Wound Healing In Older People: A Case Study Paper

March 4, 2014
Nursing 118
Case Study Paper The purpose of “Effect of nutrition on wound healing in older people: a case study” is to educate the reader about how an elderly person’s nutritional status effects the process of wound healing. It discusses the normal healing process, factors that may affect healing, and how to treat or prevent those factors. Many factors to contribute to the possibility of malnutrition in older adults and combined with their decline in physical activity, healing issues occur. Maintaining skin integrity is of upmost importance in the elderly to prevent pressure ulcers and other skin issues from arising. Different nutrients have specific functions that aide in the healing process. Wound healing is a complex
She is at risk for malnutrition. One physiological risk factor is that Dorothy is already underweight. Another risk factor for older adults is that they usually have lost some of their teeth, which makes eating more difficult. A reduced sense of smell and taste is also common in older adults and results in diminished desire to eat. Psychosocially, she may be confused with the transition into the hospital. Also, older people often forget to eat or lose motivation to eat, which also contributes to malnutrition. Depression may also contribute to the loss of desire to
It is important to measure the wound every day during the assessment so that he or she can chart healing progress. It is also important for the nurse to refer the patient to a dietician to ensure that they are getting the adequate nutrition that is required for healing. Monitoring the patient’s intake and output should be a priority because the nurse needs to be sure that the patient is staying well hydrated and eats the foods that the dietician recommends. Daily weights are also a useful tool for monitoring nutritional status. Seeing a dramatic decrease in weight can indicate problems with nutrition, which in turn indicates problems with