It is well known that physical exercise is beneficial for the body, no matter one’s age. Even an editorial published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association deemed exercise “the ultimate medicine.” Now, research has shown even more evidence that exercise is crucial for the human body, especially in older ages, when adults become more vulnerable to frailty and sarcopenia.
“Successful aging” is a term that is not well defined, but is constantly researched. The term immerged more than 20 years ago and constituted three primary domains: the avoidance of illness, physically and cognitively fit, and high engagement with life. Subsequent research placed strong emphasis on the absence or existence of disease, thereby classifying centenarians (older adults who live to 100 years of age or beyond) as “survivors,” “delayers,” and “escapers” according to the existence of diseases and the age at which the disease occurs preceding or following 80 years. Further studies addressed the importance of including elderly people’s perspectives so as to expand the primarily biomedical model to add social and psychological facets. Strong evidence showed that psychological factors of successful aging, including self-efficacy and resilience, were the sole indicators of future quality of life.
Among the 1.4 million older adults in the United States who receive long term care in nursing home facilities, the prevalence of functional limitations is high. According to an article recently published in the Journal of American Medical Directors Association, the number of people with functional limitations is predicted to increase by about 120% worldwide, with those under the care of an institution rising by an estimated 130%. Functional decline is well known to be a strong indicator of long-term institutionalization and its regular evaluation after nursing home admission is deemed a primary measure indicating the quality of care provided. Not much is known about the functional status trajectory of older adults living in nursing home facilities where the facility environment, as well as individual factors, could exacerbate, accelerate, or lessen the decline based on the nursing care, rehabilitation, and medical services provided.
Incontinence is a serious health problem that can affect both men and women at any stage of life. Although the likelihood of experiencing incontinence increases with age, incontinence is not a normal age-related health issue. Not only does incontinence pose critical psychological and social constraints, it also significantly diminishes an older adult’s quality of life and increases the need for nursing home care. Incontinence is defined as the uncontrollable loss of urine or feces or a combination of both. Urinary incontinence (UI) is described as “any involuntary loss of urine.” Staff in nursing home facilities are responsible for providing direct care to their residents. Thus, nurses are critically responsible for treating and caring for patients with incontinence.
Research indicates that most falls experienced by older adults happen during the daytime and are often caused by slippery floors and irregular surfaces. An estimated 20% of falls occur during the night and are most commonly experienced by the elderly, with about 30% experiencing a fall incidence once every year. It is well known that when an older adult experiences a fall, their likelihood of getting injured, having a hip-fracture, and even dying are higher than those of younger adults.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its final rule for 2016 Medicare skilled nursing facility payment rates on August 4, 2015.
How great the impact cancer has on exacerbating existing health problems or even creating new health problems in older adults is not well understood. It is estimated that by 2030, almost 1 in every 5 Americans will be over the age of 65. According to a recent report provided by the American Cancer Society, the number of older adults diagnosed with cancer will grow from 61% to 70% by 2030. It is common for older cancer survivors to experience additional age-related health conditions, including functional decline, joint problems, sensory impairment, and urinary incontinence. With the ever-growing older adult population, the need to investigate this unanswered question of how cancer effects health status and what strategies need to be developed to enhance health outcomes become more pertinent.
As the older adult population continues to rise worldwide, an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. For many, mild cognitive impairment is the initial sign. Mild cognitive impairment occurs prior to dementia and significantly increases one’s vulnerability of developing Alzheimer’s in the future months or years. Recent studies from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System (both located in New York) have explored the association between chronic stress and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which is the most common form of mild cognitive impairment, the main characteristic of which is memory loss. 507 participants were enrolled in the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) in which they were tested for a wide variety of cognitive issues.
Continue Reading
When considering the health and well-being of elderly people, oral health does not often come to mind as an important component. In literature regarding risk factors for diminished well-being among older adults, it is uncommon for oral health to be explicitly listed, although other health illnesses and disease conditions are often discussed. Although it may sound shocking to most, untreated dental decay is the most prevalent health condition in the world according to global burden of disease estimates.
Physical activity is beneficial in aging in more ways than most would think. Research has shown that exercise not only benefits overall biological health, but particularly enhances brain health and cognitive functioning.
California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog