Healthy Aging
Healthy Aging: Helping Older Adults to Live Long Productive Lives
The United States population is aging rapidly. Older adults today are living longer than anyone from previous generations. In the future decades, the numbers of adults 65 years or older will increase dramatically. This drastic shift in the population will have significant implications for our current public health system. Unprecedented demands on the provision of health care and age-related services will become strained. Public health efforts to promote health and functional independence are crucial to older adults. Studies have shown that a decline in health is not a consequence of growing old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), “Older adults who practice healthy behaviors, take advantage of clinical preventive services, and continue to engage with family and friends are more likely to remain healthy, live independently, and incur fewer health-related costs”. The main component in keeping older adults healthy is prevention of chronic illnesses and related disabilities. These chronic illnesses account for more than 60% of all deaths among older adults. Efforts to prevent or reduce the risk of disease must be explored. Throughout this paper, opportunities to promote and preserve the health of older adults will be discussed in length. The five top priorities needed in order to improve older adults’ health and quality of life are: Promotion of healthy lifestyle, increase use of preventative services, addressing cognitive impairment, screening for mental health issues, and providing education on planning for future illness. Health promotion has positive effects on healthy lifestyle and health outcomes. Healthy behaviors play a major role in preventing unnecessary disease, postponing disability, and improving quality of life for older adults. Changes in certain behaviors can prolong health and the quality of life in older adults. The maintenance
The United States population is aging rapidly. Older adults today are living longer than anyone from previous generations. In the future decades, the numbers of adults 65 years or older will increase dramatically. This drastic shift in the population will have significant implications for our current public health system. Unprecedented demands on the provision of health care and age-related services will become strained. Public health efforts to promote health and functional independence are crucial to older adults. Studies have shown that a decline in health is not a consequence of growing old. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), “Older adults who practice healthy behaviors, take advantage of clinical preventive services, and continue to engage with family and friends are more likely to remain healthy, live independently, and incur fewer health-related costs”. The main component in keeping older adults healthy is prevention of chronic illnesses and related disabilities. These chronic illnesses account for more than 60% of all deaths among older adults. Efforts to prevent or reduce the risk of disease must be explored. Throughout this paper, opportunities to promote and preserve the health of older adults will be discussed in length. The five top priorities needed in order to improve older adults’ health and quality of life are: Promotion of healthy lifestyle, increase use of preventative services, addressing cognitive impairment, screening for mental health issues, and providing education on planning for future illness. Health promotion has positive effects on healthy lifestyle and health outcomes. Healthy behaviors play a major role in preventing unnecessary disease, postponing disability, and improving quality of life for older adults. Changes in certain behaviors can prolong health and the quality of life in older adults. The maintenance
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