The number of individuals within the United States aged 65 and older has significantly increased from 35 million in 2000 to 40 million in 2010. This represents a 15% increase and is expected to increase another 36% from 2010 to 2020 for a total of 55 million individuals (Fowles & Greenberg, 2011). The Annual Report of the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds (2011) reported that the growth in this population has dramatically impacted the national healthcare expenditure with Medicare spending expected to increase 6.9% per year from 2009 to 2019. This increasing demand causes the fiscal stability of the Medicare program to be fragile at best and with the current rate of
…show more content…
The most common illnesses are heart disease, cancer, stroke and pulmonary related issues. These illnesses lead to 25% of the elderly experiencing one or more limitations in activities of daily living (Anderson, 2010). Not surprising, the elderly also experience a significant amount of loneliness, social isolation and depression due to their conditions. This tends to decrease their quality of life, which often exacerbates their physical conditions. Social interaction has been shown to increase physical activity and health outcomes resulting in an increased quality of life (Karelina & DeVries, 2011). This has also shown to be a predictor in the one-year mortality of those experiencing myocardial infarction. The lack of physical activity is unfortunately common among all Americans but is especially problematic among the elderly, drastically decreasing as age increases. Only 15.9% of the elderly regularly participate in both an aerobic and muscle-strengthening program. This participation was defined as engaging in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity …show more content…
The benefits of regular exercise have been studied extensively and are numerous, including a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, improvement of diabetic control, stress reduction, reduction of osteoarthritic pain and stiffness, and reduction of depressive symptoms (Elsawy & Higgins, 2010). There are also benefits associated with the decreased rate of chronic disease progression, maintaining and improving pulmonary and cardiac function, as well as musculoskeletal mass and tone (Factora, 2013). It also helps to control weight and increase life expectancy with a reduced number of hospitalizations and health care expenditures. According to Ackermann, Williams, Nguyen, Berke, Maciejewski & Logerfo (2008), Medicare recipients who exercise regularly have annual health related expenditures which are $1,186 lower than those who do not exercise which represents a 21% reduction in their overall healthcare costs. Although the United States Preventive Services Task Force recognizes the importance of exercise and the potential benefits of counseling, it is unable to
The most common illnesses are heart disease, cancer, stroke and pulmonary related issues. These illnesses lead to 25% of the elderly experiencing one or more limitations in activities of daily living (Anderson, 2010). Not surprising, the elderly also experience a significant amount of loneliness, social isolation and depression due to their conditions. This tends to decrease their quality of life, which often exacerbates their physical conditions. Social interaction has been shown to increase physical activity and health outcomes resulting in an increased quality of life (Karelina & DeVries, 2011). This has also shown to be a predictor in the one-year mortality of those experiencing myocardial infarction. The lack of physical activity is unfortunately common among all Americans but is especially problematic among the elderly, drastically decreasing as age increases. Only 15.9% of the elderly regularly participate in both an aerobic and muscle-strengthening program. This participation was defined as engaging in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity …show more content…
The benefits of regular exercise have been studied extensively and are numerous, including a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, improvement of diabetic control, stress reduction, reduction of osteoarthritic pain and stiffness, and reduction of depressive symptoms (Elsawy & Higgins, 2010). There are also benefits associated with the decreased rate of chronic disease progression, maintaining and improving pulmonary and cardiac function, as well as musculoskeletal mass and tone (Factora, 2013). It also helps to control weight and increase life expectancy with a reduced number of hospitalizations and health care expenditures. According to Ackermann, Williams, Nguyen, Berke, Maciejewski & Logerfo (2008), Medicare recipients who exercise regularly have annual health related expenditures which are $1,186 lower than those who do not exercise which represents a 21% reduction in their overall healthcare costs. Although the United States Preventive Services Task Force recognizes the importance of exercise and the potential benefits of counseling, it is unable to