AAFCS Gerontology and Elder Care 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the acronym ADL stand for in geriatric and elder care assessment?
- Adaptive Daily Living
- Activities of Daily Living (Correct answer)
- Assessment of Developmental Levels
- Assisted Dependency Levels
Correct answer: Activities of Daily Living
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are basic self-care tasks—such as bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, and mobility—used to assess functional independence in older adults.
Question 2: Which nutritional deficiency is particularly prevalent among older adults due to reduced skin synthesis capacity and limited sun exposure?
- Vitamin C deficiency
- Iron deficiency
- Vitamin D deficiency (Correct answer)
- Folate deficiency
Correct answer: Vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is common in older adults because aging significantly reduces the skin's capacity to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight, and many older adults have limited outdoor activity.
Question 3: What is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)?
- A senior center offering daytime social programs only
- A facility providing multiple levels of care from independent to skilled nursing in one campus (Correct answer)
- A government-funded nursing home for low-income elders
- An adult day program with transportation services
Correct answer: A facility providing multiple levels of care from independent to skilled nursing in one campus
A CCRC offers a continuum of care—including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care—within one campus, allowing residents to receive increased care as needs change without relocating.
Question 4: The concept of 'aging in place' most accurately refers to which of the following?
- Placing older adults in age-specific residential communities
- The biological slowing of cellular aging processes
- Older adults remaining in their own homes and communities as they age (Correct answer)
- Preserving traditional cultural practices related to aging
Correct answer: Older adults remaining in their own homes and communities as they age
Aging in place refers to the ability of older adults to live in their own homes and communities safely, independently, and comfortably as they age, regardless of income, ability, or age.
Question 5: Which federal legislation, part of OBRA 1987, specifically established residents' rights and quality standards for nursing facilities?
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Older Americans Act
- Nursing Home Reform Act (Correct answer)
- Social Security Amendments Act
Correct answer: Nursing Home Reform Act
The Nursing Home Reform Act, part of OBRA 1987, established comprehensive standards for nursing facility care and codified residents' rights including privacy, dignity, and individualized care.
Question 6: What is 'polypharmacy' as it relates to older adult health care?
- A pharmacy specializing exclusively in geriatric compounded medications
- The simultaneous use of multiple medications by a single patient (Correct answer)
- A pharmacist-led home visit program for homebound seniors
- Medication prescribing shared among multiple physicians
Correct answer: The simultaneous use of multiple medications by a single patient
Polypharmacy refers to the concurrent use of five or more medications by one patient, which is common among older adults and significantly increases the risk of drug interactions and adverse effects.
Question 7: Which type of memory shows the most significant decline with normal aging processes?
- Semantic memory
- Procedural memory
- Episodic memory (Correct answer)
- Implicit memory
Correct answer: Episodic memory
Episodic memory—recalling specific personal events with their time and context—shows the most pronounced decline with normal aging, while procedural and semantic memory are relatively preserved.
AAFCS Gerontology and Elder Care 2
What does the acronym ADL stand for in geriatric and elder care assessment?