essay - growing older population

Columnist · Jun 6, 2009

I don't understand your question. Are you speaking about why is the population that is growing older important, or why is important to look at that population in relation to something else?? What is the title of the essay?

student_nurse1986 · Jun 6, 2009

i dont either. thats all he wrote on there. its a case study about a patient out in practice and appraising their care. in the introduction i have talked about long term conditions and he said "why is the growing older population important"

Columnist · Jun 6, 2009

What age is the patient? What is wrong with the patient?

student_nurse1986 · Jun 6, 2009

44 and has ms. but this module/semester has been about the older person and long term conditions

Columnist · Jun 6, 2009

MS is a chronic condition with the majority of individuals who are diagnosed with the disease living with it for at least 20 years.

As they get older, they are likely to have to cope with normal age-related changes in their life and health in addition to having to manage and adapt to disability related to MS and its progression.

You might find this article helpful. It addresses some particular problems faced by the older population who have MS.

Aging with Multiple Sclerosis

student_nurse1986 · Jun 6, 2009

thank you :)

dianajh73 · Jun 7, 2009

I would have thought he was referring to the fact that as our population of elderly increases it means that people live longer and consequently require more care. It will become a financial drain and stretch nurses even farther than they are now. This is why everyone keeps talking about the "nursing shortage", not in reference to current conditions, but the future when we have even more elderly and infirm patients to care for.

Just my take on it. Sounds like you would then have to apply that to your situation.

Diana

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 7, 2009

since you are not in the u.s., i do not know what theories of aging you study in your colleges. whatever theory of life development you are required to study and incorporate into the care of patients is what i believe you are being asked to include in this essay. if you were at an american college i would tell you that your professor is probably wanting you to incorporate erikson's developmental stages, place your patient on the appropriate stage and explain how the patient is dealing with the developmental tasks of that stage. most of us are familiar with the developmental tasks of young children, but theorists like erikson tell us that there are tasks we need to complete at all ages of our lives.

Nurse523 · Jun 7, 2009

They older adult population or the senior population is significant because they are vulnerable people and this is often unseen by society. I know within the Canadian context, geriatrics settings are seen as undesirable, burdensome and just unattractive. People tend to stereotype that the seniors are grouchy, miserable people and don't think about what are the causes (feeling powerless, family issues, elderly abuse, death & dying, chronic illness, depression and more!). People don't see that seniors are old shruken babies. Seniors become cute like infants. They need assistance with feeding, changing, bathing and social interaction.

People should see it just as honourable as working on a pediatric unit.

However, after WW2, people went back to work. When people aged and could no longer work, they were seen as unfunctional group of people because they no longer worked therefore, they were seen as insignificant group of people. This is one of the major factors that contributed to the negative stigma of older adults but they are very important people because they have contributed to historically, economically and socially.