Health Care Issues For Elderly

As people age, health care concerns become more prominent. Although many elderly people live to old age without serious health problems, the rising population of senior citizens highlights the need to better understand the requirements for vital aging, improve existing medical conditions, and promote a long-lived and healthy elderly population.

Chronic Disease

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and stroke are leading causes of disability in the senior citizen population. People with chronic conditions are more likely to be less mobile and experience limitations in daily activities. Many chronic diseases are manageable with proper care, and some are even preventable. Lack of exercise, excess consumption of alcohol and smoking are three major issues that should be addressed, says the CDC.

Medication Management

For many older adults, taking pills is a regular part of their daily routine. Many senior citizens take multiple medications and use more than one pharmacy for their prescription needs, making it more difficult to keep track of what medicine they are taking. Because older adults metabolize drugs differently than younger people, an adverse reaction is more likely to occur. To prevent duplicate medications and potential drug interactions, many doctors suggest that senior citizen patients bring their pill bottles to each appointment. Most pharmacists make it a point to review prescriptions and dosages each time a prescription is filled.

Medical Care

The availability and quality of medical care are frequent worries for older people. Health care costs continue to rise, and the number of doctors who accept Medicare insurance is declining. Regular checkups by health care professionals and follow-up care by support services contribute to senior citizens' quality of life; these are essential for the management and prevention of acute and chronic diseases.

Nutrition

A healthy diet is as essential for older adults as it is for the younger population. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a balanced diet may help to prevent the onset of debilitating disease, manage chronic health problems and reduce risk factors for developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Although prepared foods are convenient and less costly, they often contain empty calories that contribute to weight gain and deplete energy reserves. While supplements may help to overcome mineral and vitamin deficiencies, whole foods contain the nutrients necessary for optimum health.

Considerations

A positive attitude about aging plays a role in how quickly people age. Older adults who remain involved in life and take an active interest in self-care are likely to stay healthy longer and better manage age-related concerns. A Stanford University program developed to teach self-care and disease management to people with chronic diseases found that those who completed a six-week community-based program reported significant improvement in all areas of health and were less likely to seek outpatient medical care.