Topic: Cardiopulmonary Components of the Geriatric Assessment

The geriatric assessment is a multidisciplinary assessment designed to evaluate an older person’s functional ability, physical health, cognition and mental health, and socio-environmental circumstances. The cardiopulmonary function is an integral component of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

-Identify the age-related changes that occur in the older adult and discuss how these changes are important in the evaluation of the cardiac and pulmonary systems.
-Specifically, discuss the age-related changes that result in heart failure and decreased pulmonary function in older adults.
-What do these changes mean to the older adult and what can be done to improve function in terms of lifestyle, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions?

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