Sherpath - Chronic Illness and Older Adults

what are the ages for a young-old adult?

65 to 74 years of age

what are the ages for an old-old adult?

85 years of age and older

what are the ages for a frail older adult?

usually over age 75

“_____” age is set by a date in time

real

what is ageism?

an attitude that discriminates, separates, stigmatizes, or otherwise disadvantages older adults on the basis of chronologic age

what is a multifactorial process involving genetics, diet and environment and is viewed as a balance of positive and negative factors?

biologic aging

_____-_____ changes affect every body system

age-related

what are some common chronic conditions in older adults?

• hypertensin

• arthritis

• heart disease (e.g. heart failure, coronary artery disease)

• diabetes

• cancer

• stroke

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

• alzheimer’s disease

• vision and hearing deficits

• osteoporosis

• Parkinson disease

• depression

what are some key barriers to health care access for rural older adults?

• transportation

• limited supply of health care workers and agencies

• lack of quality health care

• social isolation

• financial limitations

what are some key factors associated with homelessness?

• low income

• reduced cognitive capacity

• living alone

• living in a community that lacks affordable housing

_____ is a common clinical syndrome seen in older adults

frailty

a person is considered frail when three or more of these criteria are met:

• unintentional weight loss (10 pounds or more in a year)

• self-reported exhaustion

• weakness (measured by grip strength)\

• slow walking speed

• low level of physical activity

what does SCALES mean (used to assess nutrition of older adults)?

• sadness or mood change

• cholesterol, high

• albumin, low

• loss or gain of weight

• eating problems (e.g. mechanical problems, such as impaired swallowing, poor dentition)

• shopping and food preparation problems

what does the term ethnogeriatrics describe?

the specialty area of providing culturally competent care to older adults