General Health Of The Elderly Population Essay - 1451 Words

October 28, 2016 Chapter 9 Summary Physical Activity In reading chapter 9 we live in an aging society. Not only is 1 in every 8 Americans older than 65 years, but a person aged 65 can expect to live an average of 18 more years . People aged 85 years and over are the fastest-growing group, and the proportion of these â€Å"oldest old† is expected to triple between now and year 2030. Continued good health of the elderly population is a major challenge to public health. What Happens As We Age Healthy life means a full range of functional capacity at each life stage, from infancy to old age. Some age-related changes involve a gradual decline in function that is due to biological senescence. For example, aging is generally associated with more body fat and reduced muscle mass. Reduced muscle mass has been directly linked with lowered muscle strength, lowered maximal aerobic capacity, and decreased bone density in elderly adults. However, not all age-associated changes are caused by age alone. Some scientists believe that the age-associated decline in function is caused by cumulative exposure to risk factors rather than only by aging. For example, lower insulin sensitivity and increased risk of type 2 diabetes are also influenced by genetics, body composition, and sedentary lifestyles. Very little, if any, of the age-associated change in glucose tolerance is caused by age alone. Age-associated changes in metabolism or physiological function may be partly responsible for theShow MoreRelatedThe Social Determinants Of Food Deserts And Food Insecurity Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesInsecurity Diverse groups in American society are often the most marginalized and therefore the most vulnerable to issues that undermine the fair and uncomplicated pursuit of health and wellbeing. One of those issues is the lack of access to affordable healthy food and, in many cases, the inaccessibility to food in general. Areas where affordable and healthy foods are largely unavailable are called food deserts and the members of the diverse groups that live in such areas or that have access to veryRead MoreElderly Care: Family and Government Should Work Together Essay1104 Words   |  5 PagesAs standard of living improve due advances in nutrition and healthcare and general living condition worldwide, so is the population increasing as more people live longer in all age group. As a result of these we have a large population of the elderly worldwide since most people live longer. As these groups grow old they become helpless, some are unable to work and while some fall sick to diseases like Alzheimer. The responsibility of taking care of them now either fall into the hands of theirRead MoreThe Identification Of The Vulnerable Population1311 Words   |  6 Pagesidentification of the vulnerable population In today’s society you will look around and see that elderly single woman is not being represented much at all and all you see is that mainstream is getting younger every day. You can’t turn on your television without seeing young programming that doesn’t cater to an older demographic especially older woman. It is growing problem among elderly single woman with depression. In The Guardian it states, â€Å"Some mental health experts argue that women are unhappierRead MoreElderly Abuse Issues1420 Words   |  6 Pagesestablished the Protecting Canada’s Seniors Act, which increased awareness on the issues facing the elderly population of 65 years and above (Sibbal Holroyd-Leduc, 2012). This paper will examine three contemporary challenges facing the cohort, including elderly abuse, dementia, and polypharmacy, while preventative strategies and recommendations addressing these issues will be offered. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines abuse towards seniors as, a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriateRead MoreThe Geriatric Population Essay1386 Words   |  6 PagesThe Geriatric population is one of the most rapidly growing populations in the U.S., due to advances in medication and health care people are living longer than they did before. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the geriatric age group is defined as anyone over the age of 65 but this is not universal and depending on which country you live in it can be as young as 50 years of age which is the case in Africa (Definition of an older or elderly person, n.d.). It is extremely importantRead MoreBeing Mortal By Atul Gawande1329 Words   |  6 Pageslittle depressing picture of the realities faced by the elderly in the US nowadays: declining health status, economic insecurity, and loss of independence. It seems once the older people move into nursing homes or assisted living facilities, they lose autonomy, dignity and privacy as the institutions are not able to fully individualize care. Even though the situation has been improving, it still shocks me to see how unhappy some of the elderly are in these circumstances. Realizing senior care facilitiesRead MoreIs Ageism Against The Older People Could Potentially Be Reversed Through The Participation Of A Lifespan Human Development Course1620 Words   |  7 Pagesauthor examine if negative attitudes towards older people could potentially be reversed through the participation in a Lifespan Human Development Course. He states that research findings shows that a prevailing factor that is affecting the elder population today is ageism. Researchers found, that the younger generation, 35 years and younger, are judgmental and in many cases disrespectful and hold some form of prejudice towards older adults. Older adult are often described in negative way and labelledRead MoreElderly Senior Population779 Words   |  4 PagesIn 2014, Americans age 65 and older represented 14.5% of the total population in the United States. Between 2004 and 2014 the senior population grew by 10 million—constituting a 28% increase in the senior population, far surpassing the 6.2% growth in the populatio n under the age of 65 (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). It is projected that one in every five Americans will be a senior in 2030 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013; Ortman, Velkoff Hogan, 2014). The comingRead MoreHealthcare Providers And Policy Makers1562 Words   |  7 Pagesissues that healthcare providers and policy makers in LDCs will have to act upon in order to avoid a drastic future for their ageing populations. First and foremost the information gap on geriatrics needs to be bridged. Researchers in less developed nations are barely scratching the surface on the specific conditions that are more common among older populations. While in more developed nations, their peers are only beginning to understand the extent of the global ageing challenge. LDC governmentsRead MoreAn Interview With A Healthy, Non Institutionalized Elderly Latino1630 Words   |  7 PagesThe paper is based on an interview with a healthy, non-institutionalized elderly Latino man in relation to the current nursing techniques. The focus on this individual helps to investigate the relationship between the race/ethnicity, psychosocial characteristics and the United States nursing home utilization projections. Notably, focusing on the individual aged 65 years and above helps analyze the characteristics of the baby boom generation in its entrance to retirement age. Consideration of this