Geriatrics and Gerontology

Gerontology is multidisciplinary and cares with physical, mental, and social aspects and implications of aging. Geriatrics is a medical specialty focused on care and treatment of older persons.

overburden of communicable and non-communicable diseases besides impairment of special sensory functions like vision and hearing and other degenerative diseases. Poor geographical access and high cost of treatment also cause poor utilization of health care especially among the elderly. Chronic verbal abuse was the most common followed by financial abuse, physical abuse and neglect

Rehabilitation is an important component of geriatric care and therapy and it can make a critical difference within the life quality of elderly people, albeit the method is much more difficult and the progress may be slower than in younger adults. The goal of the geriatric rehabilitation is that the recovery and therefore the development of private independence and the ability to try to as many as possible daily living activities.

Mental Illness in Geriatrics| Geriatric Nursing| Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

The world’s population is ageing rapidly. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's older adults is estimated to almost double from about 12% to 22%. In absolute terms, this is often an expected increase from 900 million to 2 billion people over the age of 60. Older people face special physical and psychological state challenges which require to be recognized.

There could also be multiple risk factors for psychological state problems at any point in life. Older people may experience life stressors common to all people, but also stressors that are more common in later life, like a significant on-going loss in capacities and a decline in functional ability. For example, older adults may experience reduced mobility, chronic pain, frailty or other health problems, that they require some sort of long-term care. All of those stressors may result in isolation, loneliness or psychological distress in older people, that they'll require long-term care.

Geriatric Nursing| Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia| Palliative and Community Nursing

The mouth is referred to as a mirror of overall health, reinforcing that oral health is an integral part of general health. In the elderly population poor oral health has been considered a risk factor for general health problems. Older adults are more susceptible to oral conditions or diseases due to an increase in chronic conditions and physical/mental disabilities. Thus, the elderly form a distinct group in terms of provision of care.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage. It results in dementia symptoms that gently worsen over time. Alzheimer’s may be a chronic neurodegenerative disease that sometimes starts slowly and gradually worsens over time. It is the explanation for 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As Alzheimer’s advances, symptoms get more severe and include disorientation, confusion and behaviour changes. Eventually, speaking, swallowing and walking become difficult.

As our population expands, and as life expectancy increases, the number of people in the geriatric age group rises too. All over the world elderly people, i.e., men and women aged more than 65years, constitute a rapidly increasing proportion of the human population.

Adequate nutrition is always important for better ageing. Physical activities also are within the same queue of building the ageing a neater process. Health conditions like hypertension, cholesterol, kidney failure, joint problems and cardiac problems should be taken into consideration before starting any quite physical activity.

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or maybe mild stresses like bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most ordinarily occur within the hip, wrist or spine. Bone lives tissue that's constantly being weakened and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of latest bone doesn't continue with the loss of old bone. There typically are not any symptoms within the early stages of bone loss.

Falls, Joints and Bone Health| Geriatric Services| Geriatrics Eye care

The skeleton provides support and structure to the body. Joints are the areas where bones come together. They allow the skeleton to be flexible for movement. In a joint, bones don't directly contact one another. Instead, they're cushioned by cartilage within the joint, synovial membranes round the joint, and fluid.

Muscles provide the force and strength to maneuverer the body. Coordination is directed by the brain, but is suffering from changes within the muscles and joints. Changes within the muscles, joints, and bones affect the posture and walk, and cause weakness and slowed movement.

Geriatric Services| Geriatrics Eye care| Cancer in elderly: Challenges & Barriers

The genetic theory of aging states that lifespan is essentially determined by the genes we inherit. According our longevity is primarily determined at the moment of conception and is essentially reliant on our parents and their genes.

The basis behind this theory is that segments of DNA that occur at the end of chromosomes, called Telomeres, determine the maximum lifespan of a cell. Telomeres are pieces of "junk" DNA at the end of chromosomes which become shorter every time a cell divides. These telomeres become shorter and shorter and eventually, the cells cannot divide without losing important pieces of DNA.

Stem Cells and Ageing| Economic and Social Impact of Ageing| Chronic conditions of the Elderly

Ageing may be a complex process that involves every cell and organ in the body which results in the deterioration of the many body functions over the lifespan of an individual.

With age, the skin loses its elasticity and injuries heal more slowly than in childhood. The same holds true for bones, which turn brittle with age and take for much longer to heal when fractured. Lung tissue also loses its elasticity and therefore the muscles of the skeletal structure shrink. Blood vessels accumulate fatty deposits and subsided flexible, which ends up in arteriosclerosis. Hence, all ageing phenomena—tissue deterioration, cancer and propensity to infections—can be interpreted as signs of ageing at the extent of somatic stem cells.

Economic and Social Impact of Ageing| Chronic conditions of the Elderly| Chronic conditions of the Elderly

Eye disease and visual defect are common within the elderly and are related to social and functional decline, the necessity to access community support services, depression, falls, home placement and increased mortality. Visual defect is related to many negative consequences within the elderly. This includes poorer economic standing, poorer physical and psychological state, more social isolation and less social support. Age-related degeneration is related to more visual stress and a rise in musculoskeletal complaints. While Optometry has a clear and major role to play in the measurement and optimization of functional vision and in the treatment of the many vision disorders in the elderly population.

Cancer in elderly: Challenges & Barriers| Genetics of Ageing| Stem Cells and Ageing

Acute medical illness can present at the end of life and contribute to significant distress in patients, their families and their careers. Care models should be ready to assess, treat and support patients with an acute medical illness at the top of life within the setting chosen by patients, which could include home, care home, hospice or hospital.

There is some uncertainty over the clinical and cost-effectiveness of various models of community based palliative care, which may support management of acute medical illnesses at the top of life outside hospices and hospitals. This is important to work out because it offers option to patients and carers at an important time of life.

Osteoporosis and Bone Health| fall, Joints and Bone Health| Geriatric Services

Heart disease may be a killer among the aging population. But lifestyle can provide the first line of defence against this debilitating disease.

As people age, they typically share two overarching goals: to measure an extended life and to measure a high-quality life. A strategy for achieving these goals is to defeat heart disease before it develops. Age is a major risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) for both men and women. During aging, changes occur within the heart that set the backdrop for heart condition. The heart walls thicken and stiffen, preventing the muscle from relaxing and filling adequately between beats. High blood pressure can also occur, further increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. While age-related changes occurring in the heart can lead to heart disease, it is becoming clear that many of these changes are influenced as much by lifestyle as by age. We’ve known for years that a lot of lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and smoking are associated with heart condition risk. But recent research underscores just how important these lifestyle strategies are often for lowering the danger of heart condition as we age. 

Geriatric Nutrition| Geriatric Rehabilitation| Mental Illness in Geriatric

Geriatric psychiatry, also known as geropsychiatry, psychogeriatrics or psychiatry of old age, is a branch of medicine and a subspecialty of psychiatry dealing with the study, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative, cognitive impairment, and mental disorders in people of old age. Geriatric psychiatry as a subspecialty has significant overlap with the specialties of geriatric medicine, behavioral neurology, neuropsychiatry, neurology, and general psychiatry. Geriatric psychiatry has become an official subspecialty of psychiatry with a defined curriculum of study and core competencies

Elderly people are often suffering from two or more chronic diseases, more frequently cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, metabolic syndrome and cancer. These most frequent chronic diseases share largely preventable risk factors, the foremost important being smoking and obesity, and should be linked to chronic systemic inflammation. Coexisting chronic diseases affect the course of the first disease and alter the efficacy and safety of its management. Learning to manage a variety of treatments while maintaining quality of life can be problematic and the ageing of the population has increased the prevalence of chronic diseases, which represent a huge proportion of human illness.

Geriatric and Gerontology| Geriatrics and Elderly Care| Geriatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

The aging population implies important changes at various levels. From the ancient years to the 19th century, human life expectancy doubled from 20 years to 40 years. However, this life expectancy doubled fast to 80 years from the 19th century to the 20th century and continuously increased in the 21st century. This fact implies important socioeconomic and health challenges. Aging entails a greater need to care for aspects related to primary aging (physical changes due to aging) and to secondary aging (risks increase in old age) undoubtedly, cancer risk increases exponentially with age. About 60% of cancers occur in people 65 years of age or older. Furthermore, about 70% of the deaths caused by cancers occur in this stage. Therefore, cancer is a disease of old age. Taking into account the increase in cancer occurrence and the quality of life among the elderly population, a special approach is necessary for the diagnosis, treatment, and survival of elderly patients with cancer.

Genetics of Ageing| Stem Cells and Ageing| Economic and Social Impact of Ageing