Which is a general principle of providing age-appropriate care across the lifespan?

A general principle of care across the lifespan is to adapt communication, teaching, and interventions to the client's developmental stage, abilities, and needs — for example, using play and simple language with young children, and respecting autonomy and addressing sensory or cognitive changes with older adults. Treating all clients identically, relying on a single format for everyone, or ignoring developmental differences reduces the effectiveness and safety of care. Tailoring care to developmental stage is a foundational health-promotion concept. (This reflects general principles; verify against current NCLEX prep materials.)