Physical development: Later Adulthood 65+ Flashcards
What is the deterioration of hearing?
Hearing loss is the result of sound signals not reaching the brain.
What is sensorineural hearing loss caused by?
It’s caused by deterioration to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve.
What is conductive hearing loss?
It’s when sounds are unable to pass from your outer ear to your inner ear, often caused by a blockage such as earwax.
What is visual impairment?
It’s caused by a weakening of muscles that make it difficult to see close or at a distance.
Peripheral vision isn’t as good and optical nerve ages.
What causes mobility issues?
Flexibility in joints, cartilage wastage and injuries can limit movement in older people and make it painful.
Further loss of stamina and strength in muscles slow down and restrict movement and injuries take a long time to heal.
Balance and coordination become more challenging, this impacts an older persons independence and mobility.
What causes loss of height?
Cartilage becomes worn, brittle and gets less, and your spine is one less cartilage , so height is lost as the spine compacts. Spine curves and old people stoop more.
What is incontinence problems?
It’s weakened muscles at the b,added entrance and the anus leakages and the inability to hold on to urine or faeces for long periods.
What is incontinence like for men?
Males experience enlarged prostates with age so bladder size shrinks and urination is frequent. Older people often worry how close they are to a toilet or require pads or a catheter.
What are some health issues that come with old age?
- immune system becomes weaker, flu jabs are offered
- injuries take longer to heal and so are open to infection longer
- poor lifestyle choices; obesity, smoking, drinking lead to greater chances of heart disease and diabetes
- kidney filtering systems deteriorate and don’t renew
