Functional decline generally refers to a decrease in a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living or maintain independence. It can be caused by various factors such as aging, chronic illnesses, disabilities, or injuries. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) play a critical role in preventing functional decline in patients, particularly older adults and those with chronic conditions. By providing hands-on care and support, CNAs help maintain a patient’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. which can help slow or prevent functional decline, ultimately improving a patient’s quality of life.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
This lesson is designed to educate Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) students about functional decline, particularly how prolonged immobility contributes to it. CNAs play a vital role in preventing functional decline by assisting patients with mobility, personal care, and activities of daily living (ADLs). Through this lesson, students will learn how to recognize early signs of functional decline and implement strategies to maintain or improve patient function.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, the student will be able;
- Define functional decline and explain its significance in patient care.
- Identify risk factors for functional decline, with a focus on prolonged immobility.
- Explain the effects of prolonged immobility on different body systems (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, integumentary, and psychological effects).
- Recognize early signs of functional decline in patients.
- Demonstrate proper techniques to assist patients with mobility and ADLs.
- Implement strategies to prevent or slow down functional decline.
- Document and report changes in patient condition to nurses and healthcare teams.
Instructions for taking the course
To complete the course successfully, you must go through all the lessons below. You MUST mark each lesson as complete by clicking the MARK COMPLETE BUTTON. If you do not click the mark complete button, you will not be allowed to proceed to the next lesson. Please notice that all lessons have a minimum set amount of time that you are expected to spend on each lesson. You will not be allowed to Mark the Lesson Complete until the timer resets to zero; that is, until the minimum time set for the course has passed. For example, if lesson A has an allocated minimum time of 10 minutes, you will have to wait 10 minutes before you can mark Lesson A complete. The Mark Complete button for lesson A will be grayed out and will not become active until 10 minutes are over. The Mark Complete button will initially be grayed out and is located at the left bottom of each lesson. The timer is located in the right side of the lesson as shown in this screenshot below.
WARNING: If you forget to click the Mark Complete button done, you will be prompted to go back to that lesson again and have to wait till the allocated timed minutes resets to zero again before the Mark Complete button becomes active. After all lessons are completed and they are Marked Completed, you will then be allowed to take the post-test. If you successfully pass the quiz, you will earn CEUs for this course and you can proceed to print out your certificate.
Course Content
