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Definition of old age person
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and thus the end of the human Life cycle.
Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness than younger adults.
Age classification varied between countries and over time, reflecting in many instances the social class differences or functional ability related to the workforce, but more often than not was a reflection of the current political and economic situation. Many times the definition is linked to the retirement age, which in some instances, was lower for women than men. This transition in livelihood became the basis for the definition of old age which occurred between the ages of 45 and 55 years for women and between the ages of 55 and 75 years for men. (Thane, 1978)
Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness than younger adults.
Age classification varied between countries and over time, reflecting in many instances the social class differences or functional ability related to the workforce, but more often than not was a reflection of the current political and economic situation. Many times the definition is linked to the retirement age, which in some instances, was lower for women than men. This transition in livelihood became the basis for the definition of old age which occurred between the ages of 45 and 55 years for women and between the ages of 55 and 75 years for men. (Thane, 1978)
Old age facts
- 1. Only 3.6% of people over 65 years old are in nursing homes. Elderly men are likely to live with a spouse while elderly women are more likely to live alone.
- 2. 4 in 5 older adults will battle at least one chronic condition or illness such as heart disorders, arthritis, or osteoporosis. 50% will battle at least two.
3. By age 75, about 1 in 3 men and 1 in 2 women don't get ANY physical activity. You can keep seniors fit by hosting a dance class at your local senior center!
- 4. While fatal crash rates increase starting at age 75, older drivers' crash rates have fallen faster than the crash rates of middle-aged drivers. One of the reasons is that older drivers tend to limit their driving during bad weather and at night.
- 5. The ratio of women to men over 65 years old is 100 to 76. The ratio of women to men over 85 years old is 100 to 49.
- 6. 99% of people over 65 years old have health insurance, with 93% having government-sponsored Medicare.
- 7. According to data compiled by the Social Security Administration, a man reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 84.3. A woman turning age 65 today can expect to live 86.6.
- 9. Elderly people occupy over 1/3 of all federally subsidized housing.
- 10. An estimated 1 in 10 senior citizens are victims of elder abuse, the intentional acts by a caregiver that lead to physical, psychological, or emotional harm.
- 11. US poverty rates are highest for people 65 and older, with 10.5% living in poverty. There are also sharp racial differences in the data: the rates are at least 3 times higher for Hispanics and African-Americans ages 65+ than for whites 65+.
Health Aging
As your body ages, you can expect gradual changes, at your body's own pace. How your body ages depends in part on your family (genetic) patterns of aging. But your lifestyle choices have a more powerful impact on how well your body ages. Fortunately, you can control your lifestyle choices.
With age, the skin becomes less elastic and more lined and wrinkled. Fingernail growth also slows. The oil glands gradually produce less oil, making the skin drier than before. You can slow skin aging by using moisturizer and protecting the skin from the sun with sunscreen and sun-protective clothing, such as a hat or cap.
It's normal for hair to gradually thin on the scalp, pubic area, and armpits. As hair pigment cells decline in number, gray hair growth increases.
Over time, changes in the ear make high-frequency sounds harder to hear and changes in tone and speech less clear. These changes tend to speed up after age 55.
Changes in sleep and circadian rhythm occur as you age. You will probably sleep less at night, and you may not sleep as deeply as you did when you were younger.
With age, the skin becomes less elastic and more lined and wrinkled. Fingernail growth also slows. The oil glands gradually produce less oil, making the skin drier than before. You can slow skin aging by using moisturizer and protecting the skin from the sun with sunscreen and sun-protective clothing, such as a hat or cap.
It's normal for hair to gradually thin on the scalp, pubic area, and armpits. As hair pigment cells decline in number, gray hair growth increases.
Over time, changes in the ear make high-frequency sounds harder to hear and changes in tone and speech less clear. These changes tend to speed up after age 55.
Changes in sleep and circadian rhythm occur as you age. You will probably sleep less at night, and you may not sleep as deeply as you did when you were younger.
Height
By age 80, it's common to have lost as much as 2 in. in height. This is often related to normal changes in posture and compression of joints, spinal bones, and spinal discs.
Death
About half of older adults suffer multimorbidity, that is, they have three or more chronic conditions. Medical advances have made it possible to “postpone death,” but in many cases this postponement adds “prolonged sickness, dependence, pain, and suffering,” a time that is costly in social, psychological, economic terms.
The study of Older Adults' Views on Death found that the more frail people were, the more “pain, suffering, and struggles” they were enduring, the more likely they were to “accept and welcome” death as a release from their misery. Their fear about the process of dying was that it would prolong their distress. Besides being a release from misery, some saw death as a way to reunion with departed loved ones. Others saw death as a way to free their caretakers from the burden of their care.
Websites:
https://www.dosomething.org
https://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/
http://www.webmd.com
https://www.wikipedia.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/aging/
http://www.webmd.com
