Elderly Issues and Their Management

Ageing

            Ageing also known as senescence is a complex biochemical process that accumulates changes in organisms or objects over time. The human ageing process involves multidimensional changes on physical, psychological, cultural and social levels. It is the lifelong process by which we define the social, mental, and biological stages in our lives. Human being is the sum total of life experiences

            With ageing, there are a number of changes taking place in the various systems of the human body, which may, at times cause age-related problems and disorders.

 

Elderly

            The human being is the sum total of life experiences. The elderly are the senior citizens of society. Those individuals who have crossed 60 years of age are considered as senior citizens in India. Age is one of the frames of reference through which individuals are categorized as elderly. 

            The proportion of the elderly (60+) population in India is relatively small, which increased from 6.8% in 1991 to 8.6% in 2011, i.e., less than a 2% increase over two decades. Japan has older people 26.30% of their population.

           

Physical Changes

            Ageing may be inevitable, but the rate of ageing is not.

            The human body goes through a variety of changes as it gets older. In general, muscles, blood vessels and other tissues lose their elasticity. The heart becomes less efficient, bones become weaker and the metabolism slows down.

 

Some of the changes

Wrinkles - Fibers in the skin called collagen and elastin break down and lose strength as a person gets older. Sun exposure throughout life contributes to this process. Without these fibers, the skin cannot hold its shape as well.

Dry skin - Older people produce less sweat and oil, causing their skin to be drier. Excessively dry skin can emphasise the appearance of wrinkles.

Age spots - Dark spots on the skin, particularly the arms, hands, face and feet, stem from cumulative exposure to the sun. Most people call these marks liver spots, but they are unrelated to liver function.

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome - It is seen that most adults aged 60 and older are overweight or obese. Obesity is related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast and colon cancer, gall bladder disease, and high blood pressure.

Osteoporosis and Falls - Osteoporosis and low bone mass affect most adults age 50 and older, most of them women.

Cancer –The risk of developing most types of cancer increases with age.

Vision and Hearing Loss - Age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma affects people aged 40 and older. The incidence of hearing loss increases with age.

Other common conditions in older age include cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression, and dementia etc.

 

Health of Elderly     

            The health of the elderly is an important aspect of life. Physical health includes disability and coping with disability: treatment, care, availability of treatment facility i.e. doctors and caregivers etc. Common health conditions of older persons are associated with the ageing process- the decaying and weakening of the body. Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression, and dementia

           

Psychological Changes

Memory and Emotional Well-being - Staying mentally active is as important as staying physically active. One of the perplexing problems of ageing is Alzheimer’s disease. Depression is often underdiagnosed and untreated. Many people mistakenly believe that depression is a natural condition of old age. One of the biggest life changes is retirement. Many people have their sense of worth tied up with work. In retirement, depression and suicide rates rise.

Major Elderly Issues

1.         Social isolation and loneliness due to the over-engagement of

younger generations

2.         Poor medical care

3.         Social security

4.         Lack of age-friendly environment in the surrounding areas

5.         Change in value system among the youth

6.         Disintegrating traditional family system and kinship support.

 

Strategies to Handle Elderly Issues

1. Family therapy
2. A multi-dimensional approach that comprises not only curative but also non-curative methods of care that are essentially preventive, rehabilitative and ones that pertain to terminal and respite care.
3. Social interaction (physical) with younger people and with peer groups.
4. Use of social media for fighting loneliness, isolation and boredom.
5. Respect and Dignity - Acknowledge their wisdom and life experiences, and avoid patronizing or belittling them. Respect their autonomy and involve them in decision-making processes.

6.   The elderly love to share their experiences, hence attentive and genuine listening helps in this regard. This technique is also known as reminiscence therapy.

7.   Validation – Elderly are the repository of experiences. Their experiences are full of emotions and feelings. It is important to validate their feelings.

8.   Positive adaptation and adjustment – Elderly should be skilled to adapt and adjust to the changing psycho-social environment.

9.   Resource Provision - Provide information and connect them to relevant resources and support services. This may include assistance with healthcare, financial planning, social services, or recreational activities.

10. Humanistic Approach – The elderly are at the fag end of their life, their body might have disfigured, and they might not be able to take care of themselves, not be able to express themselves properly, their memory has gone weak, they may suffer from other psycho-physical disorders etc. In spite of this, they deserve humanistic touch.

 

 

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