Aging and Health Systems Flashcards
Ageism
Refers to the stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination directed towards people on the basis of their age. It can be institutional, interpersonal, or self-directed. Arises when age is used to categorize and divide people in ways that lead to harm, disadvantage, and injustice and erode solidarity across generations.
Institutional Ageism
Refers to the laws, rules, social norms, policies, and practices of institutions that unfairly restrict opportunities and systematically disadvantage individuals because of their age.
Interpersonal Ageism
Arises in interactions between two or more individuals.
Self-Directed Ageism
Occurs when ageism is internalized and turned against oneself.
The Determinants of Ageism
1) Factors that increase the risk of perpetrating ageism against older people are being younger, male, anxious about death, and less educated.
2) Factors that reduce the risk of perpetrating ageism against both younger and older people are having certain personality traits and more intergenerational contact.
3) Factors that increase the risk of being a target of ageism are being older, being care-dependent, having a lower healthy life expectancy in the country and working in certain professions or occupational sectors such as high-tech or the hospitality sector. A risk factor for being a target of ageism against young people is being female.
3 Strategies To Reduce Ageism
1) Policy and Law
2) Educational Interventions
3) Intergenerational Contact Interventions
3 Recommendations For Action
1) Invest in evidence-based strategies to prevent and tackle ageism.
2) Improve data and research to gain a better understanding of ageism and how to reduce it.
3) Build a movement to change the narrative around age and ageing.
Mental Health
The capacity to feel, think, and act in ways that enhance enjoyment of life and coping with challenges.
Dementia
An umbrella term used to describe a set of symptoms affecting brain function that are caused by neurodegenerative and vascular diseases or injuries. Alzheimer disease is the most common cause of the condition. Is characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities, memory, awareness of person, place, time, language, basic math skills, judgement, and planning, and can affect mood and behaviour. Over time, it reduces the ability to independently maintain activities of daily life such as eating, bathing, toileting, and dressing.
Risk Factors For Dementia
1) Physical Inactivity
2) Obesity
3) Unhealthy Diet
4) Smoking
5) Harmful Use of Alcohol
6) Social Isolation
7) Lack of Cognitively Stimulating Activities
8) Diabetes (Type 2)
9) Hypertension
10) Depression
11) Age
12) Sex (females are more susceptible)
3 Ds in Geriatric Psychiatry
1) Depression
2) Dementia
3) Delirium
Depression
Characterized by lowered mood or diminished pleasure in activities as well as somatic symptoms such as diminished ability to concentrate and suicidal thoughts or plans.
Delirium
Characterized by inattention, disorganized thinking, and altered level of consciousness. Often misdiagnosed as dementia.
Parkinsonism
An umbrella term that includes Parkinson disease, secondary parkinsonism, and atypical parkinsonism. While the majority of cases are due to Parkinson disease, cases also arise due to other neurological disorders, medication side effects, or toxins. Symptoms are rigidity, tremors, bradykinesia (abnormal slowness of movement), postural instability, pain, mood disorders, sleep problems, cognitive impairment or dementia, constipation, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, and/or reduced sense of smell.
Palliative Care
An approach to care that improves the quality of life of people of all ages who are facing problems associated with life-limiting illness and their families. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial, or spiritual. Provided through public and private settings. About 70% are being publicly funded.
Canada’s Median Age
40.4 years-old for men and 42.8 years-old for women.
Canada’s Oldest Age
Newfoundland and Labrador. 47.6 years-old for men and 49.2 years-old for women.
Canada’s Youngest Age
Nunavut. 25.6 years-old for men and 25.8 years-old for women.
Deconstructing the Old Age
1) Aging Identity (how we think/interpret about our age)
2) Chronological Age (actual age)
3) Functional Age (the evaluation to one’s individual abilities in comparison to those of their peers)
Themes of Ageism
1) Age as a Disease
2) Ageism and Cultural Gerontofobia (the fear of aging)
3) Consumerism and Aging (targeting the fact that aging is considered a bad thing)
Aging Population and Health Care
1) Older population is heterogeneous (we group all older adults together, 65 year-olds all the way to 100 year-olds).
2) Older population is healthier than ever before.
3) The aging population will only account for an increase of about 1% per year in health care costs.
Compression of Morbidity
As people get older the number of diseases all occur at once before death.
Long Term Care
1) Chronic Care Hospitals
2) Long-Term Care Facilities (nursing homes)
Home Care
1) Post Acute Care
2) Supportive Care
3) End-of-Life Care
