A comprehensive guide to delivering high-quality care for older adults

As older adults increasingly become the primary users of health and social care services, the need for health and social care professionals with specific knowledge in this area has never been greater. Fundamentals of Caring for the Older Person equips nursing students and healthcare professionals with the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for older individuals with complex needs.

With real-world narratives, this practical guide offers a holistic approach, recognising that older people are not a homogenous group but individuals with unique experiences, strengths, and requirements. Written by experienced clinicians and academics, the book integrates key considerations across physical, psychological, and social dimensions of care, offering a clear and engaging foundation for anyone committed to enhancing the quality of care for older adults in diverse settings.

• Presents a person-centred approach to caring for older adults, featuring episodes of care, examples, and narratives to amplify the voice of older individuals in their own care and ensure practical application of theory
• Utilises a three-unit structure for ease of learning: key aspects of ageing, altered pathology and disease management, and care practices
• Addresses key policies and professional literature recommendations to improve care for older people
• Includes pedagogical tools such as key points, clinical investigations, pharmacology insights, and red/orange/green flags for pathological, psychological, and social considerations

Designed for flexibility, with chapters functioning as standalone units, Fundamentals of Caring for the Older Person supports students and newly qualified practitioners alike. It is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in nursing, allied health, and social care, particularly for courses in adult nursing and gerontology.

Claire Pryor is a Professor of Adult Social Care Nursing at the University of Salford. A registered nurse and independent and supplementary prescriber, she holds a PhD, an MSc in Advancing Healthcare Practice, and a BSc in Nursing Science. With extensive experience in both clinical practice and education, she supports both student nurses and nurses in their professional development, and works to enhance care for older adults through research and teaching.

Sue Tiplady has had an extensive nursing career leading and managing the care of older people. Within her senior management roles in the NHS, she commissioned and designed services to improve care delivery for older people and their carers. As an Assistant Professor at Northumbria University, she contributed to a range of research focussed on Gerontology and Dementia Care, embedding the care of older people into the pre-registration nursing curriculum and designing specialist programmes for post-registration education delivery.