1. Question: Why is studying gerontology important or useful?
Answer: Our society is rapidly aging, with an increasing proportion of the population being over the age of 65. This growth of the older population is expected to increase dramatically over the next 25 years. Consequently, there is a growing need for professionals to be trained to work with older persons.
2. Question: What is one of the things that scares men the most in regards to aging?
Answer: Loss of libido is what scares men the most about aging, according to former Victorian Brad J. King, nutritional guru and author.
This loss of desire encompasses more than just the ability to have "an erection strong enough for natural sexual relationships," King says in a phone interview. Erectile dysfunction medication can usually remedy that by increasing blood flow, he says.
3. Question: Why should older adults participate in clinical trials?
Answer: Since older adults take more medicine than any other group, it is important to find out how they might respond to new medications, especially those that target diseases and conditions of aging.
Older adults should take part in clinical trials because the trial results can lead to new treatments for many diseases and conditions that affect older adults such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, various types of cancers, stroke, and diabetes.
Researchers also need to know how potential new drugs, therapies, medical devices or tests may work in older people. As people age, their bodies absorb drugs differently. They may need to take different dosages of drugs than younger people, and they may have different side effects.
For more on older adults and medicines go to Taking Medicines at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/takingmedicines/toc.html
4. Question: Does aging affect how the body processes medicines?
Answer: Yes. As the body ages, its ability to absorb and process foods and drugs changes. As people age, metabolism changes, so that older people often process drugs less extensively than they once did. Older people often need smaller doses of medicine per pound of body weight than they did when they were younger.
5. Question: Why do people lose interest in eating and cooking as they get older?
Answer: Some people lose interest in eating and cooking because their senses of taste and smell change with age. Foods a person once enjoyed might seem less flavorful as he or she gets older. Some medicines can change the sense of taste or make a person feel less hungry.
Not eating enough or avoiding some foods could mean that a person misses out on needed vitamins, minerals, fiber, or protein. Not eating enough could also mean that the person doesn't get enough calories.
6. Question: Where can I learn more about exercise and older adults?
Answer: NIHSeniorHealth.gov includes a section about exercise and older adults. To visit that section, return to the home page or click here: http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/toc.html (Answer continues on next page.)
7. Question: How common are falls among older people?
Answer: More than one in three people age 65 years or older fall each year. The risk of falling -- and the risk of disability and other life-changing problems caused by falls -- increase with age. Falls are not an inevitable part of getting older, though. Many falls can be prevented.
8. Question: I have trouble falling asleep at night. Is that just a normal part of aging?
Answer: Many people believe that poor sleep is a normal part of aging, but it is not. In fact, many healthy older adults report few or no sleep problems. Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging.
9. Question: What are the consequences of poor sleep for older adults?
Answer: Older adults who have poor nighttime sleep are more likely to have attention and memory problems, a depressed mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, more nighttime falls, and use more over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids. Poor sleep is also associated with a poorer quality of life.
10. Question: Do older adults need as much sleep as younger people?
Answer: Sleep needs change over a person's lifetime. Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults. Interestingly, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults -- seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
Questions and Answers
1. retrieved from (http://gerontology.byu.edu/faqs.htm)
2. retrieved from (http://www.canada.com/topics/lifestyle/story.html?id=320824db-1b1b-4bfd-bf0a-6bd7d66b4396)
3.-10. retrieved from (http://www.nia.nih.gov/)
Oh gosh I am not to excited to get older because I love food and I am not really excited for that to possible change. That was very interesting to know though.
ReplyDeleteAt least it doesn't affect everyone, but yes, it can be one of those things that happen. However, by staying as healthy as possible you can help avoid (in part) future medication use, which is one of the causes of losing your sense of taste. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think it's an important thing to learn as much as we can about the health of the elderly. The U.S. population in growing older and we need to help them stay healthy for as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteInteresting side note: My grandmother is losing here sense of taste, so whenever we eat dinner over there, the food is always very flavorful and garlicky. It's great food, but a shock to those the grandchildren that are still able to taste the more subtle things. :)
I think that the sleep issues mentioned here are interesting. Is it normal for an older adult to nap?
ReplyDeleteI took a Gerontology class up in Idaho and loved it. Thanks for the information!
ReplyDeleteAfter researching, I discovered a few more things about elderly and napping...
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it is very normal for older adults to nap, because of disruption in night-time sleeping, and their bodies needing to recooperate that loss. Susan Aldridge, a medical journalist, mentioned that, "Older people who nap in the afternoon did better on mental tests than those who did not." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society January 2005
Clearly, there are benefits; yet, as with all things moderation is fundamental.
Some recent findings indicate negative impacts of extensive napping. It appears to correlate with cognitive impairment. For more info. check this out! http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/162/2/201
Also, a co-author of a sleep-study, Katie L. Stone, said, “Since excessive sleep suggests that night time sleep is disrupted, interventions to treat sleep disorders and improve sleep quality in older women may reduce mortality risk" Furthermore, at the following link (http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/03/090304121138.htm) it says that, "Additional studies are needed to explain why napping is linked with increased risk of death. Noted in the study, however, was that elderly women who napped less than 3 hours per week were not at increased risk of mortality compared to women who did not nap at all. “Shorter and less frequent naps do not appear to be related to any increase in risk of death,” says Stone."
Well Rachelle, I hope that answers your inquiry.
You going into great detail about your topic and give more than enough information. I feel I can learn a great deal just from reading your blog. This is a very interesting topic. I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDelete