Ageing: a physical change Flashcards
1
Q
Intrinsic ageing
A
natural, universal, inevitable
2
Q
Extrinsic ageing
A
dependent on external factors e.g. UV ray exposure, smoking, air pollution etc.
3
Q
Examples of physical changes in later life
A
- loss of skin elasticity and hair colouring
- decrease in size and weight
- loss of joint flexibility
- increased susceptibility to illness
- decline in learning ability and less efficient memory
4
Q
Decline in sensory effectiveness
A
- visual (need 3x more light, depth/colour perception, narrowing of visual field)
- hearing (high frequency loss, speech comprehension decreases 20%)
- taste and smell (50% loss of taste buds)
5
Q
Gender bias
A
- women live longer than men
- very old age: w:m 2:1
6
Q
Causes for women living longer than men
A
- 20% biological (premenopausal women are protected from heart diseaseby hormone)
- 80% environment - men take more lifestyle risks than women
7
Q
Consequences of higher life expectancy
A
- pensions have a higher payouts than those currently planned
- chronic and comorbid conditions will prevail
- rising inequalities as more affluent groups will use health services for longer
8
Q
Types of dementia
A
- alzheimer’s 62%
- vascular dementia 17%
- mixed of alzheimer’s and vascular 10%
- lewy bodies 6%
- fronto-temporal 6%
- other types 3%
9
Q
What are some alternatives to hospital admission for older people
A
- supporting discharge from inpatient hospital care
- providing alternatives in acute care within the community
- supporting chronic disease management within the community
