Elder Health

• Aging is: the sum of all the changes that normally occur in a person with the passage of time. It begins in conception and ends at death.

• Primary aging: is a biologic process whose first cause apparently is rooted in heredity.

Primary aging is the gradual and inevitable process of body deterioration that takes place throughout life. Primary aging is genetic. It is the preprogrammed coding that our bodies follow

• Secondary aging: is defects and disability whose first cause comes from hostile factors in the environment, particularly trauma and disease.

• Secondary aging results from disease, lack of physical activity and unhealthy activities (smoking and drinking), poor nutrition and exposure to hazardous materials.

Aging terminology

• Age: is the length of time a person has exist.

• Life span: is the minimum potential for survival of a particular species (115 to 120years).

• Life expectancy: (expected life), is the average observed years of life of a species from birth to death or at any stated age.

• Longevity: is the expected length of an individual’s life, based on the lives of their immediate family members.

• Elders: are persons aged 65years or older.

• Geriatrics: is the branch of health science concerned with the diseases and problems of old age.

Major health concern of the aging population

• Different health problems is mentioned in Table 35-3 in page 869

Osteoporosis, Hyper-lipidemia, Hypertension, Pneumonia, Depression, Visual impairment,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Different assessment for aging population:

1. Functional assessment: assessing ability to do Activity of Daily Living,,,,,,,see appendix B and C

2. Physical assessment: vision, hearing, skin,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

3. Mental assessment:

checking memory and

mood. Instrument can

be used as a checklist

to assess the

orientation, recall,

language and attention.

4.Socio-environmental Assessment: to identify family and living situation, social support system, financial status and environmental hazards.

Specify the preventive health care of the elderly

1. Vision: (farsightedness), cataract and other eye problems needs annual assessment, correction with glasses,,,,,,

2. Hearing: bilateral health loss. It needs test, referrals for hearing aids and other interventions

3. Nutrition and sleep: mal-nurishment, use nutrition risk assessment form Amrican Dietecs Association to identify nutrition problems and improve it.

We need the old age people to say:

So what is the function of the nurse

• Page 896-897

Identify the services provided for elderly in Oman:

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