2 Key words from the unit Complete the sentences with the words from the list.
1 She likes to have a after lunch.
2 Alzheimer’s causes a loss of function.
3 Sufferers often have a gait.
4 The mind needs to stay fit.
5 He is quite but he can see well.
6 She is so she needs a power chair.
7 Loss of is frustrating for the elderly.
8 With a she can visit the shops.
Reading and vocabulary
Any healthy person reading this has a good chance of living past their one hundredth birthday.
H o w e v e r , t h a t i s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y g o o d n e w s , b e c a u s e ( 1 ) e .
The main problem with old age is boredom. Boredom, and (2) . Depression can increase mental
and physical decay, especially if it is made worse by the loss of a wife or husband.
Elderly people depend a lot on nursing care and (3) .They can be inattentive, have disorganized
thoughts and speech, and they sometimes show strange behaviour. Many of them are bedridden and
(4) .
It is possible to grow old and die without losing your faculties. However, (5) . It usually shows
as confusion and forgetfulness.
Immobility is common problem for elderly people. This is often caused by diseases such as arthritis
and osteoporosis. Another problem is incontinence, which (6) .
But there is a positive side to geriatric nursing. Care of the elderly is usually long-term, and so
(7) relationships with their patients, which can be very rewarding.
shuffling
immobile
mobility aid
nap
independence
deaf
stimulation
cognitive
Oxford English for Careers Nursing 1 Practice File © Oxford University Press 2011
20 Unit 7
3 Comprehension
Choose the correct phrase a–g to go into the spaces in the Reading and Vocabulary text.
The first one is done for you.
a nurses have time to develop
b intellectual impairment is very common
c they can be very demanding to nurse
d a sense of uselessness, produce depression
e not everyone looks forward to old age
f suffer from sleep disorders and eating problems
g causes a great deal of distress
4 Vocabulary
Choose the right equipment a–g for each of the geriatric problems 1–7.
The first one is done for you.
a glasses
b artificial hip
c bath lift
d walking stick
e incontinence pad
f commode
g hearing aid
1 P a tient needs a little help with mobilit y . d
2 This lady cannot focus well.
3 She needs help in the bathroom.
4 You have to shout, he’s very deaf.
5 Patient’s joint has degenerated because of arthritis.
6 She occasionally wets herself.
7 He needs a toilet by his bed.
5 Further vocabulary practice
Write these words in the correct places in the report.
The first is done for you.
This lady is proud of her (1) independence. However, arthritis has taken away
her (2) and she is now (3) to her room.
This (4) is making her depressed. She is also very
(5) , but her (6) is only a problem when
she forgets to wear her hearing aid. The first thing she needs in order to get
her (7) again is a wheelchair.
confined
deaf
independence
mobility
confinement
mobile
deafness
Oxford English for Careers Nursing 1 Practice File © Oxford University Press 2011

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