Week 1 Flashcards
How do we define an older adult by chronological age?
• Gerontologists focus on those 60+ years of age
• Federal government uses 65 as determinant
for Social Security & Medicare eligibility
• Researchers use subgroups
- “Younger old” = 65-75
- “Older old” = 75-85
- “Oldest old” = 85+
What are the older definitions of aging?
- Societal determinants (“50 is the new 40”, etc)
* Health status determinants
What are the truths about aging?
• Aging takes place over time
- Grow older developmentally, not chronologically
- Chronological age is not biologically uniform
• Old age is a new concept
• Aging is different from disease
- Functional decline not necessarily due to aging
- Aging changes are distinguished from changes attributable to disease
- Many diseases and co-morbidities associated with the older adult actually have their beginnings during the decade of the 40’s. and 50’s.
What is ageism?
Prejudice or discrimination against a particular age-group and especially the elderly.
What is the life expectancy of the 65+ population?
Close to 20% of the total US population.
What are the factors that contribute to the demographics and life expectancy of the aging adult population?
- Current declining birth rate
- Decreased mortality rates
- Increased life expectancy/better overall health
- Large numbers in the “baby boomer” generation
What is a generation?
Cohort born in specific time period (18-22 year increments)
What are the characteristics of a generation?
• Each generation develops a collective world view based on the prevailing cultural influences in their first 18 years
• Each generation has tendency to reject/rebel against the world view of
previous generation
• Has specific attitudes toward work ethics, behavioral expectations, role norms, language, value and outlook
• Generation gaps affects what our patients want/need and presents societal challenges to health
What are the existing categories of generation gaps?
• GIs: 1901-1921 • Veterans (“Greatest Generation”, Traditionals): 1922-1945 • Boomers: 1946-1960 • Gen X (“Baby Bust”): 1961-1981 • Gen Y (“Millennials”): 1982-2004 • Gen Z: 2004-
What are the generational themes seen in generation “traditionals”?
- Hard work
- Duty
- Sacrifice
- Thriftiness
- Work fast
What are the generational themes seen in generation “boomers”?
- Personal fulfillment
- Optimism
- Crusading
- Buy now, pay later
- Work efficiently
What are the generational themes seen in generation “gen Xers”?
- Uncertainty
- Personal focus
- Live for today
- Save
- Eliminate task
What are the generational themes seen in generation “millenials”?
- What’s next?
- On my terms
- Just show up
- Earn to spend
- Do what’s asked
According to Rowe and Kahn, a person has successfully aged when they have done what…?
- Avoiding disease and disability
- Maintaining high physical and cognitive function
- Sustained engagement in social and productive activities
According to Lewis, what is successful aging?
The changes due solely to the aging process, uncomplicated by damage from the environment, lifestyle or disease
__ is a modified version of “successful aging”
Optimal aging is a modified version of “successful aging”
What is optimal aging?
Capacity to function across many domains– physical, functional, cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual– to one’s satisfaction and in spite of medical conditions
What can a PT do to impact optimal aging?
Physical therapists reduce disabling effects and can
stop the cycle of “disease > disability > new incident disease” in order to facilitate maintenance of quality of life
What are the 5 most common causes of death in the aging adult?
- Heart Disease
- Malignant Neoplasms
- Cerebrovascular Disease
- Chronic Lower Respiratory
Diseases - Pneumonia/Influenza
What are the 5 most common chronic health conditions in the aging adult?
- Arthritis/MSK Issues
- Heart/Circulatory Issues
- Vision/Hearing Issues
- Fractures/Joint Injuries
- Diabetes
- Mental Illness
Aging has contributions from…?
- General whole body inflammatory response (Woods, et al)
- Genetics
- Consequences of lifestyle, primarily decline in physical activity
What is sarcopenia?
Age related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength
• Not completely age related
• Decreased physical activity
• Co-morbidities
What does sarcopenia result in?
Results in decreased protein reserves
• Challenge to meet protein synthesis demands with injury or disease
• Thus even worse sarcopenia
What happens to muscle as a result of normal aging?
• Whole muscle and fiber atrophy
- Muscle is 50% total body weight in young adults, reduced to 25% by age 75-80
- Replaced by increased body fat
- Type II atrophy > Type I
• Denervation and reinnervation of alpha motor neurons
• Decreased muscle activation – Less agonist, more co-activation of antagonist
• Decreased muscle strength and power
What are the metabolic changes that occurs as a result of normal aging?
• Decreased resting metabolic rate
- Less lean muscle mass
• Insulin resistance (common in older adults)
- Increased body fat further contributes
- Regulator of protein metabolism and important for protein gain and muscle growth
• Decreased growth hormone
• Decreased estrogen and testosterone
• Vitamin D deficiency
What are the skeletal changes that occurs as a result of normal aging?
• Decline in bone mineral
• Increased osteoclast activity, decreased osteoblast
activity
• Osteopenia…leads to increased risk of osteoporosis
- Load absorption decreased
- Decreased load dispersion to other parts of the joint
- Results in increased bone loading, results in increased risk for fracture
What are the effects that occurs in the connective tissue (ligaments, capsule, cartilage) of the joint as a result of normal aging?
• Decreased activity of osteoblasts and chonrdroblasts
• Increased activity of osteoclasts and chondroclasts
• Decreased response to growth factors (hormones, cytokines)
- Alters repair of tissues
• Altered response to tissue loading
• Decreased ability to retain water
- Decreased glycoconjugates that maintain fluid content
• Fragmenting of collagen strands and decreased rate of turnover
• Increased crosslinking between collagen molecules
- Increased stiffness and decreased ability to absorb energy
• Calcification of articular cartilage
- Intervertebral discs: nucleus becomes more fibrous, annulus less organized
- Decreased water content in discs
What are the most common changes that occurs in the joint during normal aging?
- Decreased joint space
- Increased laxity
- Altered load dispersion
- Altered joint forces
- Decreased joint ROM (not uniformly)
What happens to the cervical spine ROM as a result of aging?
- All motions decrease
* Greatest reduction in extension and lateral flexion
What happens to the thoracic and lumbar spine ROM as a result of aging?
- Extension becomes most limited
* No or very little change in rotation
What happens to the hip ROM as a result of aging?
Extension decreases – decreased walking speed
What happens to the ankle ROM as a result of aging?
Dorsiflexion decreases
What happens to the knee ROM as a result of aging?
Without pathology, knee ROM remains fairly stable
What happens to the shoulder ROM as a result of aging?
- Flexion and External rotation
* Thoracic kyphosis may also impact
What does habitual postures often lead to?
- Forward head posture (FHP)
- Thoracic kyphosis
- Lumbar flattening (reduction of lordosis)
What are the characteristics of thoracic kyphosis as it relates to aging?
- Increases > 40 years of age- women > men
- Correlated with increased fall risk
- Associated with osteoporosis and vertebral fractures
What are the characteristics of lumbar flattening (reduction of lordosis) as it relates to aging?
Decreased intervertebral space = decreased diameter of intervertebral foramen: impact nerve root integrity
What are the altered functions associated with forward head posture (FHP)?
Challenges with swallowing, breathing, supine/prone positioning
What are the altered functions associated with hyperkyphosis?
Spine extensors lengthened – weakened : Lifting difficulty
What are the altered functions associated with decreased lumbar lordosis?
Pain, nerve root impingement symptoms, spinal stenosis: Standing, walking painful – limits activity
What are the causes of postural changes in an adult?
- Decreased intervertebral and bone height
* Decreased elastin in ligaments of the spine
What are the effects of decreased intervertebral and bone height on posture?
• 2’ loss over a lifetime
• Decreased ability to withstand compression, tension, and shear, thus more load bearing on the neural arch-osteoarthritis and osteophyte
formation
• Thinning trabeculae of bone- increased risk for spinal deformities and fractures