Nursing Elderly People

In this second edition of "Nursing Elderly People", the approach and format of the first edition, has been retained. Four new chapters have appeared, ten have been rewritten and nearly all the remainder have been modified and updated. The four new chapters cover: the extent of mental health problems in the elderly population and the importance of thorough assessment and planning of individual care form the perspective of the multidisciplinary team; self-care and health in old age, which highlights the increasing trend of old people to take more active control of their own health, and the subsequent development of self-help groups run by elders who have similar health and social concerns; care of black and ethnic minority elders, which covers the family circumstances, the living conditions, health and well-being of these people, and the failure of the services to meet their needs; and the continuing care of old people in long-stay settings from residential homes to nursing homes and hospital wards. The authors, have expanded their discussion of ageism and have included a case study of an old lady who, they argue, was a victim of ageism yet whose story they have seen repeated in many different settings. The balance of rights and risks is considered and the importance of giving old people the chance to take risks, like everybody else, is emphasized. The section on surgery for old people has been expanded to include the measures that could easily be, but tend not to be, taken to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis, particulary for elderly women. The nurse's role in the care of old people has been substantially revised. The authors update the reader on some of the developments in nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist roles; and they move from a nursing process prespective, to the current emphasis on individualized care and primary nursing.