Geriatric syndromes, including sleep disturbances, falls, nutritional deficiencies, pain, incontinence, confusion/dementia, and skin problems, often affect each other in older adults. Medications, poor diet, and pain can contribute to these syndromes, leading to complications such as falls, infections, and depression.
Geriatric syndromes fall into seven related categories characterized by one syndrome commonly affecting another. Sleep disturbances, falls, nutritional deficiencies and pain are geriatric syndromes that typically affect the elderly. The elderly also commonly suffer from incontinence, confusion or dementia, and skin problems. Physicians who treat older adults routinely evaluate how each syndrome and the treatments for these conditions contribute to the difficulty in another area.
Older people usually have trouble sleeping for various reasons. When they become sleep deprived, it could affect geriatric syndromes that lead to falls, confusion and depression. Geriatric syndromes that define incontinence and pain can contribute to sleep disturbances, because pain may keep an older person awake. Frequent urination at night commonly prevents an older person from getting adequate rest.
Another of the geriatric syndromes involves nutrition, often related to medications that older people use for unrelated health problems. Some medications might reduce a person’s appetite or inhibit the absorption of essential minerals and vitamins. This can precipitate thin bones and muscle weakness, causing falls. A poor diet could cause dehydration, weakness and dizziness, leading to confusion and pain from falling.
When a geriatric patient experiences pain syndrome, it typically affects other geriatric syndromes, including sleep problems and nutritional disorders. For example, if poorly fitting dentures or tooth decay cause discomfort, the older patient may not eat enough to maintain health. Side effects from medications used to treat pain could contribute to falls, incontinence, and confusion.
Incontinence can lead to bladder and kidney infections and dehydration from insufficient fluid intake. A lack of fiber in the diet can cause intestinal problems that are confusing. Conditions that cause pain could prevent an elderly patient from getting to the bathroom quickly enough, leading to wetting or soiling accidents. Geriatric patients suffering from incontinence may also isolate themselves to avoid embarrassment, leading to depression.
The most common of the seven geriatric syndromes centers on falls. Older adults with vision problems, arthritis, or cognitive impairment are at a higher risk of bone fractures, especially if low blood sugar linked to malnutrition is causing weakness. There is an obvious link between geriatric fall syndromes and pain.
Bedridden or wheelchair-bound geriatric patients commonly suffer from pressure sores, also called pressure sores. These painful lesions could become infected and cause confusion if the pain is not controlled. Bladder problems are listed as a common condition linked to a breakdown of skin tissue, along with sleep disturbances.
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