Healthcare workers are constantly involved in caring for people of all ages. Be it infants or the elderly, they all are individuals who have different abilities and feelings. However, there are similarities too. People at different stages of their lives have specific needs that may be common. Once you know what these are, you will be able to provide specific age appropriate care at every stage.

Healthcare workers spend a lot of time with patients of various ages. By considering the age appropriate requirements of each patient, you will be able to provide the best possible care a person needs so that he/she can regain his/her normal capabilities.

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), in 1991, made it mandatory that all healthcare employees involved in evaluation, treatment, and care of patients be knowledgeable about age-appropriate care. Age appropriate care training is essential for healthcare employees so that they can provide the best care to their patients.

The main aim of age appropriate care training is that healthcare employees become aware of the different age groups. Age appropriate care training will help them identify the needs of the different age groups and keeping those needs in mind they can plan the protocol for patient care and treatment.

When you consider the elderly, i.e. adults above 80 years of age, there are a number of other things to consider and watch carefully as they have a higher chance of developing chronic illnesses. Here are a few things that age appropriate training will teach you about age-specific care for the elderly.

– It is important to encourage the patient to perform his day to day activities as independently as possible. Social, mental, and physical activities must be encouraged to the maximum. It has been seen that a peaceful and active mind can lift a sick person’s spirits and speed up the recovery process.

– Patients over 80 usually have a lot of medications, which can become quite a problem. Hence, it is important to chalk out plans that include even the tiniest of details. You can support your patient by using timed reminders and color codes to encourage him/her to follow the planned schedules. Due to age there may be taste changes and inability to chew food, which should be a significant consideration. Healthy eating habits and lots of fluid intake must be promoted. It is crucial to remember to treat your patients as adults and not patronize them and treat them like children.

– Caring for older patients also involves encouraging them to prepare wills and trusts. Before they are discharged you must make sure that the patient is equipped with necessary ramps and such so that he can perform all activities of daily living without any problems.

As healthcare employees when you care for patients of different ages, you must remember that they have different physiological and psychological needs. With these differences in mind, you will be able to provide individualized and specialized care to all your patients.

For more information, please visit our Age Appropriate Care Training website.

For more information, please visit our Age Appropriate Care Training website http://www.hipaaexams.com/age-appropriate-care.asp

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our Age Appropriate Care Training website.

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