Older adults in hospitals: Health promotion when hospitalized

Abstract

The population of older adults (≥60 years) is currently growing. Thus, in the years to come it is expected that a high proportion of patients hospitalized will be in the older age range. In western countries, the proportion of older inpatients is about 40% in the medical and surgical hospitals units. Older people with illness is vulnerable to both physical and cognitive impairments as well as depression. Therefore, a health-promoting perspective and approach are highly warranted in clinical nursing care of older adults in medical hospitals. This chapter focuses on health promotion related to depressive symptoms, impairment in activities of daily living, and cognitive impairment in older hospitalized adults.