There are a number of issues that must be considered in geriatric pain assessment. The major issues that merit attention are presence of comorbidities, mental status, depression in late life, limitations in ADLs, medications, and the importance of family and other support systems (see Depression; Social Networks, Support, and Integration). (more…)

The accurate diagnosis of endocrine dysfunction in the elderly requires a high index of suspicion. Signs and symptoms of hormone deficiency or excess may be absent. When such signs and symptoms are present, coexisting malnutrition or chronic disease may often make their interpretation difficult. (more…)

Rheumatoid Arthritis affects approximately 1% of the world’s population. Rheumatoid Arthritis
is a chronic, multisystem, autoimmune, and inflammatory disorder that involves peripheral joints in a symmetric distribution. The potential of the synovial inflammation to cause cartilage damage and bone erosions and subsequent changes in joint integrity is the feature of the disease. (more…)

For trained physicians, aging is often defined by the age-related diseases and disorders people experience as they grow older. In fact, aging is often portrayed as a disease that is amenable to treatment, just like any other elderly chronic diseases that physicians are trained to diagnose and treat. This is not an unexpected view of aging given the Western disease-oriented model of medical education. Examples of the conditions that anti-aging practitioners endeavor to treat or postpone include cardiovascular disease, cancer, sensory impairments, muscle and bone loss, loss of skin elasticity, and decline in sexual activity in elderly function. (more…)

American aging population makes up a substantial social challenge. These social problems will increase significantly over the next 50 years. Single, divorced, or widowed women as well as members of racial minorities are particularly dangerous to draining chronic health problems, poverty, and unmet health and social needs as they are aging. (more…)

Young people rarely worry about their physics capacities. As a matter of fact they take tremendous pride in their physical well being and usually behave as though it were something that will go on forever.

However, by the time people reach middle age certain changes become apparent to challenge this certainty that youthful vigor will last for all time. (more…)

In many instances, the symptoms listed below are the result of relatively minor disorders as elderly. However, they can also represent the early signs of serious chronic disease in older adults, and they should be investigated promptly by your doctor. (more…)

An international consensus statement on physical activity, fitness and health (Bouchard et al 1994) identifies six areas affected by physical exercise: body shape, bone strength, muscle strength, flexibility skeleton, physical fitness and motor fitness of metabolism. Other areas benefit from physical activity is cognitive function, mental health and adaptation to society. Exercise was defined as a regular activity that follows a specific pattern, and whose purpose is to achieve desirable results in terms of fitness, as a better general health or physical functioning. (more…)

You must understand that getting old is not an easy phase that our loved ones or the people that we know go through. Actually, everybody will age as time passes but each one will accept such a fate in different ways. But one thing that is the same, caring for older people should always be implemented and acted out. (more…)