Care of the Older

Adult
Concepts, Principles and Theories in
the Care of Older Adults
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the lesson the students will be able:
1. Define important terms related to aging
2. Develop personal philosophy in the care of elders
3. Contrast several theories of aging
 A. Perspective on Aging
• a predictable and orderly process in life
that begins from conception and persisted
all throughout life of an individual.
• The process of aging comes from several
stages that covers the life of a person until
he become an older adult. Basis of the life
process when a person gets older which
will measures success or failure in
attaining self- respect, self-fulfillment and
self actualization.
 Care of Older Person

➢ aging is inevitable
➢ help to live longer, and also to live
better
➢Core values and principles of geriatrics
and gerontology : health promotion,
health protection, disease prevention,
treatment of disease, rehabilitation and
eased from severe complications.
 Definitions of terms
• Geriatrics is a medical specialty focused
on care and treatment of older persons.
Although gerontology and geriatrics have
differing emphases, they both have the
goal of understanding aging so that people
can maximize their functioning and
achieve a high quality of life
• Gerontology is the study of aging and
older adults. It is multidisciplinary and is
concerned with physical, mental, and social
aspects and implications of aging its focus is
on social, cultural, psychological, cognitive,
and biological aspects of ageing
• Gerontology nurse a professional
working in a healthcare facilities and helps
the elderly to become well and prevent
further complications and disability brought
about by disease complication, and injuries.
• Gerontology nursing is a nursing
specialty that focuses on the care of older
adults and elderly where nurses may work in
long term care facilities, with home
healthcare services and in hospice, which
care elders with physical disability, impaired
mental capabilities and patient suffering with
intense or chronic pain and ailments
 Demography of Aging and Implications
for
Health and Nursing Care

• The Philippines recorded a population of

60 years and above and is about 4.6
million which represents a 6% of the total
population in year 2000.
• The growth increases to 9.4 million which
is equivalent to 8.6% of the total
population in two decades.
 Demographics of Aging

• The World Population projects of about

16.5% of senior citizen of the total
population by the year 2050
• An ageing population increases the
demand for health services.
• According to the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD), a nearly a third
(31.4%) of older people were living in poverty in
2000. Currently, this number is estimated to be
1.3 million older people.
 Demographics of Aging

• According to the latest World Social

Protection Report 2017-19, just
39.8% of people older than the
statutory pensionable age in the
Philippines receive an old-age
pension (contributory,
noncontributory or both)
 Demographics of Aging

➢elderly women greatly outnumbered

elderly men in most country
➢ health and socio economic problems
of the elderly are problems of elderly
women
 Demographics of Aging

Gender Differences in Life Expectancy

➢ male exposure to risk factors
negatively affect male life expectancy
✓ tobacco
✓Alcohol
✓Occupational hazard
 Demographics of Aging

Life after 65
➢ women are expected to live
another 19 years while men are 16
years
- Attributed to improved health care ,
increased use of preventive services
and healthier lifestyle
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
Myth: Being old means being sick
• Fact: Only 5% of older people live in
nursing home
• Fact: Some elderly people have chronic
diseases but still functioning quite well
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
Myth: Older people are set in their ways
and cannot learn new things
• Fact: Older people should be challenge
to stay mentally active
• Fact: Older people who learn to play an
instrument or learn a new language are
less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
Myth: Health promotion is wasted on older
people
• Fact: It is never too late to start good lifestyle
habit s like eating a healthy diet and
engaging in exercise
• Fact: It is never too late to stop bad habit s
like smoking and drinking alcohol
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
Myth: The elderly do not pull their own weight
• Fact: Older people contribute greatly to
society by supporting the arts, doing
volunteer work, and helping with
grandchildren
•Fact: Paid employment is not the only
measure of value and productivity
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
• Myth: People consider themselves to be old
at 65.
• Fact: People feel based on their health and
functional ability
• Myth: In old age, there is an inevitable
decline in all intellectual abilities.
• Fact: A few areas of cognitive ability decline
in older adult, but other areas show
improvement
 Myths of Aging and Why
they are False
• Myth: Old people decrease the level of their
sexual activity because they are less able to
perform sexually.
• Fact: if sexual activity in older people
declines, it is because of social reasons.
• (e.g. loss of partner or risk factors such as
diseases and adverse medication effects.
 Benefits of Healthy Aging

✓Creativity and confidence are enhanced

✓ coping ability increases
✓ gratitude and appreciation deepen
✓ Confidence increases with less
reliance on the approval of others
✓ Self-understanding and acceptance
increases
• The Philippine Institute for Development
Studies (PIDS, 2018), stated that by year
2032, Philippines is on its way to
becoming an “ageing society.”
Aging in the 21st Century, U.S. Census Bureau
posited, by the year 2050
Impact of Aging Members
in the Family
• Filipinos are found to have a generally
positive view of ageing because of a
social support that the elderly are
receiving from the family and relatives
which gives the elders a positive outlook
in life.
In family relationships
in an Aging society
Aging in the 21st Century is an eight-topic
program that addresses issues such as
❑ Health and Medical Care
❑ Retirement
❑ Nutrition and diet
❑ Family relationships
❑ Caregiving
❑ Home modifications
❑ Economic concerns
 The Role of the Family
➢Provides important resources and remain
independent as older adults.
➢Help and support within the family
➢Providing emotional and physical care
➢Provides financial support.
➢Caregiving role
➢Giving in to Increasing care demands fom
the family
 The Role of the Family
➢Assisting with Household Tasks, Self-
Care, Mobility, and Supervision
➢Providing social support
➢Providing health and medical care
➢Advocacy ad care coordination
➢Decision Making and Surrogacy