The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. As the nurse begins the ...

[Coya19@aol.com]

The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. As the nurse begins the mental status portion of the assessment, the nurse expects that this patient:
 
  a. Will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response time.
  b. Will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this ability typically decreases with age.
  c. May take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and abilities should not have declined.
  d. Will exhibit had a decrease in his response time because of the loss of language and a decrease in general knowledge.

Question 2

The nurse is assessing the mental status of a child. Which statement about children and mental status is true?
 
  a. All aspects of mental status in children are interdependent.
  b. Children are highly labile and unstable until the age of 2 years.
  c. Children's mental status is largely a function of their parents' level of functioning until the age of 7 years.
  d. A child's mental status is impossible to assess until the child develops the ability to concentrate.

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Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
The aging process leaves the parameters of mental status mostly intact. General knowledge does not decrease, and little or no loss in vocabulary occurs. Response time is slower than in a youth. It takes a little longer for the brain to process information and to react to it. Recent memory, which requires some processing, is somewhat decreased with aging, but remote memory is not affected.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
Separating and tracing the development of only one aspect of mental status is difficult. All aspects are interdependent. For example, consciousness is rudimentary at birth because the cerebral cortex is not yet developed. The infant cannot distinguish the self from the mother's body. The other statements are not true.

[Coya19@aol.com]

Thank you

[chinwesucks]

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