2024 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 22-30
Purpose: This study aims to identify perspectives on Assessment of Older Adults from the Characteristics of Questions in case discussions by public health nurses.
Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive analysis of questions regarding five older adult cases posed by 25 newly appointed, preceptor, and management level public health nurses.
Results: The analysis identified the following characteristics of questions: “Livelihood skills of the older adults and their families” that includes “usual activities necessary in daily living,” “problems related to social life,” “family structure and connections to support the household of the older adults,” “awareness and coping skills for family problems,” and “integration of the environment that supports daily living.” Public health nurses assessed the “Ability to maintain health” that includes “ability to eat”, “progress of health status,” “ability to build and maintain the connection with medical care,” and “decisions by an attending physician,” while evaluating “prospects for life at home” as the “Purpose of the support.”
Discussion: As a perspective to assess older adults, public health nurses need to make assessments focused on the prospect for life at home while considering both their livelihood skills and ability to maintain health conditions. The findings reveal that encouraging newly appointed public health nurses to use these perspectives may improve their assessment skills.
