Typically, a norm of aging is that certain health concerns come about – with various lifestyle choices it can be possible to refrain from certain conditions. Although, genetics do play a factor in forming your future of disease. Making healthy lifestyle choices, like quitting smoking and losing weight, can help you avoid senior health risks, but you also need to be physically active and eat a healthy diet.
4 Most Common Senior Health Concerns
Arthritis
A lot of people start to feel pain and stiffness in their bodies over time as they age. Sometimes their hands, knees, or shoulders get sore and difficult to move. They may experience inflammation, redness, heat, pain and swelling.
There are over 100 different forms of arthritis – one in three people suffer from some form of arthritis. It’s a musculoskeletal disease and in industrialized countries it’s the main cause of disability among people over the age of 55. There’s no cure for arthritis, but a caregiver can do a lot to mitigate its cumulative negative impact in senior’s.
Heart Disease
Adults 65 and older are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Aging can cause heart and blood vessel changes, which can increase a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. For example, as you get older, your heart can’t beat as fast during physical activity or times of stress as it did when you were younger. However, the number of heartbeats per minute at rest does not change significantly with normal aging.
People age 65 and older are much more likely than younger people to suffer a heart attack, to have a stroke, or to develop coronary heart disease and heart failure. Heart disease is also a major cause of disability, limiting the activity and eroding the quality of life of millions of older people.
Cancer
The single largest cancer risk factor is aging. Our population lives longer and cancer is an illness that happens more often as we age. Nearly 60% of new cancers are diagnosed in people 65 years of age or older.
The increase in cancer cases in recent years is largely due to the fact that people live longer. The risk factors for the most common cancers have a long time to impact and increase the risk of disease in older people. Age does not usually restrict the active treatment of cancer, but the patient’s other diseases and poor general condition do. Geriatric and psycho-social assessment of the patient’s situation help in making the treatment decisions.
Respiratory Diseases
With ageing, natural physiological and structural changes arise in the respiratory system due to improvements in pulmonary anatomy, strength of the respiratory muscle and regulation of ventilation. There is an increase in the ageing-related pulmonary vascular stiffness, vascular pressure and vascular resistance.
The thoracic cage becomes stiff and rigid with lower chest movement shifting the pressure-volume curve of the chest wall toward the right. Airway changes contribute to increased infection chances, increased residual volume and residual functional capacity, and decreased vital capacity. The regulation of ventilation decreases with reduced reaction to hypoxia and hypercapnia.
Entrust of DeSoto: A Resident-centric Memory Care Community in Dallas, Texas
Entrust of DeSoto is a memory care community that puts resident well-being at the center of everything we do. We know that each person is unique. That’s why we offer a wide range of services and lifestyle options to nourish the body and create community.
We understand the importance of home cooked meals and nutrition for seniors and this attitude is reflected in our dining experience. If you or a loved one live near Dallas, Texas and need assisted living, contact Entrust of DeSoto today to learn about our 24-hour care and find out how we can help.
