Wellness And Aging Flashcards
What are the ages ranges for old-old
76+
What are the concepts of development genetic theories
the process of again is continuous w/ development
development=aging
aging changes are due to genetic programming
genetic influences contribute to longevity of life/illness/age of death etc
What is stochastic theory of aging
Aging changes result from an accumulation of random events or damage fro environmental agents or influences (i.e. pollution)
Aging results from conditions which produces mutations in our DNA
Wear and tear leads to accumulated damage to vital parts of the cell leading to death
Normal aging is not what
Age specific
What are biological changes considered as in the agin population
gradual progressive physiological changes in various systems
What do biological changes include
diseases to the elderly such as CHF or respiratory disorders
What happens to the musculoskeletal system as you age
Bone mass decreases
loss of muscle mass leading to decreased strength
What are two common musculoskeletal disorders
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
What is OA
Bone on bone, no cartilage protection
What happens with osteoporosis
Many simple activities can cause stress fractures
How is posture affected in aging
postural sway (small circular movt of the body while standing) which is associated with more frequent falls
What are changes that happen to the axial skeleton
Forward head position
Increased dorsal kyphosis
flattening of the lumbar spine leading to rounded shoulders,protracted scapula, and slightly flexed elbows
What do changes in the axial skeleton influence
Balance
overall wellness
decreased reaction time and speed of movt
What decreases with age in regards to the musculoskeletal system
balance nd coordination
What is presbystasis
The loss of normal stability due to the incremental and age related changes of the inner ear balance system
What happens to the cardiovascular system in regards to age
Decreased muscle cells lost
decreased elasticity of heart walls
L ventricular wall increases
Less effective pump so reduce blood flow to organs
max heart rate decreases
electrical conduction may become abnormal
What is the increase in the L ventricle due to
inability of the L ventricle to pump blood to body (back up of blood)
What causes electrical conduction of the heart to become abnormal
Fibrotic changes in the heart
What is arteriosclerosis
Blood vessels become less elastic and thicken
what is atherosclerosis
build up of plaque in vessels causing narrowing of vessels
What is a major cause of hypertension
atherosclerosis
Who is coronary artery disease most common in
men
What does coronary artery disease lead to
Angina (chest pain)
Cardiac arrest
MI
Heart failure
As new technology develops to save those with MI what do they go on to get
CHF due to damaged muscle
What is vascular dementia
Progressive effects of small stroke
May see abrupt onset of cog changes
What is the 2nd most common disease and 3rd most common cause of death in the elderly
CVA
Why do older adults have an increased risk of cancer
defense mechanisms changing w/ age (body has cancer suppressing genes that are affected with age)
decreased immune response
exposure to env factors
Decreased DNA repair
What does decreased muscle strength in the diaphragm lead to
Causes less chest expansion and retention of mucus in the lung resulting in decreased oxygen in the blood
What is COPD usually caused by
smoking
What is copd associated with
Chronic bronchitis
Emphysema
What does COPD lead to
respiratory failure
What is prebyopia
general decline in visual acuity
What happens to vision as you age
general decline in vision Loss of subcutaneous fat around the eye and decreased muscle tone leading to sunken in eyes Poor night vision blurred vision color sensitivity spotty vision
What causes blurred vision
decreased corneal transparency
what causes poor night vision
degeneration of sclera, pupil, and iris
What causes loss of color sensitivity
increase in density and rigidity of the lens
Why is reduced glare important in the elderly
They need more light and higher contrast
What do retinal changes lead to
spotty vision
narrow the field of vision for an increased blind spot size
What are some common age related visual disorders
Cataracts Glaucoma Macular degeneration Slowing of CNS info processing Diabetic retinopathy
What are cataracts
opacity of the lens
What is glaucoma
build up of fluid in the eye causing interocular pressure
What is age related macular degeneration
painless gradual loss of central vision
What can glaucoma lead to if untreated
tunnel vision
blindness
What does slowing of CNS info processing lead to
cant react as quickly
What is diabetic retinopathy
changes as a result of the disease process of diabetes
What is considered the most devastating loss of all sensory systems and why
hearing
social participation is greatly affected and leads to isolation. influences safety and security.
What is presycusis
age related hearing loss
What is presycusis usually do to
environmental factors
what is decreased along with hearing loss
Speech understanding
What has been found to occur with hearing loss in older aduts
depression and increase in paranoia
What happens to the taste buds as you age
general decrease
What does you lose taste for first as you age
Sweet and salty
What are taste and smell sensitive to
environmental factors
What does the decreased ability to smell lead to
decreased appetite and poor nutrition as food does not taste good anymore
What is decreased in the somatosensory system
light touch pain temp position sense slower nerve conduction dietary deficiencies diminished circulation
What are elderly noted to have difficulty with
reacting to extreme hot and cold temp
What are some changes that occur in the integumentary system as you age
change in skin color
liver spots
loss of subcutaneous fat causing wrinkles and jowls
bone loss in mandible and maxilla causing chin to be shorter
decrease in sweat glands leading to dryer skin
ptosis
gray hair and thinner and finer
nails thicker and yellow
What is ptosis
drooping of the upper eyelid
what causes nails to be thicker and yellow
decreased circulation
What are common problems of the endocrine system in the elderly
Diabetes
hypothyroidism
What are NOT common problems of the elderly
Hormonal imbalances except for reduction of thyroxin and insulin
What controls metabolic rate
thyroid
What happens to the genitourinary system as you age
decrease in bladder control (incontinence or urinary retention) Sexual changes ((satisfaction remains) Increase in impotence Benign prostate hypertrophy changes related to menopause
What does benign prostate hypertrophy cause
blocks flow of urine
what do women going through menopause benefit from
estrogen replacement therapy
What happens to the nervous system as you age
decrease in cells and overall brain weight
decrease in speed of neuron to neuron transmission
What is fluid intelligence
ability to adapt and use new info in reasoning, problem solving and integration
what is crystallized intelligence
corresponds to the verbal scales on intelligence tests and reflects the accumulated knowledge and practical skills
What happens with age in cognition
lower score in fluid intelligence
speed of processing decreases
problem solving and abstraction decline
what might a crystallized intelligence decrease indicate
disease process
What does normal aging not usually affect in memory
the earliest stages of memory like primary and short term memory
what is secondary or long term memory
contain unlimited amount of info for almost any length of time
where must info be processed and transferred from
from primary to secondary memory
What kind of recall is more difficult
free recall is more difficult than cued or structured material
What is the term now used to describe cognitive changes related to age vs disease
age related cognitive decline
What are the age ranges for young-old
55-75
