GERIATRIC

REHABILITATION
 AIM

With this course, It aims

to evaluate physiotherapy
practices within the
scope of geriatric
rehabilitation and learn
the role of the
physiotherapist in
primary health care and
preventive approaches.
 TEACHING
Weeks Subjects PLAN
Week 1 Introduction to geriatric rehabilitation
Week 2 Changes in Body Systems That Occur with Aging
Week 3 Healthy Aging
Week 4 Supporting General Health in the Elderly
Week 5 Physical Activity and Evaluation in the Elderly
Week 6 Aging and Postural Control
Week 7 Aging and Mobility
Week 8 Osteoarthritis and Mobility in the Elderly
Week 9 Midterm
Week 10 Osteoporosis and Physiotherapy in the Elderly
Week 11 Exercise in Elderly People with Cardiometabolic Syndrome
Week 12 Falling in the Elderly
Week 13 Walking Assistive Devices for Geriatric Individuals
Week 14 Examples of Current Technological Approaches
 Course Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course;

1 Discusses the musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary, neurological,
psychosocial and genitourinary changes seen in the elderly..
2 Describes exercise practices, programs and home programs in
the elderly.

3 Explain the scope of geriatric rehabilitation and healthy aging.

 EXAMS

COMPULSORY ATTENDENCE 70 %
Quiz (1 time) 10 %

Midterm (1 time) - 40 %

Final (1 time) 50 % effects

Academic calendar  fbu.edu.tr

 Passing Grades

(Excellent)
(Good)
(Satisfactory)
(Unsatisfactory passing grade)
(Failure)
(Fail of non-attendence)
 Definition of Ageing
• Ageing; It can be defined as the decrease in functions at
the cell, tissue, organ and body level, starting from the
biochemical reactions in the cell, under the influence of
hereditary structure and external factors.
• Aging is a complex process in which inevitable
physiological changes occur under the influence of
various factors.
• This aging process can be defined as follows; It is a
process that turns healthy adults into fragile ones, with
diminished reserves in most physiological systems leading
to exponentially increased vulnerability to many diseases
and deaths.
• GERIATRIA: The branch of medicine that deals with health
problems in old age and their treatments.
• GERONTOLOGY: The science of old age and aging.
• GERONTOLOGIST: Person who performs senior management
functions in areas related to determining and controlling
services aimed at creating the most suitable living conditions
for the elderly and meeting their social and other needs in
order to improve the quality of life of the elderly.
• REHABILITATION: It is the reconstruction efforts made to
maximize the functional status of the patient in the
treatment of disease, disability and injury.
• GERIATRIC REHABILITATION: It is all the services provided to
prevent, delay or minimize functional deterioration due to
physiological loss or disease in the elderly.
• In response to the question 'Who is the elderly?', various answers
can be given depending on the perspective and purpose.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), those aged 65
and above are considered "elderly" chronologically.

• The elderly are also divided into subgroups;

A) Younger-aged elderly; Elderly people aged 65-74.
B) Middle-aged elderly; Elderly people aged 75-84.
C) Elderly people; Elderly people aged 85 and over.
 OLD CLASSIFICATION
• 45-59 years old; middle age
• 60-74 years old; old age
• 75-89 years old; elderly
• If it is 90 and above; grandevity
• NEW CLASSIFICATION
According to the data of the
World Health Organization WHO,
'Age Zones’ are as follows;
• 0-17 years old; adolescent
• 18-65 years old; youth
• 66-79 years old; middle age
• 80-99 years old; old
• Between 99-100 years old;
longevity
 • Distribution of Population in
Various Age Groups in Türkiye
by Years (percentage)
Figure.1 Crude Death Rate Türkiye 1940-
Years 1988

years
• The classification of aging is made as follows;
• 1. Chronological aging; Calendar age is the sum of the years from
birth to the time reached.
• 2. Biological aging; These are the changes in an individual's body
depending on the life span.
• 3. Social aging; It is the change of the individual's position and roles.
It may vary depending on society, culture and value judgments.
• 4. Economic aging; It is the phase where working life ends and begins
with retirement. Retirement age varies depending on the social
structures of the countries.
• 5. Physiological aging; These are personal changes that occur due to
biological aging.
• 6. Psychological aging; These are changes that occur in response to
adaptation problems that arise as a result of the change in a person's
social position and roles.
• 7. Social aging; It is the decreasing power and ability of individuals in
their life in society, work and social communication.
• The elderly population in the world is increasing both in absolute and
relative terms.
• This increase in the elderly population can be attributed to two
phenomena; Firstly, the decrease in the mortality rate due to
developments in health science causes the life expectancy of
individuals to extend and the quality of life to increase, thus
increasing the elderly population. The second phenomenon is the
birth rate. Declining birth rate and population policies of countries
are important factors that increase the proportion of elderly people
in societies.
• Developments in the field of health and technology cause individuals'
life expectancy to extend and their quality of life to increase, thus
increasing the elderly population. Declining birth rate and population
policies of countries are also important factors that increase the
proportion of elderly people in societies.
• Average life expectancy has increased significantly in the last century.
Currently, 7% of the world's population is 65 years or older, this rate
is higher in developed countries (15%) and is still increasing.
• According to the plans, it is estimated that the world population will
reach 7.5 billion and the population aged 60 and over will reach 1
billion in 2027.
• It is observed that the share of the elderly population in the total
population in our country was below 5 percent until the end of the
20th century.
• According to the 2010 results of the Address-Based Population
Registration System, which is the most up-to-date data about the
population of Türkiye, there are 73,722,988 people and 7.2% of the
population is in the age group of 65 years and above.
Population rate by age group
• The phenomenon of aging, which is mostly more visible in developed
countries, is now an issue that should be considered as important for
developing countries as for developed countries.
• Research shows that our country is transitioning to a new
demographic structure.
• Considering that the rate of the population aged 65 and over in
Türkiye, which was 5.7 percent in 2005, will reach 17.6 percent in
2050, policy requirements regarding aging will be better
understood.
• Calculations based on the assumption that current demographic
trends will continue indicate that the 21st century will be the century
of the elderly in Türkiye, in line with expectations all over the world.
• With the changing age structure, especially in the second half of the
century, the elderly population is expected to gain importance in
Türkiye in terms of social, demographic and economic aspects.
• Türkiye has a larger elderly population than the total population of
some countries, with more than 5 million elderly people.
• When the demographic changes in Türkiye are examined, the
increase in the elderly population is clearly seen. Additionally, the
average life expectancy in Türkiye is gradually increasing. 7% of
Türkiye's population is aged 65 and over. The elderly population rate,
which is 6% in urban areas, is 9% in rural areas.
• These rates for the elderly population are the highest in Türkiye 's
demographic history. There may be two reasons for the increase in
the elderly population. These; rapid decline in fertility and
increased life expectancy in all age groups.
• On the other hand, as a reflection of the developments observed in
the field of health, life expectancy has increased significantly at all
ages.
• Life expectancy at birth in Turkey was 50 years ago; For people under
the age of 50, there has been a significant decrease in the death rate
over time, and the crude death rate, which was around 30-35 per
thousand, decreased to around 6 per thousand.
• Similar to the decrease in the crude death rate, there is also a
decrease in the infant mortality rate. As a result, life expectancy at
birth increased by 20 years and reached around 71 years.
• It is estimated that this increase will continue in the future and this
period will reach 76 years after 25 years.
Changes in Body Systems That Occur with
Aging
1. Musculoskeletal system
2. Cardiovascular system
3. Respiratory system
4. Nervous system
5. Endocrine system
6. Gastrointestinal system
7. Immune system
8. Nephrological and urological system
9. Other changes