The Art of Ageing Well was an enriching talk that broadened our knowledge on geriatric nursing care. We were very fortunate to have esteemed speakers who were experts in the field to share with us the aspects that are important in caring for the elderly. Topics such as Advanced Care Planning (ACP), incontinence, and malnutrition were covered in during the half-day program that aimed to educate and encourage nurses and nursing students alike to provide better, more empathetic care to our older patients. Their message? To show that ageing is a challenge, but it can be done well, particularly with the help of nurses.
With the world’s ageing population, it’s becoming increasingly important to gain a better understanding of ageing and to begin having heartfelt conversations with older adults. The talk, which was organised by the Singapore Nurses Association, would have been invaluable to everyone involved in the healthcare industry. However, it was particularly so for nurses, who spend the most time with patients. As such, when it’s time to talk about ACP or incontinence or proper nutrition, the knowledge of an older adult’s experiences and their wishes is crucial and would be what sets apart a good nurse and a great nurse.
The first talk was on Advanced Care Planning (ACP), which is the process of planning one’s future care plans and health goals with their loved ones. ACP has various segments for discussion – Living well, wishes for my care, my voice, and my preferences. This allows the patient to exercise autonomy while giving loved ones and caregivers a better understanding on what the patient wants, ensuring that the best decision can be made for the patient when he/she becomes ill. As nurses, we are able to play a big part in facilitating conversations between patients and their loved ones, as well as supporting them both informationally and emotionally throughout the entire process.
During the talk, we also found out about an exhibition called Dialogue with Time by The Science Centre, which aims to help us understand old age through learning and experiencing the ageing process. Curious about what it had to offer, some of us went down to Science Centre after the talk to learn more.
Dialogue with Time has 3 components: Science of ageing, a guided tour by retirees, and the future of ageing through technology. The guided tour opened up conversations between participants and the guides on what happy ageing meant to each other. It was then followed by hands-on activities such as pill sorting, ordering of tickets through the telephone and walking with 4kg weights on each leg – all of which helped us greatly in empathising with the elderly.
With such advanced technology available in the world today, it is no surprise that technology has and will be further deeply integrated into improving the care of the elderly at home and in the community. One example that was shared during the talk would be PARO– a socially responsible “animal” carebot designed for elderly in the early stage of dementia. This form of animal-assisted therapy has been shown to reduce loneliness and bring about psychological and emotional benefits to the elderly.
There were many other topics covered such as incontinence and malnutrition in the elderly, and all in all, this talk broadened my perspective on geriatric nursing care and the available community resources to support the elderly. It has made me more aware of what I can do to care for the geriatric patients and my loved ones better.
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