ASSESSMENT

OF LIVING
CONDITIONS
OF OLDER
ADULTS

ZCMIRAFLORES,RN,MN
 ASSESSMENT OF LIVING
CONDITIONS is a special component
of assessing the health component of
older persons

 HOME VISIT –tells more than

any interview session
Gives the opportunity to assess:
A. Layout of the house

B. Assess nutrition and activities of older

person in his/her natural setting
C. Verify some reported cues-related to
food intake and functional abilities
 HOME ASSESSMENT

 Safety at home for older persons-

primary concern

 Consider in conducting home

assessment:
a. Layout of the house
b. Signs of neglect or cleanliness and
order
c. Presence of help tools
d. Physical barriers
 Special precautions to avoid risk in
older clients:

 A. poorer eyesight
 B. decreased hearing
 C. poor sense of balance
 D. limited range of
motion
 Around the house
 Try to keep furniture to a
minimum (e.g. use of
walking frame)
 Avoid having maps on the
floor (securely fastened)
 Careful of loose cords
 Check for worn carpets
and loose flooring-can
easily trip(e.g. telephones
and etc.)
 Keep areas well lit at night
(night light, blue or green
light) give a soft glow at night

 Older persons difficulty

getting in and out of chairs
(encourage him/her to use
chairs with rests for leverage)

 Older persons should have

access to clocks , calendars
and newspapers (promote
orientation and knowledge of
current events)
 Bedroom

 Check height of bed- need

to be lowered or raised
(elderly can comfortably
on edge of bed with feet
flat on the floor
 Instruct the older person
to take time to gain
balance when getting up
from a chair or bed
 Instruct the older
person to wear shoes
or slippers that have
slip resistant tread
patterns and have low
heels with a broad
surface
 Bathroom
 Check slippery surfaces on
the floor and avoid mats
in the bathroom unless
firmly fixed to the floor
 Have a non-slip bath mat
in bath or shower
 Rails may be fitted in the
shower or bath- for easily
get in and out or to steady
herself or himself
 If getting in and off the
toilet is difficult , consider
installing handrails and
perhaps a RAISED TOILET
seat
 Hand held showers maybe
convenient for some
 Ask if shower access can be
altered so that the older
person does not need to
step over anything to get
into it
 Avoid using electrical
appliances in the bathroom
 Kitchen
 1. Put items for everyday use
where they can be
reached easily
 2. Try to have power outlets
placed where they are easy
to reached
 3. Observe safety precautions
with electrical appliances
 4. Make sure the floor surface
is non-slip and always
clean up water and food
spills
 Ask for specific gadgets
that may help the older
person in turning off stove
knobs,pouring form kettles

 Encourage older person to

ask for help with task that
might be too risky, such as
transferring heavy pots and
pans , pouring boiling
water into a thermos and
etc.
 Nutrition and activities
 Older person can better be
assessed by OBSERVING
FOOD
them in their homes
recall cab
be biased
 Assessing food intake can due to
be assessed by checking poor
what is served on the table memory
or desire
and kept on the fridge
to please
 Casual inspection is impt. the
might reveal some food high interviewe
in sodium and fat content r
 Activities

 Home visit gives the

opportunity to assess
older person activities

 OBSERVE them
performing each task
and assess whether
they can do
independently or with
assistance
 Observe them in the
following activities:
 .While eating
 .preparing meals
 .or doing domestic chores

 OBSERVING THE HOUSE-

provide clues whether chores
are being done or there are
signs of neglect
 Recreational activities

 Should also be
evaluated:
 WHETHER:
 A. has time and
opportunity for
recreation
 B. type of recreation
 C. barriers to doing
recreation
 PRESENCE OF
RECREATION Mentally
reflects not only balanced
person
functional has some
form of
abilities of the recreatio
n either
older person but relaxatio
n or for
also his/her mental
challenge
mental status
 Medications
 Medications should be
assessed at home
 Check medications if:
 A. causes dizziness- causes
tendency to fall
 B. stored in a locked
cupboard and left in their
original container
 C. assess if medication are
taken in terms of dose , time
and route
 Family support
 Check quality of interaction
between older person and
family members

 IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE

FOLLOWING:
 1. comfort level of the family
with each other
 2. family’s understanding of
the medical problems of the
older person
 3. Family’s form of
communication and
decision-making


 great implications in
caring for the older
person who decides for
the family and how the
family comes up with
decisions
 Assess the ability of the
older person to manage the
finances

 Explore whether affairs

have been in order
 Ask questions like?
 A. have they make a will?
 B. Who will be the
beneficiary of life insurance
 C. What will happened to
the home when they die?
 IT IS IMPORTANT TO
IDENTIFY WHO ARE THE
CAREGIVERS IN THE FAMILY
and their kind of support (e.
g knowledge or skill or
both)

 They are at risk for

BURNOUT
(assess for signs of burnout
such as fatigue, Irritability,
disinterest etc.)
 Can be seen
 INTEGRATION of the older in the quality
and form of
persons family into the communicati
on between
neighborhood is also families
important

 A well integrated
community means
potential support system
for the older person in
times of need
 Access to services
 Assessment f availability of community
based services is also important
 It includes:
 A. transportation
 B. outreach services
 C. adult day care
 D. nutrition programs
 E. Rehabilitation services(vocational
rehabilitation, self-help support
groups, senior centers, older abuse
protective services , health and
fitness programs
 Ask persons whether they know
about the community based
services
 Like:
 .Transportation fares
 .food establishments
 .movie houses
 .hospitals

May range from 10% to 20%

SENIOR CITIZENS
ASSOCIATION
Plans programs for older persons
Like: Provision of health and social
services to other support services

Provides opportunity to reach out to

other senior citizens
ADULT DAY CARE
CENTERS
Provides health and social
services to older persons with
moderate physical and mental
disabilities

Engage in social and

recreational activities and
other health screening
activities
NUTRITION
PROGRAMS
Other countries: home
delivered meals or “
MEALS ON WHEELS”

Provides ready food for

older person living on
their own
REHABILITATION
SERVICES
Vocational rehabilitation part of
physical and occupational
departments
Self-help support groups  can be
seen in geriatric/senor hospitals
Elder abuse protective services
attaches to women’s desk and
children protection units

Health and fitness can be a part of

health social services
ACTIVITY
1. Conduct an assessment of your
patients home or living conditions.
2. What do you think are the
challenges of conducting home
assessment?
3. Which aspects of living conditions
affect more profoundly the quality
of life of the older person?
Support your answer.