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HEA8102 Perspectives of Healthy Ageing

Semester 2, 2023 Online
Units : 1
School or Department : School of Nursing and Midwifery
Grading basis : Graded
Course fee schedule : /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules

Staffing

Course Coordinator:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: BHEH or GCHH or GDHH or MOHH or MNRS or MNSG or GDNG or GCNG or PDEV

Overview

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.

Course learning outcomes

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.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Normal ageing, changes in tissues, organs and body systems. 10.00
2. Age related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics changes associated with the use of medications and complementary therapies. 20.00
3. Comprehensive assessment of the older person. 30.00
4. Mental health and wellbeing of the older person, and the ethical and cultural context considerations. 10.00
5. Risk assessment and the older person (principles of risk management; internal and external risk factors, ‘red flags’ indicating risk; health risk factors, cultural risks, elder abuse and neglect; pressure areas and falls). 20.00
6. Health promotion and the older person. 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

Johnson, A., & Chang, E. (Eds.) (2017), Caring for older people in Australia: Principles for nursing practice, 2nd edn, Wiley.

Student workload expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.

Assessment details

Approach Type Description Group
Assessment
Weighting (%) Course learning outcomes
Assignments Written Essay No 50 1,2,3,4,5,6
Assignments Written Case ¾«¶«´«Ã½app No 50 1,2,3,4,5,6
Date printed 9 February 2024