Stress, Coping & GAS
What is a stressor?
Anything physical, psychological, or social that threatens homeostasis
What type of teaching plan should be developed to accommodate visual changes in older adults?
What is a plan that includes large print materials and good lighting?
Who developed the five stages of grief that individuals may experience after a loss?
Who is Elisabeth Kübler-Ross?
Why is it important to involve family members in the care plan of an older adult coping with loss?
What is to provide support and reinforce coping strategies?
What are the normal manifestations of grief that individuals may experience after a loss?
What are feelings of sadness, crying, and temporary changes in sleep or appetite?
What are the three stages of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)?
Which strategy can be used to help older adults with auditory changes during teaching sessions?
What is speaking clearly and at a moderate pace while minimizing background noise?
What is the stage of grief characterized by feelings of anger towards oneself or others?
What is Anger?
What role can family members play in the care of an older adult experiencing grief?
What is providing emotional support and helping with daily activities?
How can a nurse differentiate between normal and pathological grief?
What is by assessing the duration and intensity of the grief response and its impact on daily functioning?
Define allostatic load.
Wear and tear on the body caused by chronic stress.
How can nurses adapt teaching strategies for cognitive changes in older adults?
What is by breaking information into small segments and using memory aids?
What is the final stage of Kübler-Ross's grief model?
What is acceptance?
How can nurses facilitate family involvement in the care of older adults?
What is by encouraging open communication and providing education about the patient's condition?
What is the term for the type of grief that occurs before an impending loss?
What is anticipatory grief?
What type of stress disorder involves flashbacks and nightmares after trauma?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
What is an effective way to involve family members in the teaching process for older adults?
What is including them in discussions and providing them with educational materials?
What is the term for grief that is not openly acknowledged or socially supported?
What is disenfranchised grief?
What is a key consideration for nurses when involving family in the care of older adults?
What is respecting the family's dynamics and individual roles?
What are some common symptoms of complicated grief?
What are persistent sorrow, difficulty accepting the loss, and inability to resume normal life activities?
Identify and define one type of coping strategy.
Problem‑focused: Changing the situation
Emotion‑focused: Managing feelings
Avoidance: Ignoring the stressor
Name one therapeutic communication strategy when assessing coping in older adults.
Convey acceptance, avoid false reassurance, encourage expression, assess safety, involve family.
In the Dual Process Model, people cope with grief moving back and forth between what coping methods?
Loss-Oriented Coping - focusing on the loss and its emotional impact.
Restoration-Oriented Coping - focusing on adapting to life changes created by the loss by learning new skills, setting goals, and establishing a new routine. (e.g., taking up pottery class, volunteering, traveling)
Which family action demonstrates an appropriate use of reminiscence therapy?
Asking him to share stories about meaningful past events while looking at old photos.
Reminiscence therapy helps older adults connect new information to past experiences, validate feelings, and promote emotional well‑being. It is especially therapeutic for those experiencing psychosocial changes such as loss, social isolation, or cognitive decline.
What type of loss occurs during normal life transitions such as retirement or children leaving home?
Maturational loss