Care of the Older Adult
1. What are the ages of Early, Middle and late Adulthood?
The stages of adulthood examined here include: Early
Adulthood (ages 22–34), Early Middle Age (ages 35–44),
Late Middle Age (ages 45–64), and Late Adulthood (ages 65 and
older)
2. Late adulthood is 65 years old and older. What are the Life Span
Considerations for Older Adults?
Cognitive decline. While some memory loss is common as you age,
developing Alzheimer’s disease is not. It’s important to recognize the
early warning signs of Alzheimer’s, as early intervention and treatment can
be key in slowing the progression of the disease.
Balance issues. Falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults, and
maintaining your balance and mobility is key in fall prevention.
Oral health problems. Not all seniors lose their teeth, but issues like
gingivitis that leads to periodontitis, a bacterial infection that affects the
gums and bones supporting the teeth, can be common in older adults. Proper
oral care and seeing the dentist for a cleaning every six months can help
ensure your teeth and gums are as healthy as possible.
Heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults over the
age of 65. Conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol need to
be managed properly and taking good care of your heart are vital to avoid
developing heart disease in your later years.
Osteoarthritis or osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation
reports that around 54 million adults over age 50 have low bone mass or
osteoporosis, and almost all adults over age 80 have some form of
osteoarthritis. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet can help protect
your bones and joints.
Respiratory diseases. Conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) can worsen the older you become. However,
there are variety of medications available that allow you to breathe easier.
It’s estimated that 25 percent of adults age 65 and older have type 2 diabetes.
The sooner you know you are at risk or have diabetes, the sooner you can
begin managing your blood sugar and making lifestyle changes that can
better control it.
Influenza or pneumonia. Infections like the flu or pneumonia aren’t
specifically senior illnesses, however, seniors are more vulnerable to them
and due to weakened immune systems, may be less likely to successfully
recover from them.
Vision or hearing loss. Maintaining regular screenings for your vision and
hearing is vital as you age. Age-related eye issues like macular degeneration,
cataracts and glaucoma affect millions of older adults, and 43 percent of
people who experience hearing loss are 65 or older.
The risk for some types of cancer also increases as you age. For example,
women become more at risk for cervical or endometrial cancers, while men
have a higher risk for prostate cancer. While preventing cancer altogether
may not be possible, screenings to detect certain cancers in the early stages
can help effectively treat them.
3. What is Ageism?
Ageism is the stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination against
people on the basis of their age. Ageism is widespread and an
insidious practice which has harmful effects on the health of older
adults.
4. Take the quiz on BOX 24.22 How did you do?
6/9
5. Biologic theories of aging. Summarize each one.
The autoimmune theory proposes that the immune system is
programmed so that it is no longer able to faultlessly distinguish
foreign proteins from the body's own proteins. If this happens the
body's immune system will attack and destroy its own cells
The free radical theory of aging (FRTA) states that organisms age
because cells accumulate free radical damage over time. A free
radical is any atom or molecule that has a single unpaired electron in
an outer shell. ... For most biological structures, free radical damage
is closely associated with oxidative damage.
the wear and tear theory of aging, one of several theories, asserts
that the effects of aging are caused by progressive damage to cells
and body systems over time. 1 Essentially, our bodies "wear out" due
to use. Once they wear out, they can no longer function correctly.
The genetic theory of aging centers on telomeres, which are
repeated segments of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) occurring at the
ends of chromosomes. The number of repeats in a telomere
determines the maximum life span of a cell, since each time a cell
divides, multiple repeats are lost
6. What are some of the age-related changes in the older adult? Table 24.4
Musculoskeletal= bones, joints ad connective tissue
Nervous system
Special senses= taste, smell, hearing
Reparatory system= ribcage and lungs issues
Cardiovascular = aplastic anemia, Atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis
Integumentary = pale skin not nutrient dense
Reproductive= female atrophy of fallopian tubes egg production
declines and
bimodality increases apoptosis
Male increased size of prostate, decreased testosterone,
decrease rate and force of ejaculation
7. Psychosocial Development issues. What is Ericson’s development challenge
for Late adulthood?
From the mid-60s to the end of life, we are in the period of
development known as late adulthood. Erikson's task at this
stage is called integrity vs. despair. He said that people in late
adulthood reflect on their lives and feel either a sense of
satisfaction or a sense of failure
Developmental task associated with integrity vs despair
Meaningful identity and social status. Good
companionship and friendship. Leisure time. Rewarding
new family roles
8. What is cognition?
NCBI states “Fluid cognition includes a person's innate ability to process
and learn
new information, solve problems, and attend to and manipulate
one's environment. Executive function, processing speed,
memory, and psychomotor ability are considered
fluid cognitive domains”.
National Center for Biotechnology Information
The symptoms of cognitive decline that are associated with
aging include: Slower inductive reasoning / slower problem
solving. Diminished spatial orientation. Declines in perceptual
speed
9. Memory can be a serious issue. What is difference between remote and
long-term memory? Difference between benign memory loss and
Alzheimer’s Disease?
(REMOTE) What I had for breakfast is slow in recall Vs (Log-Term) what
happened at my graduation. Accurate and detailed
10.Health promotion of the Older Adult. Vaccinations what are the vaccines
that are recommended? What is the vaccination schedule for flu and
pneumococcal? What are the questions to ask before they get the
vaccines? Page 1061
Pnumovax23 once and q5 years if needed, Shingles at age 60 is a two step
process, tdap q 10 yrs, , Measeals booster ( if not showing immunity ,
health care ,workers, schools, international travelers)
11.Nutrition and the older adult can be a challenge list some of the issues
Decrease appetite and access to food, economic/enable to
prepare/chewing/ dysphagia Page 730
12.Exercise-what are the guidelines/suggestions for the older adult in respect
to exercise?
Page 730 and 1078 – concerns for arthritis, osteoporosis, fractures,
balance/coordination
13.Sleep- the need more rest but, actually need less sleep. How about night-
time? Up and down
14. Avoiding injuries. How do we do that? Safety tips. Listed on page 730,
Minimize clutter, rugs, use handrails on stairs, pill dispenser, get up slowly
from lying position, night lights and grab bars shower and bath
