Definition of the elderly
Is a person who is 60 years of age or older. The elderly person does not mean that person who has entered the old age. There are a large number of elderly who are physically, mentally and psychologically healthy, unlike some individuals who do not have this health and can not carry out any Physical performance as they did not exceed the age of the elderly.
Symptoms of aging
Many of the symptoms of aging and need for care are indicated by the elderly:
- Osteoporosis and fracture are caused by the inability of bones to renew lime, as well as low accumulation of lime in the bones, and both the thigh and neck are the most fractured parts of the elderly.
- Decrease in both the length and weight of the elderly; as a result of muscle atrophy, low proportion of cells and tissues in the body, and inability to renew with age.
- Obesity resulting from the increase in the proportion of fat accumulated in the body of the elderly as they age, and lack of movement, and lack of energy use; which causes many of the diseases experienced by the elderly.
- Especially when you are in a place where temperatures are high or when you have diarrhea. Due to the low water content of the elderly, 70% to 50-60%. The water content of 70% of the body structure decreases as the person ages; It is recommended to give the elderly large quantities of water and fluids.
- Frequent wrinkles and dryness of the skin of the elderly; which requires the use of moisturizing creams.
- There are many changes in the body, such as decreased flexibility of the walls of blood vessels, which causes high blood pressure, in addition to low eyesight and hearing, and inability to feel the heat, so the elderly feel cold more than others.
Care for the elderly
The care of the elderly refers to the provision of all social, psychological, economic and health services that are characterized by their preventive or curative nature by the institutions concerned and the fields surrounding them, whether in the fields in which they live or work. The care of the elderly in their old age is in two ways:
- Treatment: This is done by dealing with the diseases that the elderly suffer and relieving them as much as possible, taking into consideration his weak ability to endure and his body’s weakness to absorb the drugs.
- Preventive: And by eating a diet suitable for the health of the elderly, and avoid eating harmful foods, in addition to exercise in a manner commensurate with his physical abilities and routinely.
Care for the elderly
There are many changes to the human body during aging, which may increase the risk of disease, and in order to maintain good health and healthy body, a diet must be specified, and the following are some tips for what should contain the diet of the elderly:
- Attention must be paid to the quality of the elderly’s food. Food must contain various nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, so as not to suffer from the deficiency. At this age, the human needs vitamins and minerals in particular.
- Attention should be paid to the factors that can affect the performance of the memory of the elderly, such as vitamin B12 deficiency, lack of essential fatty acids in the body, anemia and depression, by providing a balanced balanced diet of high nutritional value, taking into account the addition of natural herbs that benefit memory such as turmeric, the mountain.
- Attention should be given to the formula of vitamins given to the elderly, preferably the choice of vitamins containing antioxidants, including group B, and be careful to provide foods containing whole grains, milk and meat.
Diseases common to the elderly
Several diseases are common among the elderly, most notably the following:
- Behavioral disorders : Behavioral disorders are one of the most common and common diseases among the elderly; they are not psychologically established in all cases, and are most often exacerbated when the elderly have certain health problems, such as: high or low blood sugar, metabolic dysfunction In their body, low level of salts, and excessive or decreased thyroid activity.
- Myocardial infarction: The disease is one of the most diseases that qualify to infect the elderly, and is the first cause of their deaths, and the injury of women more than men for many reasons, including:
- Vascular damage to the retina, which may lead to blindness if neglected to provide treatment for them.
- Osteoporosis.
- Alzheimer ‘s : Many older people have memory problems. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease is higher at age 65. The disease is a serious disease that attacks brain cells and can cause many symptoms such as loss of memory and cognitive abilities.
- Anorexia : An elderly person can suffer from anorexia, which causes them to imbalance between their food needs and their consumption; which leads to dysfunction and affects the metabolic processes, as well as reducing the mass of their bodies, and this may adversely affect the ability of their bodies to recover from diseases.
Facts about the elderly
Here are statistics and facts about the elderly:
- The world’s population is aging rapidly and the proportion of the population aged 60 years and over is expected to double, increasing from 12% to 22%.
- Elderly people aged 60 and over suffer from disorders and psychological problems of 15%.
- Emotional and psychological health is as important to the elderly as any other stage of life.
- Total deficits of older persons were attributed to neurological disorders and problems by 6.6%.