Gerontology aspect

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GERONTOLOGICAL NURSING: UNITE(1)
OVERVIEW ON:
GERONTOLOGY ASPECT
Dr : Sahar Ghonimy
Benha health technical institute

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Hi guys are
you
ready ?!!

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Objectives
• Introduction about aging
(the beginning and the causes )
• Terminologies (aging –ageism_chronology_myths )
• Comparison between chronological ,biological and
functional age
• The aging process and the aging person
• Changes not due to aging
• Changes due to aging (primary and secondary
aging )
• Theories of aging
• Gerontology (definition and its aspects )
• Geriatrics and geriatric nursing
• Demographics and life expectancy

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Objectives
• Characteristics of healthy older adults
• Factors affecting health and wellness
• Social impacts of ageing population

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Gerontology aspects
Introduction about aging
The beginning :
When Does Aging
Begin?!
Aging begins the day we are born
Why Do People
No single measure of how "old" a person is
Age?!
Aging is highly individualized
Aging proceeds at different rates in different people, and within different systems of the
body
The causes of aging
Many theories to include:
Hereditary Factors
Loss of cellular mass and ability of cells to divide and replicate
Accumulation of waste materials that clog cells and cause them to die
Changes in structure of connective tissue

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ageism_chronology_myths )
Aging
It is a natural process that affects all living organisms
Ageism
It is the negative attitudes toward the elderly that are
based on conceptions of older people as being in less
than a full command of their mental faculties, less
attractive and less competent
Chronology
Chronology is a poor measure of aging, as persons 65years and
older may span an age range of 40 or more years ,and may
experience diverse and unique needs during this time .
myths
Common myths about older adults are that they are frail,
senile, unhealthy, unhappy, set in their ways, irritable, lacking
in interest in matters of sexuality, and ineffective and
undependable as workers.

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Comparison between chronological ,biological and
Chronological age
refers to the number of years
a person has lived
The older adult population:
is a heterogeneous group.
The young-old (aged 65
to 74 years)
The middle-old (aged 75
to 84 years)
The old-old (aged 85 to
99 years)
The elite-old (more than
100 years old)
functional age
Biological age
(physical aging )
Biological Aging involves
Functional age
refers to functioning and
the loss of cells over time.
the ability to perform
With biological aging,
activities of daily living
tissues and organs are less
(ADLs), such as bathing and
likely to function efficiently,
grooming, and instrumental
the body‘s ability to repair
activities of daily living
itself slows down, and the
(IADLs), such as cooking
immune functions decline,
and shopping. This definition
making the body more prone
of aging is a better measure
to infection.
of age than chronological
age.

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Aging
The ageing process
It is a gradual accumulation of irreversible functional losses
which involves not only physiological changes but also social
and psychological one.
Aging person
• There many differences between old and young
people .in only some cases are these changes
due to true ageing, ie ,, due to changes in the
characteristics compared with when the
person was young.

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Comparison between changes due to ageing and not due to ageing
Changes not due to ageing
Selective survival: Genetic,
Changes due to ageing
Primary
Usually due to interactions between genetic (intrinsic, nature‘)
psychological, lifestyle, and
and environmental (extrinsic, nurture‘) factors. Examples: include
environmental factors influence
lung cancer in susceptible individuals who smoke
Ageing that involves universal and irreversible changes that, due to
survival .
Differential challenge: Systems and
genetic programming, occur as people get older.
Affect all members of species
Even happen if health is good
services (health, finance, transport, and
Secondary
retail) eg ( impaired access to health
services)
Cohort effects.:Societies change ,young
and old have therefore been exposed to
very different physical, social, and
cultural environments
Changes in physical and cognitive functioning that are due to illness, health
habits, and other individual differences, which are not due to increased age
itself and are not inevitable.
Declines due to heredity and environment
Illnesses and disabilities
Arthritis
Diabetes
Mental disabilities

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Theories of ageing
Theories of Aging:
Oxidative damage
Reactive oxygen damage key molecules including DNA and so
impairment in metabolism and cell death.
Abnormal control of cell mitosis
For most cell line the number of times that cell division can occur
is limited ,but in other cells , division may continue uncontrolled
resulting in hyperplasia and pathologies as diverse as
atherosclerosis and prostatic hyperplasia.

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Theories of ageing
Protein modification
Complex glycosylated molecules are the final result of
multiple sugar-protein interactions ,resulting in a structurally
and functionally abnormal protein molecule
Wear and tear
Physical damage play apart in ageing of some structures
especially skin ,bone and teeth .
Ageing and evolution

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Gerontology
Gerontology
It is the study of aging persons and the process of aging.
It refers to the study of all aspects of the aging process, including economic, social,
clinical, and factors, and their effects on the older adult and on society.
Aspects of gerontology
Clinical gerontology
Psychological gerontology
It is abroad multidisciplinary
The study of the physical &
psychological changes which practice concentrates on
promoting the health and the
are incidental to old age
maximum functioning of
older adults

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Geriatrics
Geriatrics
It is the medical specialty that deals with the physiology of aging and with
the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the aged.
Geriatrics focuses on abnormal conditions and the treatment of those
conditions .
Geriatric nursing
It is the application of the nursing process through the assessment of nursing
needs of the older people, planning and implementing nursing care to meet
these needs and evaluating the effectiveness of such care to achieve and
maintain a level of wellness .

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Demographics
Life Expectancy: the average age of death for members of the
population.
lifespan : maximum possible attainable age , it is thought to be
around 120 years , it determined by human biology and has not
changed .

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Characteristics of healthy older
adults
The vast majorities of elderly ,even with chronic
disease or other disabilities are living outside
institutions and are relatively independent .
No one knows conclusively all of the variables
that influence healthy aging but it is known that a
lifetime of healthy habits and circumstances ,a
strong social support system , and a positive
emotional outlook.

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Factors affecting health and
wellness
Wellness is influenced by many factors including:
Personality traits
Life experiences
current physical health
Current social support
Personal health behaviors; smoking, obesity….
Their ability to function is a key indicator of health and wellness and is an important factor in
understanding healthy aging.
Good health in the elderly means maintaining the maximum possible degree of physical, mental, and
social vigor

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Social impact of ageing population
Financing pensions and health services
private pension investment
Healthcare and disability services, the prevalence and degree of disability
increases with age.
Families are more likely to be supporting older members
Retired people comprise a growing market and companies/industries that
accommodate the needs/wishes of older people will flourish
• Transport, housing, and infrastructure must be built or adapted
• Political power of older people (the "grey lobby‘ in America) will grow

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Do you
have any
questions?!
Finally!! I
want to thank you for
your attention and
listening