Students will be able to
- describe the role of public health in dealing with a special population, the senior citizens
- describe the criteria for labeling a person aged
- describe the elements of aging
- describe governmental agencies responsible for assisting/ measuring aging
- describe non governmental agencies who assist aging persons.
- describe how ageing can be expected to affect public health services over the next 25 years.
- Competencies 1C (1,2, 7,8) !D (1,2,3,5,7,10) 1E(1`,4,6,9) IIA (1,2,3,4,)
Key Words
Aging, aged, seniors, nursing homes, homes for the aged, retirement centers, senior citizens advocacy, home visiting, senior centers, mental health and aging, Alzheimer's diseases, Parkinson's disease, Osteoporosis, chronic diseases.
Concept:
Aging starts at birth. Getting older is not necessarily accompanied by significant declines in either physical or mental function. There are many resources available to assist people as they age. Misunderstanding and lack of knowledge is the greatest detriment to health maintenance while aging.
References:
Schneider 1st Edn: Introduction to Public Health - Scan
Chapters 14 & 16 for relevant material.
Schneider 2nd Edn: Introduction to Public Health - Chapter 28
Consider The UK definition of aging, the second heading on the page - Ageing and the Life Course.
Data from the US Census Bureau, March 2006: People in the United States are
living longer and healthier lives
than ever before. Average life
expectancy at birth rose from 47.3
in 1900 to 76.9 in 2000. US Census Newsroom
Future Implications
• The social and economic implications
of the aging of the Baby
Boom generation will be a significant concern for policy makers, the
private sector, and individuals. The
size and longevity of this group
will trigger debate about possible
modifications to Social Security,
Medicare, and disability and retirement
benefits, among other issues. What is happening to the population pyramid. Look at how longevity has changed since 1900.
• The changing marital and family
composition that is occurring
in the United States is likely to
change the types of familial support
that are available to people at
older ages.
• The future older population is
likely to be better educated than
the current older population, especially
when Baby Boomers start
reaching age 65. Their increased
levels of education may accompany
better health, higher incomes, and
more wealth, and consequently
higher standards of living in
retirement.
• Older women will be increasingly
more likely to have been in
the labor force long enough to
have their own retirement income,
although their lower median
earnings may translate into lower
incomes in retirement.
• Research on genetic, biological,
and physiological aspects of
aging is likely to change the future
for the older population. In the
medical and public health arenas,
research to understand chronic
diseases, such as diabetes and
Alzheimer’s disease, may produce
significant improvements for treatment
and prevention.
Think about the changing use of health services as the population ages and its ramifications.
Review Dr Cotter's Slides
(pdf handouts)
Review the .pdf file CDC's State of Aging Report with particular attention to the discussion starting page 26. You may also want to review the report from the National Association of State Units on Aging and compare its comments with those in the CDC report (pay particular attention to page 3, PH & aging; exhibit 3, page 4;exhibit 8, p 11; barriers to health p12; and discussion page 22-24); . A recent concern has been with Older Driver Safety, see web site.
David Broooks in the NYT "Longer LIves - The Ties that Bind Us."
DVD- Living Old Excerpts & Discussion, Web Site
TAKING CARE: ETHICAL CAREGIVING
In OUR AGING SOCIETY
The President's Council on Bioethics;
Washington, D.C., September 2005
(Scan the Conclusions and recommendations section with attention to highlighted areas- start at p 228 ff.)
It is a large file and will take about 1 minute to download.
WHO - Long Term Care
American dream: Live long and prosper
Mayo Clinic Study on Aging (July 2006)
Pictorial Description of the Aging Network
KFF: Employees & aging relatives (July 2006)
Videos on the Future of Aging.
New Readings 2008(scan only)
Editorial on Aging AJPH
Baby Boomers and aging
Who Pays for Long Term Care (Pooicy Analysis for refernce)
Who Cares for the Elderly
For those interested in pursuing this topic further "The Epidemiology of Aging", William A Satariano. James & Bartlett, 2006