Most common health problems in the older adult population
- Arthritis (OA)
- Heart disease
- Diabetes (25% of those 65+)
- Hearing loss
Health disparity and income levels
Health disparities→ the more money you have, the easier it will be to access treatment
Income levels→ Women, divorced individuals, and minority individuals most likely to live in poverty
What impacts the experience of growing old?
- Social factors
- Cultural background
- Place of residence
- Gender
- Individual history/coping skills
- Public policy
Social factors that impact aging
- Longevity
- Changing family structure
- Blurring of age norms (not everyone at 65 is retiring)
How does cultural background impact aging?
Some cultures are more likely to care for elders vs. expecting to utilize institutions
How does place of residence impact aging?
Access to transportation
How does gender impact aging?
Men less likely to live with chronic conditions→ tendency to get acutely ill and die
Women more likely to treat and persist with chronic conditions
How does public policy impact aging?
Changes to SS, Medicare, health insurance, program shifts
Instrumental meanings in late life
Supports everyday life- includes ADLs
Evaluative meanings in late life
Quality of life- subjective well-being
Existential meanings in late life
Provide meaning for existence
Ex. role as a grandparent
How to maintain meaning and identity in late life
- Volunteering
- Painting/art
- Journaling
- Activities that help develop identity
Role of OTR
Provides initial evaluation, can contribute to developing care plan, goal selection, assess competence of available support, re-evaluate and adjust care plan
What can COTAs not do?
- Interpret data without approval
- Initiate or alter tx program without approval
- Below OTR
Disengagement
Elders typically withdraw from previous activities in anticipation of death
Activity
Elders maintain activity and do best when they are active and engaged
Continuity
Individuals in later life sustain previous beliefs, values, and characteristics; elders strive to retain previous activities; when those cannot be sustained, elders strive to replace those with activities that carry the same meanings
Life span
Old age is a continuation of the developmental process, tasks specific to the stage can be identified; successful aging results from accomplishing tasks
Baltes’ Theory of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation
Central focus is on managing the dynamics between gains and losses as one ages, allows people to age successfully
Occupation based models
MOHO, occupational adaptation, PEO
Model of Human Occupation (MOHO)
- Individual is an open system
- Subsystems → volition, habituation, performance
- Effectiveness of development of each subsystem reflects successful performance
