Seniors – Study material
Old age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average
life period of human beings. Euphemisms and terms for old people include seniors
(American usage), senior citizens (British and American usage) and the elderly.
Old people have limited
regenerative abilities and are more
prone to disease, syndromes, and
sickness than other adults. The medical study
of the aging process is gerontology,
and the study of diseases that afflict the elderly is geriatrics.
The boundary between middle age and old age cannot be
defined exactly because it does not have the same meaning in all societies.
People can be considered old because of certain changes in their activities or
social roles. Examples: people may be considered old when they become grandparents, or when they begin to do
less or different work — retirement.
In the Czech
Republic the age of 65 is considered the beginning of the
senior years and people became eligible to retire at this age with full Social Security benefits.
There is often a general
physical decline, and people become less active.
Old age can cause, amongst other things:
- Wrinkles and liver spots on the skin
- Change of hair colour to gray or white
- Hair loss
- Lessened hearing
- Diminished eyesight
- Slower reaction times
- Reduced ability to think clearly
- Difficulty recalling memories
- Lessening or cessation of sex, sometimes because of physical symptoms such as erectile dysfunction in men, but often simply a decline in libido
- Greater susceptibility to bone diseases such as osteoarthritis.
A nursing home, convalescent
home, Skilled Nursing Unit (SNU), care home or rest
home provides a type of care of
residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing
care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Residents
include the elderly and younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Residents in a skilled nursing
facility may also receive physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative
therapies following an accident or illness. Residents may have certain legal
rights depending on the location of the facility.
Elderly care or simply eldercare
is the fulfilment of the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior
citizens. This broad term encompasses such services as assisted living, adult day care, long term
care, nursing homes, hospice care, and In-Home care.
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