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People in the UK live longer now than ever before with the average life expectancy being 81.6 years. Exercising and eating a healthy diet will help you age disease free, whilst having a body mass index of less than 25 will lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. see the following list of common elderly health issues.
1. Arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. Living with arthritis isn't easy and carrying out simple, everyday tasks can often be painful and difficult. However, there are many things you can do to make sure you live a healthy routine. A range of services and benefits are also available. Healthy eating which includes a balanced diet from all the 5 food groups, exercise and joint care all contribute to a healthy way of life. See https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arthritis/ for more information.
2. Heart Disease
Coronary Heart Disease remains the number 1 killer in the UK. 160,000 people die from heart and circulatory disease. 73,000 people die from coronary heart disease (CHD). 42,000 people died prematurely from cardiovascular disease (heartuk.org). As people age, they're increasingly living with risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that increase the chances of having a stroke or developing heart disease. You can reduce your risk of getting CHD by making some simple lifestyle changes. These include:
Keeping your heart healthy will also have other health benefits, such as helping reduce your risk of stroke and dementia. See https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coronary-heart-disease/ for more information.
3. Cancer
Every two minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. Breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancers together accounted for over half (53%) of all new cancer cases in the UK in 2015. Each year more than a third (36%) of all cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2013-2015) (www.cancerresearchuk.org). Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs. More than one in three people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime. In the UK, the four most common types of cancer are:
4. Respiratory Diseases
Chronic lower respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are the third most common cause of death among people 65 and older. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
It includes:
COPD is a common condition that mainly affects middle-aged or older adults who smoke. Many people don't realise they have it. The breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit your normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control.
5. Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia describes different brain disorders that trigger a loss of brain function. These conditions are all usually progressive and eventually severe. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62 per cent of those diagnosed. There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2025. This will soar to 2 million by 2051. 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes. 1 in 6 people over the age of 80 have dementia. 70 per cent of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. There are over 40,000 people under 65 with dementia in the UK. More than 25,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK are affected. (https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-us/news-and-media/facts-media)
6. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can contribute to becoming less mobile and potentially disabled should you fall and have a fracture or as the vertebral bodies collapse. Osteoporosis is the fragile bone disease that can cause painful and debilitating fractures (broken bones), sometimes resulting in premature death. Every year, people in the UK suffer more than 300,000 fragility fractures; often from just a minor bump or fall. Many of these could be prevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment. 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will break a bone. 3 million people in the UK are estimated to have osteoporosis. (https://nos.org.uk/media/1959/agenda-for-osteoporosis-england-final.pdf)
7. Diabetes
People get diabetes when their blood glucose level, sometimes called blood sugar, is too high. Many people have “prediabetes.” This means their glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be called diabetes. Prediabetes is a serious problem because people who have it are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. There are things you can do to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. Losing weight may help. Healthy eating and being physically active can make a big difference. Work with your doctor to set up a plan for good nutrition and regular exercise. Make sure to ask how often you should have your glucose levels checked.
8. Influenza and Pneumonia
Pneumonia is swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs. It's usually caused by a bacterial infection. At the end of the breathing tubes in your lungs are clusters of tiny air sacs. If you have pneumonia, these tiny sacs become inflamed and fill up with fluid. Pneumonia is very dangerous for old people because It makes them more vulnerable to other problems. Its rapid onset and ability to spread to other parts of the body (as opposed to a stroke or heart attack) means that pneumonia can be lethal. Even a milder case deals a severe blow to your immune system, which can turn an underlying condition like heart disease into a life-threatening malady.
9. Falls
People aged 65 and older have the highest risk of falling; around a third of people aged 65 and over, and around half of people aged around 80 and over, fall at least once a year. ... Falls were the ninth highest cause of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in England in 2013 and the highest cause of injury.
10. Substance Abuse
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, many middle-aged and elderly adults have problems with alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription medication, as well as complex mental health needs that may make the problems worse. Physical health problems and the long-term prescription of medications, such as hypnotics, anti-anxiety drugs and painkillers, are important factors in the development of substance misuse. Between 1992 and 2008, the highest alcohol-related death rates were in men and women aged 55-74
11. Obesity
Obesity among over 65s in UK reflects “lifetime of gaining weight”. The prevalence of obesity among elderly people in the United Kingdom is higher than among young people, with almost three quarters of those aged between 65 and 74 years classed as obese or overweight. In 2014 62% of adults in England were classified as overweight (a body mass index of 25 or above) or obese, compared to 53% 20 years earlier. More than two-thirds of men and almost six in 10 women are overweight or obese.
12. Depression
Everyone feels sad sometimes. But later life can give you more reasons to feel down. You may have to deal with:
Most older people cope well in spite of these difficulties. However, depression can affect 1 in 5 older people living in the community, and 2 in 5 living in care homes. If you do get depressed, there is help available for you which works, as there is for younger people
At Nannies 4 Grannies Ltd we offer Companion Care and Support for residents in St Albans, Harpenden and the surrounding areas.
Contact Kay on 01727 857988 to discuss the range of specifically tailored services we can provide for you or an elderly loved one. For full details go to our website Nannies 4 Grannies. Stay up to date with older issues by following us on Twitter or Facebook
We have invested in a training course with ‘Extend’ to be able to deliver chair based exercises to you individually or in a group environment. Our mission is to promote health, increase mobility and independence, improve strength, co-ordination and balance and to counteract loneliness and isolation.
