Goal 5: Implement culturally competent primary care with a focus on quality improvement and safety that incorporates the socioeconomic, political, ethical and diversity variable of each population.
Learned helpless (LH) in the geriatric population is an area of concern that has recently received an excessive amount of attention. With the steadily increasing number of individuals who are considered geriatric, or a part of the sixty-five an older population, we must strive to decrease incidents that may lead to learned helplessness and in the event that they do occur, prevent LH in those patients. By being alert and realizing the sings and symptoms of possible antecedents of LH, it is possible that prevention may occur. If prevention is not achieved, attributes related to the incident and LH must be identified and prevention of consequences is attempted. In patients who suffer from LH the goal of the healthcare team is to return the patients to a baseline level of functionality, improve quality of life, and prevent mortality. By working with family and other healthcare providers these goals have a high probability of being attainable.