Author Question: The nurse is counseling a middle-aged couple regarding hormonal shifts that occur during middle age. ... (Read 136 times)

crobinson2013 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

The nurse is counseling a middle-aged couple regarding hormonal shifts that occur during middle age. His wife has told him that both men and women experience decreasing hormonal production during middle adulthood, and he asks the nurse if this is true.

Which response by the nurse is the most appropriate?
1. Your wife has obtained some incorrect data.
2. Why do you ask?
3. Your hormonal levels increase, not decrease with age.
4. Your wife is correct. Both men and women experience a decrease in hormone production with aging.

Question 2

Which assessment findings in an older adult client does the nurse associate with the normal aging process?

Select all that apply.
1. Increased systolic blood pressure.
2. Increased muscle tone.
3. Decreased cardiac output.
4. Increased vital capacity.
5. Decreased renal function.

DHRUVSHAH · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Correct Answer: 4

The statement by the nurse, Your wife is correct, both men and women experience a decrease in hormone production with aging accurately describes changes that take place in the middle-age years. During menopause, which usually occurs between ages 40 and 55, the ovaries decrease in size, and the uterus becomes smaller and firmer. Progesterone is not produced and estrogen levels fall. Men also have a decrease in hormonal production and experience a gradual decrease in testosterone. Hormone levels in men and women do not increase with aging. Responding by asking another question such as Why do you ask? does not answer the initial question asked by the husband of the couple. It is most appropriate for the nurse to answer the husband's question first and later explore his concerns.

Answer to Question 2

Correct Answer: 1, 3, 5

The older adult experiences a normal decline in body function. Systolic blood pressure increases due to a decrease in the elasticity of the arteries and increased peripheral vascular resistance. Cardiac output is diminished due to alteration in pumping action, as the heart muscle thickens. Renal function decreases as blood flow to the kidneys is affected by arteriosclerotic changes and a decrease in the number of nephrons. Respiratory vital capacity is decreased as the lungs become stiffer and less efficient. Muscle tone is decreased.