One of the major insights that I took away from Dr. Guglicci’s presentation is to always ask the patient more. How are they feeling? What do certain things mean to them? Can I explain anything in a different way? I think that it is so important to check in with the patient and explain things in a different way each time just in case they might be too embarrassed to ask for it to be explained again. Looking back on one of my patient situations last summers I had an encounter with an older adult who had a very minor hearing loss to the point where she never asked for anything to be repeated. In me spending time with her I picked up on this and I would repeat things in a tone when there was no background noise. This is when I realized that she was missing small parts of things because she was like oh okay now, I understand what the provider was saying. This is when I told her to never hesitate in asking questions or for something to be repeated. 

Another big take away from Professor Hyde’s class is that age does not define the individual. They are only as old as they feel. This goes in hand with helping maintain their independence as they age. The longer they maintain their functional independence both mentally and physically the longer this will stay with them. One time when taking care of an older adult she was a spry elderly lady who presented with a minor UTI, she ended up being resistant to 4 antibiotics that were given so this allowed the infection to get worse. She ended up being hospitalized for over 2 weeks and losing some of her physical functioning in that process due to being less active than she was at home. She was able to regain most of her function through physical therapy. 

In conclusion it is important to treat elderly with the same respect as any other patient. It is important to help support them in maintaining their independence. I also find it even more important to not humiliate them with our actions. Just because their 80 doesn’t mean they can’t go out and run a mile. This class has been truly eye opening and there are many other key points that I will carry with me throughout my career.