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INTRODUCTION TO
AGED CARE
NURSING
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objectives

• To describe common terms regarding aging

• To discuss the myths regarding aging

• To discuss regarding epidemiology of elderly population

• To discuss the process of aging

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Introduction
• Aging is an inevitable and steadily progressive process that
begins at the moment of conception and continuous
throughout the remainder of life.
• Stages of aging process
Antepartum
Neonate
Toddler
Child
Adolescent
Young adult
Middle adult
Old adult
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Introduction cont.…
• Old age can be further subdivided to reflect the longer life
expectancy,

• The “young old” (65–74),

• The “middle old” (75–84)
• The “old old” (85+)
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Introduction cont…
Gerontology
• Holistic study of the aging processes and individuals as
they mature throughout the adult life span and includes the,
• Study of Physical, mental and social changes of aging

• Analysis of the changes of the society as a result of aging

population

• Application of this knowledge to policies and program

development
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Video regarding gerontology

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Gerontology cont…..
• What are the different fields of gerontology?

• What are the types of aging?

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Introduction cont….
Geriatrics
• The field more closely aligned with medicine.
• It involves,
a. study of health and disease in later life
b. comprehensive health care of older persons
and the wellbeing of their caregivers
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Introduction cont…
Older people receive nursing care in different settings.
• skilled nursing facilities
• retirement communities
• adult day care
• residential care facilities
• transitional care units
• rehabilitation hospitals
• community based home care
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Myths of Aging
1. Being old means being sick

Fewer than 5% of people over the age of 65 are frail

enough to require care in a skilled nursing facility
Many older adults have chronic diseases but still function
quite well
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Myths of Aging cont.….

2. Most older people are set in their ways and cannot
learn new things or take up new activities

Older people can learn new things and should be challenged

to stay mentally active
Healthy older adults find hobbies that they can enjoy to give
life meaning and pleasure
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Myths of Aging cont.….

3. Health promotion is wasted on older people

▪ It is never too late to begin good lifestyle habits such as eating

a healthy diet and engaging in exercise

▪ Although it may not be possible to reverse all the damage

caused by bad habits, it is never too late to stop smoking
cigarettes or drinking too much alcohol

▪ Even people who quit smoking at older ages enjoy better

health outcomes than those who continue to smoke
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Myths of Aging cont.….

4. Older adults do not pull their own weight and are a
drain on societal resources

• They contribute society by supporting the arts, doing

volunteer work and helping with grandchildren

• Paid employment is not the only measure of value and

productivity, older people continue to make contributions to
society

• Ex: mentoring, working after retirement

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Myths of Aging cont.….

5. Older people are isolated and lonely

Many older people join to some kind of work to stay active

and connected

There are many ways to maintain contact with people and

healthy adults have many ways to stay connected with others
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Myths of Aging cont.….

6. Older people have no interest in sex

Although sexual activity decrease in some older people, the

human need for affection and physical contact continues
throughout life.
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ELDERLY POPULATION
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Introduction
• Old age is one of the stage of life (Eric Erickson)

• Arrive after 65, and stay until death

• Both emotional and physical problems are present

• Due to knowledge and experiences they have gained in

their life, they are considered as having wisdom
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Contd.
• Elderly people are being considered as "non-productive”

• social and economic burden

• Due to the nuclear family system, the aged people tend to

feel neglected
• Same with the experiences of the elderly

• The population aged 65 years and older has grown at a

faster rate than the total population
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Elderly population
• Baby boom population of late 40’s and in 50’s of the 20th
century is now growing old

• In 2000, households headed by aged 60 or above was 30%

• In 2011, this was more than 40 %

• It is predicted that by 2030, over 60 population will be 22%.

• Since 1950, aged over 60 years is growing due to the decrease

of mortality and fertility rates
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Situation in Sri Lanka

• life expectancy at birth for Sri Lankan males are 73.3%
and for females, 80.4% (World Fact Book, 2017)

• Decreasing child population and increasing aged population

• In 1981, 35.2% (below 15) and in 2012, 25.2%

• Elderly, 6.6% in 1981, and 12.4% in 2012

• It is predicted that by 2041- will be doubled

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Global situation
• USA- by 2050, older will be greater than the number of
children aged 0 to 14 years

• Globally, about 150,000 people die per day

• about 2/3 (100,000) die of age-related causes
• In industrialized nations- much higher, 90%

• Age-related changes in males is likely to progress faster

than the females experience
• Especially related to nervous system
• Females has an impact of ovarian hormones.
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Characteristics of the elderly in SL

• Proportion of the widows is about four times that of widowers

• 6 workers supported 1 elderly in 2001 and 3 workers will

have to support 1 elder in 2031

• Aged dependency ratio increased from 9.4% in 1946 to

15.4% in 2001 and projected to increase to 36% in 2030

• Women continue to have a greater life expectancy and lower

mortality rates at older ages relative to men
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Who is an elderly?
• We all continue to grow since birth
• Neonate, infant, toddler, pre-school child, school age child,
adolescent, adult and elderly
• speed of growth depends up on hereditary factors,
nutritional factors, life style, health status etc.
• varies from person to person
• At the old age, functions of body systems decreases
• process of ageing is still under studying
• Values and the way of thinking are different
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Contd.
• Legally, some countries 60- some other 65….
• Biological changes occur slowly
• Functional age and chronological age also vary from person to
person
• Categorized as
• Juvenile (infancy, childhood, preadolescence, adolescence) - 0–19
• Early adulthood: 20–39
• Middle adulthood: 40–59
• Late adulthood: 60+
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Contd.
• The elderly are grouped into two categories
• the ‘young old’ i.e. aged 60-79 years
• the ‘old old’ i.e. aged 80 years and above
• Is divided into three categories
• The “young old” (65–74),
• The “middle old” (75–84) and
• The “old old” (85+).
• Health problems become more prevalent
• mental health problems
• physical health problems, especially dementia.
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Late adulthood
• Life expectancy due to advancement of science and
technology
• there is an increased emphasis on the physical, cognitive
and emotional needs of older adults
• The time that people look back to their life to reassess
what they have done or achieved
• This life stage is not an easy one
• The sense of despair can be greater if they feel that they have
been wasted time
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Process of ageing
• a gradual and continuous process of physical,
psychological, and social change
• Some areas grow (wisdom, knowledge) and some areas
reduce (reaction time, muscle mass)
• an increased risk of death, due to internal and/or external
factors
• functional ability is dependent on-
• the rate at which they age, and how they age,
• It is genetically determined
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Process of ageing Contd.

• a)Universal ageing ; b) Probabilistic ageing
• c) social ageing; d) biological ageing
• Universal ageing means the normal ageing pattern with
common changes
• In probabilistic ageing, some people develop specific
changes - increase in blood sugar level or developing
Alzheimer's diseases etc.
• Social ageing- the society expects a particular way of
behavior from elderly people- culturally bound
• Biological ageing is the process of change in physical
status
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Physical changes
• Normal or primary aging, or inevitable changes in the body
occurs – it varies
• Gray hair, wrinkles, visible blood vessels on the skin, fat
deposits , diminished eyesight and hearing
• At the age of 70, some will lose a significant portion of their
senses- taste and smell
• All the major organs and body systems slow down
• However, primary aging is not the only cause for organ failure
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Contd.
• It's secondary aging - unhealthy behaviors
• smoking, obesity or drug use - in combination with
• changes in drug metabolism- increases the complexity of
the health problems
• young-old age, elders are active ; have fewer complaints
about health;
• have higher incidence of chronic illnesses but are surviving longer
due to early diagnosis and treat.
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Contd.
• Functions of the body, gradually get decreased
• Changes during middle-old years are faster than previous
years – descending
• Get tired easily
• Can do most of their daily living activities without much help but
some have chronic illnesses, need help from others
• Over 80 years, get tired easily. Vision, hearing get reduced
• Unable to walk steadily due to changes in the body balance- need
support for Activities of Daily Living
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Contd.
• the speed of changing varies from person to person
• 30% of the body cells, the amount of body fluids get
decreased- easily get dehydrated
• increase in fat deposits and decrease in body fluids has
influence on drugs they take
• Amount of urine output become less due to the reduced
kidney function
• 20% of the kidney function is reduced
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Sleep pattern
• Sleep patterns get changed
• Some elders do not get a deep sleep at all
• Find difficulty to fall asleep which make them worry
• They have light sleep, they feel that they did not slept at all
• Wake up about 2-10 times during a night
• Although they get short sleep, are not aware of it.
• They wanted to take sleeping drugs.
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Sexual function
• sexual drive is likely to be affected by health and attitude
about sex
• Usually gets reduced but they are interested in having sexual
contacts
• may take longer time to get erection
• As a result of decreased estrogen levels, changes occurs
but can be altered with hormone therapy.
• have problems with reduced vaginal secretion
• may take longer to become sexually excited.
• The walls of the vagina become thinner and drier
• easily get irritated during sexual intercourse
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Successful ageing
• The concept of successful ageing was popularized in the
1980s.
• It consists of:
• Low probability of disease or disability
• High cognitive and physical function capacity
• Active engagement with life
• has roots in both psychology and sociology
• defined it as the “transaction between society and individuals
across the life span with specific focus on the later years of life”
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Contd.
• Six suggested dimensions of successful ageing
• No physical disability over the age of 75 as rated by a physician
• Good subjective health assessment
• Length of un-disabled life
• Good mental health
• Objective social support
• Self-rated life satisfaction in eight domains- marriage, income-
related work,
children, friendship, social contacts,
hobbies, community service activities, religion
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Contd.
• to understand the complexities of the ageing experience
across different types of rural communities and support
healthy ageing
• studies are necessary on
• retirement
• health promotion
• community participation
• health-seeking behavior
• health services for elderly
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Summary
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THANK YOU