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Chronic Diseases and Acute Problems Faced by the Elderly
By
the Vancouver Sun
December 13, 2010
Canada
In addition to falls, the major health problems in the elderly are chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancers, dementia and osteoporosis, says geriatrician Dr. David Hogan.
Acute problems such as influenza, infection and pneumonia also exact a toll on those over 75, as their bodies are less able to ward off viruses and bacteria.
More than 500,000 Canadians live with dementia, according to the Alzheimer Society, with those numbers expected to climb rapidly as the population ages.
Currently there is no recommendation to routinely screen for dementia, says Hogan, a professor who holds the Brenda Straff ord Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Calgary.
Unfortunately, he says, current tests for dementia In addition to falls, the major health problems in the elderly are chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancers, dementia and osteoporosis, says geriatrician Dr. David Hogan.
Acute problems such as influenza, infection and pneumonia also exact a toll on those over 75, as their bodies are less able to ward off viruses and bacteria.
More than 500,000 Canadians live with dementia, according to the Alzheimer Society, with those numbers expected to climb rapidly as the population ages.
Currently there is no recommendation to routinely screen for dementia, says Hogan, a professor who holds the Brenda Straff ord Foundation Chair in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Calgary.
Unfortunately, he says, current tests for dementia aren't that accurate, and even if dementia is identified early, there are not a lot of interventions that have been shown to slow down the rate of progression. He's cautious about giving people the dementia label, as they can suffer discrimination.
"So, right now it's not recommended that we screen for dementia, but if there are any issues raised by the person or the family, it should be looked into to see if there's any fire with the smoke.
"Not every one agrees with that. Some groups say we should be screening people with brief cognitive tests, but most say the tests are just not accurate enough."
At an age when people lose so many family members and friends, coping with grief can also be an issue.
"Most seniors do cope and deal with losses quite successfully. You expect people to grieve and be sad after the death of a loved one. But usually, with time, that will settle down. If someone has a prolonged grieving reaction, say going beyond six months, it could well be progressing into a depression and that would have to be dealt with."
While depression isn't more common in the elderly, he notes, older men are likely to be more successful in their attempts at suicide.
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