Another name for older adult ▪ Is the broad term used to define the study of aging or the aged.

▪ Is the broad term used to define the study of aging or the aged. This includes the biopsychosocial
▪ Geriatrics aspects of aging.
▪ Aging
▪ Aged Older age divided into:
▪ Over-the-hill ▪ Young old - (65-74 of age)
▪ Elderly ▪ Middle old - (75-84 of age)
▪ Senescent ▪ Old old, very old, or frail old - (84 onwards)
▪ Senior
Subfields of Gerontology
What is GERIATRICS ▪ Geriatrics- is often used as a generic term relating to the aged, but specifically refers to medical
▪ The term geriatrics comes from the Greek word geron meaning “old man”, and iatros meaning care of the aged.
“healer”. However, geriatrics is sometimes called medical gerontology. ▪ Social gerontology- is concerned mainly with the social aspects of aging versus the biological or
psychological.
AGING ▪ Geropsychology - is a branch of psychology concerned with helping older persons and their
▪ Is not merely the passage of time. It is the manifestation of biological events that occur in a span of families maintain well-being, overcome problems and achieve maximum potential during later life.
time. ▪ Geropharmacology- the study of pharmacology as it relates to older adults.
▪ People aged differently. ▪ CGP- Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (Pharmacist certified in geropharmacology)
▪ Change in an aging body happens through a process, some systems slow down, while others lose ▪ Financial gerontology- is another emerging subfield that combines knowledge of financial planning
their “fine tuning”. and services with a special expertise in the needs of older adults.
▪ In conclusion, as a general rule, slight, gradual changes are common and expected as one ages. ▪ Gerontological rehabilitation nursing - combines expertise in gerontological nursing with
rehabilitation concepts and practice.
Gerontological Nursing ▪ Gerontological nursing- then, falls within the discipline of nursing and the scope of nursing practice.
▪ Gerontology, or geriatric, nursing is a specialty focused on the care of older adults.
▪ Gerontology nursing is a broad specialty where nurses may work in long-term care facilities, with Roles of the Gerontological Nurse
home healthcare services and in hospice, caring for patients with limited mobility, impaired mental ▪ Provider of care
abilities, and those in pain. ▪ Teacher
▪ Manager
Ageism ▪ Advocate
▪ Ageism, also spelled agism, is stereotyping and/or discrimination against individuals or groups on the ▪ Research Consumer
basis of their age.
▪ This may be casual or systematic. Provider of Care
▪ The term was coined in 1969 by Robert Neil Butler to describe discrimination against seniors and ▪ Gives direct hands-on care in a variety of settings.
patterned on sexism and racism. ▪ Nurse should be educated about disease process and syndromes commonly seen in the older
population.
The seven signs of ageing ▪ This may include knowledge of risk factors, signs and symptoms, usual medical treatment,
▪ Fine lines and wrinkles. Fine lines, crow's feet and wrinkles are the most evident and often most rehabilitation, and end-of-life care.
concern-causing signs of ageing for men and women.
▪ Dullness of skin. The glowing, dewy skin of youth slowly fades with age. Teacher
▪ Uneven skin tone. ▪ An essential part of all nursing is teaching. Teaching focuses on modifiable risk factors and health
▪ Dry skin. promotion.
▪ Blotchiness and age spots. ▪ Diseases and debilitating conditions of aging can be prevented through lifestyle modifications such
▪ Rough skin texture. as a healthy diet, smoking cessation, appropriate weight maintenance, increased physical activity,
▪ Visible pores. and stress management.

A geriatric nurse Manager

▪ Gerontological nurse, is a type of nurse that helps care for aging and elderly individuals. ▪ Gerontological nurses act as managers during everyday practice as they balance the concerns of
▪ They are trained to be able to perform traditional nursing duties, yet they also have special training the patient, family, nursing, and the rest of the interdisciplinary team.
that helps them better understand the special needs of many elderly people. ▪ Nurse managers must be skilled in leadership, time management, building relationships,
communication, and managing change.
Landmarks in the Development of Gerontological Nursing
▪ 1902 - American Journal of Nursing (AJN) publishes first geriatric article by a physician Advocate
▪ 1904 - AJN publishes first geriatric article by a Registered Nurse ▪ Acts on behalf of older adults to promote their best interests and strengthen their autonomy and
▪ 1925 - AJN considers geriatric nursing as a potential specialty. decision making.
▪ 1950 - First geriatric nursing textbook, Geriatric Nursing (Newton), published. First master’s in ▪ Advocacy may take many forms, including active involvement at the political level or helping to
geriatric nursing completed by Eleanor Pingrey. explain medical or nursing procedures to family members on a unit level.
▪ 1970 - ANA creates the Standard of Practice for Geriatric Nursing
▪ 1976 - ANA Geriatric Nursing Division changes name to Gerontological Nursing Division Research Consumer
▪ 1984 - National Gerontological Nursing Association (NGNA) established. ▪ The appropriate level of involvement for nurses at the baccalaureate level is that of research
▪ 1987 - ANA Revises Standards and Scope of Gerontological Nursing Practice. consumer.
▪ 2004 - American Nurses Credentialing Center’s first computerized generalist certification exam is for ▪ Must remain abreast of current research literature, reading and putting into practice the results of
the gerontological nurse reliable and valid studies.
▪ 2005 - Journal of Gerontological Nursing Celebrates 30 years.
▪ 2008 - Geriatric Nursing journal celebrates 30 years journal of Gerontological Nursing Research
emerges.

Gerontology
 AGING IN THE PHILIPPINES
Aging in the Philippines
 According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 7.5 million senior citizens in the country,
accounting for 7.5 percent of the total population, as of its latest census in 2015.
 According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, there were 9.22M senior citizens in the country,
accounting for 8.5% of the total population, as of its latest census in 2020.
 Quoting a study conducted by the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, former senator Benigno
“Bam” Aquino IV said there are already eight million senior citizens in the country and only 32
percent or 2.5 million receive social pension of just P500 a month, while 38 percent or more than
three million do not receive any pension at all.
 In 2018, the Department of Social Welfare and Development disclosed that P19.28 billion had been
allocated for about three million elderly. But RA 9994 specifies that seniors qualified to receive the
P500 monthly pension under the Social Pension Program of the DSWD are those who are frail, sickly
or with disability; without any pension from other government agencies; and without a permanent
source of income or source of financial assistance/compensation to support their basic needs.

Age-Sex: Senior Citizen Population (2015)

 In terms of sex
 There are more female senior citizens than male.
 Female senior citizens are at 8,500,393 or 55.5% of the total senior citizen population,
while males are 6,577,728 or 44.5%
 Most senior citizens are married (4.37 million or 57.9 %) while 2.31 million — about 30.6% are
widowed.

Top 5 Regions with Highest Number of Senior Citizen

 Calabarzon -13.3% of the total population.
 Central Luzon- 879,000 or 11.6% of the population.
Top 10 Countries with the Largest Number of Older Adults
 Metro Manila - 850,000 or 11.3% of the population.
 Japan
 Western Visayas- 712,000+ or 9.4% of the population.
 Italy
 Central Visayas- 619+ or 8.2% of the population.
 Finland
Other regions that have a high distribution of senior citizens are Ilocos Region (6.5%) and Bicol Region (6.1%).
 Portugal
 Greece
 Germany
 Bulgaria
 Croatia
 France
 Latvia

Top causes of death among people aged 60 and above.

 According to the 2014 Philippine Health Statistics compiled by the Department of Health
 Heart disease
 Hypertension
 Cardiac arrest
Regions with Lowest Number of Senior Citizen  Respiratory disease
 Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)  Endocrine disease
 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)  Neoplasms such as cancers and tumors
1.8% and 1.5%, respectively  Infectious disease
 Determining the geographic distribution of senior citizens helps in determining how accessible they  Parasitic disease
are to health and social services.

Oldest Filipino
 Francisca Susano, the 124-year old lola from Negros Occidental.
 Born on 11th September 1897
 Died on November 22, 2021

Oldest man alive

 Guinness World Records has declared a new holder of the title of world’s oldest man living after
confirming the age of Emilio Flores Márquez, a retired sugar-cane farmed from the Caribbean island
of Puerto Rico.
 Born on August 8th, 1908, he was 114 years and 326 days old as of June 30th.

 Because they have greater vulnerability to diseases, senior citizens need greater access to health care
facilities and treatments.
 However, not all senior citizens can afford or have access to such facilities.
  According to Lydia Manahan, a professorial lecturer at the University of the Philippines Manila College
of Nursing and a member of the university's Institute on Aging, the reasons why some senior citizens
experience poverty can be categorized into two: non-modifiable and modifiable.
 She said that old age, being a woman and inherent poverty are the three non-modifiable reasons
for old-age poverty.
 The modifiable/ can change reasons she identified are:
 poor health,
 lack of preparation for old age,
 lack of financial literacy,
 abusive children,
 poor pension plan quality and
 poor government plans that tackle senior citizen needs.
 These reasons are modifiable because individuals can invest to become physically fit and healthy,
financially stable, and raise children who will take care of them as they grow old.
 She noted that governments could still improve services and the pension system for the elderly.
 “Poverty, I think, is a very crucial reason in not having a good quality of life, not only of the elderly
but also the family. The quality of life of the family will have an impact on the quality of life of the
older persons. Having a good quality of life is the responsibility of everyone; we cannot really rely on
the government for this. However, the government should be supportive by enforcing or
implementing laws for our senior citizens,” Manahan, who is also the founding president of the
Gerontology Nurses Association of the Philippines, told The Philippine STAR.

Senior citizens’ benefits

 Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 RA 9994
• Senior citizens are entitled to a 20% discount.
• Exemption from value-added tax (VAT) on medicines, professional fees from private hospitals,
home care providers and other health-care facilities, medical and dental services, and
diagnostic and laboratory fees.
 They should also be able to receive these services as well as vaccination for free in all government
hospitals and health-care facilities through the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth.
 The 20% discount and VAT exemption also cover fares in all forms of public transportation and the
use of services in hotels, restaurants, recreational centers, theaters, cinemas, and other leisure and
entertainment centers.
 In the use of services in commercial and government establishments, there should be an express
lane for senior citizens’ exclusive use.
 A senior citizen who wants to pursue post-secondary, tertiary, post-tertiary or technical-vocational
education in public and private schools is entitled to education assistance through scholarships,
financial aids and other means.
 Seniors are also exempted from training fees for socioeconomic programs.
 Additionally
• The law states that senior citizens are exempted from paying individual income taxes, provided
that they are minimum wage earners, in accordance with RA 9504 (Internal Revenue Code of
1997).
• Upon death, seniors’ funeral and burial expenses are discounted and VAT-exempt.
• Their nearest surviving relative can also receive from the state a minimum P2,000 death benefit
assistance.
 All these benefits are apart from the current pensions that senior citizens already receive from the
Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System upon retirement as well as
death-related benefits.
 While the benefits seem diverse and comprehensive, Manahan cannot say if these are enough. The
policies are in place, but she said there could be weaknesses in implementation.
 “The 20 percent discount is good only in the malls and groceries, but not all senior citizens can
afford to go to the mall. Is it possible to have the discount in carinderias and sari-sari stores?”
Manahan asked. She noted that the large malls can get tax exemptions for such discounts, but can
the neighborhood sari-sari or convenience store do the same?
 As for pension schemes, Manahan said the government should have a good plan for it. “Plans
should have high coverage and adequate benefits. Can we have a trusted social coverage
program?”
 There are bills seeking to amend RA 9994 to increase the social pension for indigents from the
current P6,000 annually to P12,000. It will also expand the coverage to include senior citizens who
are not enrolled to any pension program.
 President Duterte also recently signed the law creating the National Commission for Senior Citizens,
which will enable the government to further expand its health and rehabilitation, educational and
socio-economic programs for the elderly.