Older Adult Assessment

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The population of the United States has a rapid growing populace of older adults. It is said that by the year 2050, there will be 80 million people that are older than the age of 65. While many may just consider this to be a factoid it is an important glimpse into what the healthcare field will require. Although there are many healthy older adults, the longer a person lives the more likely there are to have ailment. These ailments can be small or they can painstakingly chronic. These health disparities will increase the expenses of this nation. Elderly Americans simply require more healthcare; therefore, it makes sense that their care costs three to five times of that than a younger person. As a person ages, the healing process slows, so they take longer to rehabilitate and have more chronic conditions. People are living longer because there are better treatment regimens and a higher selection of medications, but the economic standing of many elderly people does not meet the needs of their daily living and their medical costs (Allender, Rector and Warner, 2014). The elderly are a vulnerable population due to a lack of resources and an increased rate of health problems. There must be no discrimination of care; no matter the age, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic standing every person deserves to be treated justly when it comes to their health. The term ageism is often thrown around due to the increasing population of elderly people that have a need for employment or life-saving care. Ageism is discrimination of a person based on their age. This is not appropriate in any setting, but in healthcare it needs to be removed for the psyche of all health professionals. Although some elderly may be ailing to complex conditions, other m... ... middle of paper ... ...te. Kristi is an avid coffee drinker, which is a habit she has no intention of shaking. Kristi does not usually partake in the consumption of dairy because she has been intolerant of lactose since she was in her late forties. Kristi maintains a healthy diet that helps to control her weight and hypertension. She is a food conscious person. Evidence of Falls: There is no evidence of falls that could not happen to a person of any age. Kristi has fallen while attempting to teach herself to rollerblade, which she recognizes now as a poor decision. A second fall was in association with yard work. There was a deep, but narrow hole that her ankle slipped into. This resulted on a fall. She is aware that this may become a more prominent problem as her and her husband age, so they plan to have assist devices installed when they more to a new home. Family Assessment Tool:

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