Gerontology

Introduction Physical changes happen from the time a person is born. Every day our bodies age just a little bit more and understanding these changes and why they happen will help know what to expect as a person ages. There are ways to slow down the aging process by taking better care of our bodies. I asked older individuals questions about their skin, bones and muscles, and sense of smell and taste. I think these topics are the first to be noticed by people. Aging as we know cannot be stopped,…

undergoes changes as they get older. These changes can affect the brain, organs, and skin. The real question is: how does aging affect the human body? The study of aging and how it affects the human body and humans in general is called Gerontology (Gerontology 1). Gerontology started with Nathan Shock and William Peter in 1958 (Why Study Aging? 1). While women were not involved in the studies initially, they do age just the same as men (Why Study Aging ? 1). The theories on aging range from UV…

Chapter 3 spoke about the biological side of aging. Aging, as a natural process of life, is a mystery to many with various perceptions of why it happens and what it means to grow older to those that experience it. For many, it is seen as a negative experiences that brings about weakness and frailty, whereas for some people it is not so much the case. In the lesson for this week, we read a chapter that explains some theories about aging. It discussed the various things that occur in one's body as…

Falls for older adults are a major cause of injury, which may lead to a loss of an independent lifestyle as well as, possible institutionalization. Treadmill exercise has been used for many years as a tool to help improve gate plus motor skills in older adults who have a risk of falls. However, there is growing evidence suggesting how multimodal treadmill training helps to improve motor and cognitive skills in older adults thereby reducing fall risk. Virtual reality (VR) components connected…

At an old age, a person develops various health conditions, which might include impairment of sight, hearing, and speech as well as loss of memory among other complications. The main aspect that can improve elderly care is effective communication. It is important to note that old people exhibit slow response, and therefore communicating with them becomes a problem. The most important elements when communicating with elderly is patience and ability to tolerate their conditions. As a care provider…

Applied gerontology is the study of the aging processes. This academic and professional field emerged when professional societies and peer-reviewed journals began post Second World War (Birren, 2002). These social and behavioral researchers started investigating physical…

The consequences of frailty, a condition associated with age-related declines and other comorbidities, can have an enormous impact on aging lifespan health for many decades. Early detection of frailty is beneficial in gerontology care for risk stratification, treatment decision-making, and surgical planning in the older population. The consequence of frailty in older adults is not only increased risk of adverse health outcomes, but also higher rates of institutionalization, morbidity,…

I don’t believe there should be a mandatory retirement age. Taking away the choice to work affects people. Everyone should be able to make that choice for themselves. In the article “Ten Years Later: A Follow-Up Study of Professors Still Working After Age 70, Dorfman conducted a study on working after the retired age. According to Dorfman (2002) “Retired professors retired mainly because of age or felt it was time to retire” (p 1). If a person has reached the retirement age but still has the…

She has since decided to retire and given Brookdale her resignation. We have become friends and get together to visit over coffee or lunch. I value her view point on the matter. It has led me to the decision that if I do pursue a career in gerontology, I will go into the research and development end of it. However, when I say research I would hope that I would be working with the elderly directly in testing out new ideas and techniques. I do find it extremely interesting. As I have stated…

Population aging has changed America over the last century and demographic structure. Population aging is an increase in the median age of the country due to rising life expectancy and decreased birth rates. Demography is based on the size, composition and distribution of population. Within the United States population the median age was seventeen in eighteen twenty and by two thousand it increased by thirty five years. Also, the older population continues to grow by twenty thirty the median age…