| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Comprehensive Assessment of the Older Adult |
| Unit ID: | HEALA6401 |
| Credit Points: | 30.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060311 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit examines the comprehensive health assessment of the older adult as part of a speciality practice which is sensitive to meeting the needs of older adults through evidence based, person centred, best practice care. This unit will provide students with the skills and knowledge required to complete a comprehensive health assessment of the older adult in accordance with the Aged Care Quality Standards (Standard 3 Personal Care and Clinical Care). Students will refine their clinical assessment skills to conduct a focused, person centred health assessment of an older adult and interpret and analyse findings to inform a person centred plan of care, implementation and evaluation of care. Students will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice during this unit. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | |  | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify the components of a comprehensive health asessment of an older adult related to current status, alterations in health status and exacerbations of chronic conditions. |
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| K2. | Explain the importance of completing a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult in order to develop an individualised plan of care. |
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| K3. | Understand the needs of older adults in relation to specific requirements to promote health wellbeing, such as advocacy, and health education; |
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| K4. | Examine the use of evidence-based practice in relation to the comprehensive health assessment of the older adult in a variety of healthcare settings. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Develop a range of clinical skills, essential for a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult, and demonstrate competency in the assessment process; |
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| S2. | Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of establishing and maintaining therapeutic communication in meeting the needs of the older adult with altered health needs; |
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| S3. | Utilise communication techniques to assist with the transfer of information regarding the results of a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult between healthcare professionals in various healthcare settings |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Use the knowledge and skills gained in relation to a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult; |
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| A2. | Apply the knowledge and skills associated with a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult to effectively plan, deliver and evaluate care in various healthcare settings; |
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| A3. | Employ the knowledge and skills associated with clinical reasoning to complete a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult. |
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| Unit Content: |
•Baseline assessment
•Medical and surgical history
•Immunisation status
•Current medication regime and pharmacological assessment
•Physical function including ADL’s, verbal / non verbal and recent falls
•Oral health and dentition
•Psychological function including cognition and mood
•Social function including paid or unpaid support, isolation
•Nutrition and hydration status
•Presence or absence of pain (including pain management)
•Differential diagnosis of delirium, dementia or depression
•The importance of the therapeutic relationship when caring for the older adult
•Sharing information following a comprehensive health assessment of an older adult with other healthcare practitioners |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, A1 |
Critically discuss research informing the comprehensive assessment of the older adult. |
Written Critical Appraisal of literature or Written Critical Essay |
20-40% |
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| 2. |
K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 |
Application of a comprehensive assessment of an older adult. |
Case study |
40-60% |
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| 3. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 |
Application of understanding of comprehensive assessment of the older person |
Quiz |
10-30% |
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| 4. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 |
Satisfactory demonstration of clinically relevant knowledge associated with the advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology in the older adult |
Assessment of key clinical knowledge within workplace practice. |
S/U Hurdle |
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