Ageism In Elderly People

In late adulthood, many people are categorized and judged solely on the basis of their chronological age. This is called ageism. Ageism is a form of stereotyping. Just as racism and sexism hurt the feelings of the people “grouped” in those categories, the elderly who are grouped together by ageism can be full of self-doubt, depression, anxiety, and ageism can lead to serious medical issues. The stereotype of ageism often causes a person over the age of 65 to refrain from asking for help. This is generally due to the fact that throughout a person's life they hear that the elderly are incapable of caring for themselves. While this is sometimes the case, not all elderly people need help with activities of daily living (ADLs). In the 21st century,

The elderly are highly susceptible to malnutrition because their bodies do not need as many calories. This is due to the fact that they do not do as much physical activity as they use to. The need for essential nutrients, however does not change. The elderly need more of certain nutrients than they have needed most of their lives. Fiber is one nutrient that many of the elderly population take a supplement of. Fiber is needed to maintain healthy bowels and to feel full longer, thus keeping one from gaining weight. ("Elderly Nutrition - Healthy Eating Tips") Second is dehydration. The elderly are at a higher risk for dehydration due to the brain’s ability to transmit signals properly. Brain tumors go untreated for long periods of time in the elderly. This is due to the complications in everyday tasks. If a person cannot get the doctor on their own, and they feel like they are a burden to their loved ones, they simply will not go to the doctor. The same goes for physical illnesses, they simply will not go to the

In order to obtain that goal, sometimes, outside help needs to be brought in. Home health care is one option to assist the elderly in staying in their home. Home health care can be nurses (RN/LPN), physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), bath aides (CNA), and personal care workers (PCW). The nurses come in to assist with making sure that medications are being administered accurately. Physical therapy can come in and help the elderly by having them do exercises that may just keep them moving. Occupational therapy is brought in to help maintain a level of independence. Bath aides are brought in to assist with showers, dressing, application of lotion, oral care, foot care, and assisting the nurses to keep track of vital signs. Personal care workers assist the elderly with helping to maintain cleanliness in their home, picking up the mail, and running errands. If it was not for home health care many more of the elderly population would be in long term care facilities and assisted living