Come Let Us Know About Elderly On World Elders Day

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We will all be geriatric individuals one day. As we age, we face many physical and emotional changes that can affect our level of function and well-being. Our baby-boomer population is aging, and people are living longer. We must maintain our functional independence in the elderly and address the needs of our older generation. Rehabilitation of geriatric patients is imperative for the patients' well-being and for society, so that we can thrive socially and economically.

Classification of old age:

Young old -- 65-74 yrs

Old-75-84

Very old –more than 85 years

What are the major problems in elderly?

1. Visual impairment
2. Hearing loss
3. Cognitive impairment (dementia)
4. Malnutrition
5. Psycological problems (depression/poor confidence levels)
6. Bone loosening (osteoporosis)
7. Imbalance (multifactorial)
8. Falls/mobility issues
9. Infections
10. Elderly abuse

Organ changes with ageing

Brain: Nerve: Cell Loss/degeneration—memory impairment

Lungs: Rreduced elasticity, reduced immune function -susceptible for infection, and causes shortness of breath

Heart and blood vessels: reduced elasticity of aorta-increase in blood pressure (one of the factor)

Decreased heart muscle function

Endocrine function: reduced sensitivity to insulin

Stomach and intestine: slowing of motility leading to - constipation

Bones: reduced mineral density –prone for fractures

Auditory impairment/Visual impairment

Hearing loss has a major contribution to communication and quality-of-life issues. People who use hearing aids are more likely than others to report improvements in their physical, emotional, and social comfort.

With aging, the gradual deterioration of sensory modalities, including vision, can interfere with one's daily activities. Nearly 7% of patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation units have a severe visual impairment. A visual impairment is defined as visual acuity of 20/40 or worse and legal blindness is defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or worse.

Consequences of visual impairment Vision impairment exerts a more wide-ranging impact on functional status than does hearing impairment. Visual impairment is associated with increased physical disability, increased social isolation, low employment rates, reduced self-image, and depression.

Falls

Falls and near-falls occur in more than 30% of people aged 65 years or older. Every year, 50% of people in the community older than 80 years have a fall, and approximately 60% of nursing home residents fall each year. Those most susceptible to falling are older women with a low body mass index (BMI), greater height, lower bone mineral density (BMD), and history of a cerebrovascular accident (STROKE) . Alcohol-related falls are more common in men than in women.

Age-related physiologic factors that can lead to falls include the following: decreased muscle mass (which decreases overall strength), postural changes of the hips with increasing valgus deformity, change in the center of gravity to behind the hips, increased postural sway, decreased righting reflexes, increased reaction time, visuoperceptual decline, decreased vibratory sensation and altered proprioception (poor lower-extremity sensory input), impaired mobility, orthostatic hypotension (systolic blood pressure [SBP]

Extrinsic risk factors include adverse effects of medications, polypharmacy(TAKING TOO MANY TABLETS)

Dementia

Dementia is a problem with decline in memory and at least 1 other cognitive function. The World Health Organization defines dementia as memory decline, especially in the learning of new information, lasting longer than 6 months. Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Dementia disrupts one's daily activities and leads to a decline in memory and previous functioning, and it can also lead to social impairment.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.