Aging Process

Let’s talk about the human lifespan. It is an absolute marvel. You see, the human body doesn’t just randomly change as the calendar pages turn; expected age-related changes across the lifespan follow predictable physiological patterns and predictable psychological patterns. Nature has a rhythm.

As a nurse, your job is not just to memorize this rhythm, but to understand how your patient dances to it. Assessing a client's reaction to age-related changes requires evaluating the client's psychosocial adaptation. Are they adjusting well, or are they struggling? The absolute best way to check this is through their daily routine. Assessing a client's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) is essential for evaluating the impact of age-related changes. If you see a decline in the ability to perform activities of daily living, it often indicates an inability to adapt to age-related physiological changes.

Let's walk through the lifespan, from the very beginning to the golden years, and look at exactly what is happening under the hood.