The nurse is assessing an elderly patient’s skin turgor and notes that it is poor.

The nurse understands that this finding may be due to which of the following reasons?

The correct answer isD.

All of the above.All of these findings are risk factors for falls in older adults, according to the literature.

Some explanations for why each choice is a risk factor are:.

A. Orthostatic hypotension: This is a condition where blood pressure drops too much when getting up from lying down or sitting, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting.This can affect balance and increase the chance of falling.

B. Urinary frequency: This is a condition where one needs to urinate often, sometimes urgently.This can cause rushed movement to the bathroom, especially at night, which can lead to tripping, slipping, or losing balance.

C. Visual impairment: This is a condition where one has reduced or distorted vision, such as due to cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy.This can affect depth perception, contrast sensitivity, and ability to detect obstacles or hazards in the environment.

Some normal ranges for these conditions are:.

• Orthostatic hypotension: A normal blood pressure change when standing up is less than 20 mmHg systolic (top number) or 10 mmHg diastolic (bottom number).

Orthostatic hypotension is defined as a drop of at least 20 mmHg systolic or 10 mmHg diastolic within 3 minutes of standing.

• Urinary frequency: A normal urinary frequency is about 4 to 6 times per day, depending on fluid intake and other factors.

Urinary frequency is considered abnormal if it is more than 8 times per day or more than 2 times per night.

• Visual impairment: A normal visual acuity is 20/20 or better with or without correction.

Visual impairment is defined as a visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the better-seeing eye with best correction possible.

The correct answer is B.

The client needs assistance with two ADLs.This is because the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is a tool that measures the client’s ability to perform six basic ADLs independently: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding.The score ranges from 0 to 6, with 6 indicating complete independence, 4 indicating moderate impairment, and 2 or less indicating severe dependence.The score is based on the number of ADLs that the client can perform without supervision, direction, personal assistance, or total care.

Therefore, a score of 4 out of 6 means that the client needs assistance with two ADLs.

Choice A is wrong because it implies that the client is independent in all ADLs, which would require a score of 6 out of 6.

Choice C is wrong because it implies that the client is dependent on others for all ADLs, which would require a score of 0 out of 6.

Choice D is wrong because it implies that the client has difficulty with four ADLs, which would require a score of 2 out of 6.

The normal range for the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) depends on the setting and population of the client.For example, one study found that the average score for residents in skilled nursing facilities was 3.1 out of 6.Another study found that the hierarchy of difficulty of the six ADLs from least to greatest was: eating, maintaining continence, transferring, toileting, dressing, and bathing.