Aging

Question 1

Why is the need to explore the impacts of age on health essential?

Answer 1

General populations are starting to live longer

Question 2

Two categories Gerontologists use to distinguish the aging ppn

Answer 2

1) Maximum life span
2) Life expectancy

Question 3

Maximum life span

Answer 3

Maximum number of years a member of a species can live

Question 4

Life Expectancy

Answer 4

The number of years at birth an average member of the ppn can live

Question 5

Maximum Life Span Average

Answer 5

Somewhere between 110 to 125 years old, which has surprisingly stayed relatively the same for the last 10,000 years

Question 6

Increases of Life Expectancy

Answer 6

Has increased substantially over time (average LE in Ancient Rome was 22 years old to now with an average of 75-83 years old depending on other social factors

Question 7

Intrinsic Aging

Answer 7

Normal changes to the body to ‘wear and tear’, genetic mutation and internal sources of change

Question 8

Four criteria of Intrinsic Aging describing senescence

Answer 8

1) Takes place for all members
2) It is basic to the organism
3) It is progressive
4) It leads to the decline of physical functioning

Question 9

Extrinsic Aging

Answer 9

Changes to the body due to external circumstances, including pollution, UV exposure, and noise

Question 10

What percentage of people aged 60+ experience disease

Answer 10

23% (Globally)

Question 11

What are older people at increased risk for

Answer 11

• CVD, Malignant neoplasms, chronic respiratory disease, neurological and mental disorders; strokes, chronic pulmonary disease & eye/vision impairment (cataracts)
• More at risk of complex disease experiences, as in many cases there are multiple diseases or histories to treat, which puts pressure on HC services to create treatment plans for LT success/outcomes

Question 12

Ageism

Answer 12

• Systematic issue w/in the healthcare sector w/in Canada
• OA often rendered invisible w/in medical & social research, even for diseases they are overrepresented in
• The lack of research & evidence equates for a lack of knowing how to support OA through disease & sickness
• We are living longer, yet system is not set up adequately enough to support impacts of in/extrinsic aging

Question 13

DOH impacts on Aging

Answer 13

• Social vulnerability
• Biological (genetic & diseases)
• Lack of research and lack of treatments
• Lack of gerontologists
• Ageism + intersectionalities
• Context, history, society & biography
• Environments (whether a facility or area of living provides accessible opportunities to promote a healthy lifestyle (physical activity)

Question 14

Negative Health Behaviours

Answer 14

• Older ppl often ignored for these
• Alcohol abuse and the ways in which alcohol consumption impacts OA on a social and physiological level is relatively unknown and under researched
• Mental health behaviours are also rendered invisible, with research suggesting OA are either underrepresented or not represented at all

Question 15

How a large portion of this inequity may be due to ageist stereotypes

Answer 15

• Stipulations of mental and physical capabilities of elderly folks (don’t live inheritance)
• Increase in the dismissing of symptoms voiced by older ppl (“just a symptom”)
• Increase risk of elderly abuse
• Internalization of (-) stereotypes leading to OA avoiding HC services or dismissing their own symptoms, self isolation, poor MH outcomes and lower cognition

Question 16

Social Vulnerability Model

Answer 16

• We have talked about the intersection of identities impacting the ways in which we experience inequality and inequity
• Research reports that some individuals who seek medical care for ailments can have differing experiences regarding treatment and health outcomes

Question 17

Concept of social vulnerability

Answer 17

• Operationalizes the wats in which SDoH collectively impact health outcomes
• Most notably this concept often examines how social factors (ex. race, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc.) along w factors such as poverty, inaccessible transportation & housing result in adverse results
• Higher social vulnerability leads to higher risk of mortality, disability & cognitive decline

Question 18

Three Components of Social Vulnerability

Answer 18

1) Risk of Exposure to Illness or Prolonged Illness (Social factors/location, social support/networks, like the broken arm syndrome)
2) Sensitivity to Illness or Prolonged Illness (SDoH, affluent vs low income neighbourhoods, pollution or not, systematic racism or not, clean water or not)
3) Adaptive Capacity to Illness or Prolonged Illness (Macro-level structures, can we climb out of illness as easily as others, social/economic/cultural capital, whether we can afford to get ourselves out of social vulnerability (higher economy, higher education, higher social)