative stereotypes against the elderly take the form of ageism in the public health care systems as well as in society at large. These attitudes prevent the sharing of knowledge about the health concerns and needs of the elderly. Moreover, the perceived dependence of the elderly on the public health care system and the welfare system discourages investment of economic resources into care for the elderly. The result is that mediocre human resources are allocated to elderly health care. Nursing for the elderly seems less attractive as a career option in comparison to nursing for other patient groups. This directly affects the well-being of the elderly. Similarly, there is a need to increase resources for research into finding cures for diseases of the elderly. Nurses can act as advocates for the elderly by bringing these issues into the public discourse in professional as well as regulatory circles.