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HNN318 Care of the Older Person
Assessment Task Number ONE – Case Study
2000 words – 50% unit weighting
Purpose of assessment task
This assessment task will enable you to evaluate the normal physiological effects of
ageing and analyse physical and sociological influences that may increase health
risks.

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Case scenario:
Joseph is an 83-year-old migrant who lives alone. He has been depressed since his
wife died 8 years ago. His house is old and in need of substantial repairs and is very
cold in winter. There is no heating as Joseph feels he cannot afford the power bills to
heat the house. Joseph receives an aged care pension payment every fortnight. He is
physically frail and is at times unsteady on his feet and has had a few falls. Joseph has
hypertension that is managed with medication and no other known medical
conditions. He drinks approximately 4 beers on approximately 4-5 nights of the week.
He has a strained relationship with his daughter Pricilla who has reported to the
practice nurse that Joseph’s drinking has slowly increased since he lost his wife. The
practice nurse has noted that Joseph appears sleepy, morose, withdrawn and lacking
emotional expression despite the antidepressants he has been prescribed. Joseph has
basic cooking skills however finds that cooking for one person is too much bother
most of the time. Joseph has had a strong faith and attends his place of worship
regularly however he chooses not to socialise as he believes that the community are
only offering him pity since his wife died and he does not want people to feel sorry
for him.
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Assignment Questions:
Based on the above case study, and with reference to evidence-based literature:
1) Evaluate 3 biological theories of ageing that may explain physiological effects
of ageing and specifically how these changes may impact Joseph.
2) Analyse the physical changes that occur in the cardiovascular system that may
increase health risks for Joseph.
3) Identify factors that may put Joseph at risk of depression and analyse how this
may increase health risks for him.
4) Identify and analyse one sociological risk factor that may influence Joseph’s
health risk.
Instructions for this assessment task:
• Assignment should be presented with each of the four (4) questions as
subheadings (subheadings are not included in word count).
• This task is to be written in third person and each response must be supported
with evidence-based literature.
• You are not required to include an introduction or conclusion.
Presentation requirements:
The School of Nursing and Midwifery follows the American Psychological
Association (APA) 7th edition referencing style. Presentation requirements of this
referencing style are outlined below. For further detail regarding APA 7 referencing
style refer to Referencing | Students (deakin.edu.au).
Title Page:
Include the following information on separate lines; Title of Paper (bold font),
Student Name/s and student identification number, University Name, Unit
Code and Name, Due Date.
Formatting of Title Page: Centred text alignment and double-line spacing.
Font:
Writing is to be in an accessible font. Examples of these include;
12-point type size Times New Roman.
11-point type size Georgia.
11-point type size Calibri.
11-point type size Arial.
Ensure the same font is used consistently throughout the entire paper.
Spacing:
Double-line spacing (Do not insert extra lines between paragraphs or the
reference list entries).
Page numbers
Page numbers to be provided on all pages. Place page number in the top right
hand corner.
Margins
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2.54 cm at the top, bottom, left-hand, and right-hand sides of the page (default
page margin).
Paragraph indents
Indent the first line of each paragraph 1.27 cm (using the tab key or paragraph
tool).
Exceptions: abstract, block quotations, title page (centred alignment), titles
and headings, table titles and notes, references (hanging indent), appendix
labels and titles
(Consult with APA 7 style manual for specific detail).
Justification of text
All text needs to be aligned to the left, not justified (right margin remains
uneven).
Word Count
Assignments must be no more or less than 10% of the indicated word count,
not including title page, in-text citations and reference lists.
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