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Older people nationally and internationally are living longer, with personal goals of maintaining their independence and control over their life, to create the foundation for a quality life as they age. However, as the person ages, they begin to experience age related and physiological changes. These changes are known to increase the older persons’ level of vulnerability and risk for harm. This course provides postgraduate students advanced knowledge and skills in comprehensive assessment of the older person that aligns with contemporary evidenced based interdisciplinary approaches and to the National Quality Health Service Standards and associated health charters to promote the older persons’ safety and quality of life.

The aim of this course is to expand the postgraduate student's knowledge of the changes that occur with normal ageing, the pathophysiology of ageing and the preventative, and therapeutic measures to promote the older persons' safety and quality of life. Learning outcomes will address key concepts such as normal ageing, age related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics changes associated with the use of medications and complementary therapies, comprehensive geriatric assessment, mental health and wellbeing, ethical and cultural considerations, risk assessment and health promotion. This course will contribute to the ongoing development of nurses' qualities as leaders, especially as change agents in their respective health practice contexts that improve the care experience and quality of life of older people.

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

1. Critically analyse the structural and functional changes that occur with normal ageing.
2. Analyse and evaluate age related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics changes and risk factors, associated with the use of medications and complimentary therapies.
3. Select and discuss appropriate nursing and interdisciplinary assessments of older people in a range of environments.
4. Critically analyse the assessment of mental health and well-being for the older person, including the ethical and cultural context considerations.
5. Assess, manage and discuss the strategies needed to minimise risk for older people that will promote their overall safety.
6. Select and discuss health promotion strategies for the older person designed to maintain and improve their functional capacity, self-care, sense of personal wellbeing and quality of life.