Caring for Older People in Australia: Principles for Nursing Practice

Caring for older Australians should be of paramount concern to all in our community. Older people are from many walks of life, and deserve to be cared for in a manner which promotes their wellbeing and preserves their dignity to the end of their life. Nurses and other health professionals are pivotal in ensuring that their needs are met, at a time when they are most vulnerable. Importantly, nurses and other health professionals require knowledge and skills, informed by evidence, to provide care that is appropriate for the older person in their home, community or acute care setting or residential aged-care facility. This book is developed to provide undergraduate students, students in the TAFE sector, newly-registered nurses and other health professionals with contemporary knowledge and skills that enable them to practise effectively and contemporary knowledge and skills that enable them to practise effectively and competently across the continuum of care settings. Further, this book recognises that never before has Australia had to face such an ageing population in its history, necessitating that nurses and other health professionals have an increased awareness of needs of the young-old, middle-old and the old-old specifically.