33^rd World Nursing and Nursing Care Congress

Gerontological Nursing

Gerontological nursing is the specialty of nursing for the elderly. Gerontology nurses work collaboratively with seniors, their families, and communities to support healthy aging, maximum function, and quality of life. Gerontological nursing is important in meeting the health needs of an aging population. Due to the increase in life expectancy and the decline in fertility rates, the proportion of the population considered to be old is increasing. The proportion of older people is already high and continues to increase in more developed countries. Gerontological nursing is based on knowledge of the complex factors that affect the health of the elderly. Seniors are more likely than young adults to have one or more chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, hearing loss, or a form of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, drug metabolism changes with aging, adding to the complexity of health needs. Gerontology nurses work in a variety of settings including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement homes, community health organizations, and the patient's home. The elderly has been referred to as "the core business of health care" by nursing experts in gerontology.