Tips for nurses working with elderly patients

Regina Mason, RN From the moment Regina Mason, MSN, RN, GNP-BC, entered nursing school, she knew she desired to work with older adults. “The impetus for my nursing career was helping my family care for my godmother, who had Alzheimer’s disease,” Mason said. “She was 91 when she died at home while on hospice care. That experience changed my life because I no longer feared the dying process, but I realized I could help others die peacefully with their loved ones by my side.”

Working with older people

That experience, she said, helped her navigate nursing school and her 30-year nursing profession, in addition to the clinical knowledge she needed to develop into a gerontological nurse practitioner. Mason knew she was “a perfect fit” when the chance arose to affix the nursing team at Mercy LIFE – West Philadelphia. The LIFE program, which stands for “Living Independently For Elders,” is run by Mercy Health in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and provides comprehensive medical, health, recreational and social services designed specifically for everyone to, because the LIFE program’s website states, promote independence at home. Mason said she works as a contract advanced practice nurse, recruited through a supplemental health care organization to supply primary care to older patients at various stages of life. How can other nurses know that an identical profession is true for them? How can nurses currently working in the sector not only proceed but thrive? Mason offered some advice.

DIG DEEP

To find the precise purpose of their careers, nurses must develop an innate understanding of what drew them to nursing and what keeps them coming back. “I believe that to find the right career path, you have to dig deep to find what motivates you and, most importantly, what you’re passionate about,” Mason said. “My motivation came from my childhood. Growing up, I was always surrounded by older adults and I valued the wealth of knowledge and wisdom they had to share. “Whatever motivates you and drives you will keep you on track to achieving your goals.” In addition to being motivated to achieve geriatric care, nurses must also possess high levels of “patience, compassion and good active listening skills.” These traits, she said, is not going to only prove useful but are “critical to effective care for older adults.”

THE INEVITABLE WILL HAPPEN

The essential challenges faced by those caring for older people typically arise from end-of-life issues. “Being proactive and having discussions about end-of-life care is difficult for both older adults, their families and health care providers,” Mason said. “I dealt with the challenge of end-of-life issues for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia by having pre-crisis conversations,” she said. “When individuals are in the middle of a crisis, it is very difficult to make decisions.”

REMEMBER: YOU MAY NOT KNOW

Caring for the elderly can sometimes be difficult for even essentially the most experienced nurses, Mason said. To achieve success in elder care, nurses must realize that they should not have all of the answers. “Nurses can’t shoulder the burden alone,” Mason said. To provide older adults with the care they need and deserve, every role and discipline must work together. She noted how essential it’s for all specialties involved in elder care to work in unison to attain a standard goal. “Geriatric care is very complex and demanding,” Mason said.

REAP THE BENEFITS

While caring for the elderly could be difficult, Mason said the experience also brings great advantages to those that are willing to commit to it. On the LIFE program, for instance, she said she often interacts with people who find themselves recent to this system and might watch them blossom after the primary days of introspection. “They tend to be anxious and withdrawn,” Mason said. “However, it doesn’t take long for them to engage in some activities and flourish again.” She said working with the LIFE program also helps her understand that the care it provides helps older people and their families maintain a better quality of life, often at home, living out their final years with peace and dignity.