Gerontology Practice Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Which statement correctly distinguishes social isolation from loneliness?
Social isolation and loneliness always occur together
Loneliness is measured only by the number of people in a household
Social isolation concerns limited social contact, while loneliness is the subjective feeling that connection is insufficient
Social isolation is subjective, while loneliness is determined entirely by network size
2. In gerontology, what does polypharmacy most usefully refer to?
Using multiple medications in a way that warrants review for interactions, burden, or unnecessary treatment
Using only nonprescription medications and supplements
Receiving prescriptions from more than one pharmacy
Replacing all medications with a single combination tablet
3. Which change is most consistent with typical cognitive aging rather than a neurocognitive disorder?
Becoming unable to recognize close family members
Losing the ability to manage basic self-care over a short period
Frequently becoming lost in familiar surroundings
Needing more time to learn unfamiliar information while retaining established knowledge
4. Which statement best defines gerontology?
The administration of residential care facilities for older adults
The medical specialty devoted exclusively to treating diseases in older adults
The study of how medications are absorbed by the body at different ages
The interdisciplinary study of aging and older adulthood
5. Which task is generally considered an instrumental activity of daily living, or IADL?
Organizing and managing one's medications
Moving from a bed to a chair
Eating a prepared meal
Using the toilet
6. Which example most clearly illustrates ageism?
Offering written and spoken instructions to employees of every age
Assuming an older employee cannot learn new software solely because of age
Asking a person which communication format they prefer
Adjusting a workspace after an individual requests an accommodation
7. During a hospital stay, an older adult suddenly becomes disoriented and has attention that fluctuates throughout the day. Which pattern does this most closely match?
A gradual, stable change associated with normal aging
A slowly progressive pattern that necessarily indicates dementia
A lifelong intellectual disability becoming newly visible
An acute and fluctuating pattern commonly associated with delirium
8. A cross-sectional study finds that today's 80-year-olds use digital banking less often than today's 60-year-olds. Why should researchers consider a cohort effect?
The groups grew up with different historical experiences and exposure to technology
Cross-sectional studies automatically track the same people across decades
Any age-group difference must result from biological aging
Cohort effects occur only when participants are biologically related
9. An older adult has fallen twice at home. Which response best reflects a multifactorial approach to fall prevention?
Remove all rugs without considering any other possible contributors
Recommend staying seated as much as possible to avoid exposure to falls
Focus only on chronological age because it is the strongest modifiable factor
Review medications, vision, mobility, footwear, health conditions, and home hazards together
10. A care team is planning support for an older adult who values remaining at home and attending a weekly faith gathering. Which response best reflects person-centered care?
Use the same care plan given to everyone with a similar medical history
Focus only on reducing physical symptoms because personal routines are outside care planning
Build the plan around the person's stated goals, preferences, abilities, and available supports
Ask relatives to choose the plan without involving the older adult
11. Researchers assess the same participants' memory every two years for 12 years. What type of design is this?
Cross-sectional design
Longitudinal design
Case-control design
Single-time-point prevalence survey
12. Which statement about palliative care is accurate?
It is available only during the final days of life
It requires a person to stop all disease-directed treatment
It can accompany disease-directed treatment and focuses on quality of life and relief of distress
It focuses exclusively on pain and does not address emotional or family concerns
13. An older gardener reduces the number of garden beds, works when energy is highest, and uses raised planters to continue a valued hobby. Which framework best fits this adaptation?
Disengagement through withdrawal from meaningful roles
Selection, optimization, and compensation
A cohort effect caused by historical differences
Acute functional decline caused by hospitalization
14. A family caregiver reports exhaustion but wants the older adult to remain at home. Which support most directly addresses caregiver strain while respecting that goal?
Advise the caregiver to handle every task alone to maintain consistency
Explore respite services, skills training, and a realistic sharing of care tasks
Assume residential placement is the only workable response
Exclude the caregiver from planning so the burden is not discussed
15. Which activity is classified as a basic activity of daily living, or ADL?
Bathing oneself
Shopping for groceries
Paying household bills
Managing a medication schedule
16. An older adult with hearing difficulty is participating in an interview. Which approach is most likely to support communication?
Speak from another room so the person can concentrate only on the words
Raise your voice sharply and exaggerate every syllable
Face the person, reduce background noise, and speak clearly at a natural pace
Direct all questions to a family member to prevent misunderstanding