tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:18:58 +0000The growth of the older population is one of the most spectacular phenomena of present American history. Already there are more than 30 million Americans over age 65, and this number will double early in the next century. If we select age 50 as the start of later life, our older population, which now stands at about 65 million, will expand to more than 100 million before today's infants reach midlife. America has never witnessed anything like it-- call our era "The Aging Boom."http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/index.htmnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)Blogger420125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113788845525045474Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:07:00 +00002006-05-30T08:43:43.873-07:00THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AGING AND THE ELDERLYBY HAMPTON ROY, M.D. AND CHARLES RUSSELL, PH.D. Copyright © 1992, 2005 by F. Hampton Roy and Charles RussellThis eBook is published and distributed by Medrounds Publications, Inc. Advice and suggestions given in this book are not meant to replace professional medical or psychiatric care. The reader is advised to consult his or her physician before http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/encyclopedia-of-aging-and-elderly_21.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113788831362060002Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:04:00 +00002006-01-21T16:05:13.633-08:00BIBLIOGRAPHY Abrahams, E. "Let Them All Be Dammed-I'll Do As I Please." American Heritage. 44-57, (Sept./Oct., 1987). Achenbaum, W. A. Old Age in a New Land: The American Experience Since 1790. Baltimore:The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978. Adult Day Care Annotated Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: National Council on the Aging,1982. American Association of Retired Persons. A Guide for Long http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/bibliography.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113788818314469905Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:00:00 +00002006-01-21T16:03:03.150-08:00APPENDIX II NATIONAL ORGANIZATION LIST American Medical Association 535 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60610 AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) 1909 K Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20049 (202)872-4700 AARP Consumer Affairs, Program Department 1909 K Street, N. W. Washington, DC 20049 AARP Fulfillment P.O. Box 2400 Long Beach, CA 90801 ACE (Active Corp of Executives) % Small Businesshttp://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/appendix-ii-sources-of-information.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739840421299639Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:59:00 +00002006-01-16T00:00:04.320-08:00The Yanomano Indians, who inhabit the tropical rain forests of northern Brazil and have little contact with modern cultures use no salt in their diet. Their major food is the plantain Musa paradisiaca, supplemented by game, fish, insects, and wild plants. Studies show that their average daily sodium excretion is about one mmol. Further, their blood pressure does not increase after the thirties http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/yanomamo-indians.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739838421683652Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:59:00 +00002006-01-15T23:59:44.266-08:00A survey reported in Modern Maturity, the magazine of the American Association of Retired Persons, suggests that people who work beyond retirement age do so most often in jobs that give them freedom, challenge, and creative opportunities. Statistics show that nearly half the men working past age 65 are in occupations that the U.S. Labor Department labels as "sales," 16 percent are in executive http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/work-after-retirement.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739836298008887Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:59:00 +00002006-01-15T23:59:23.030-08:00Wisdom has been attributed to older people in nearly all world societies from ancient times, but modern research on the psychology of aging has paid little attention to this quality of the late years. Instead, studies of the psychology of aging have frequently focused on decline, comparing the mental performance of old people with young people on such tasks as the speed of learning new http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/wisdom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739833839646711Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:58:00 +00002006-01-15T23:58:58.556-08:00The combined effects of low temperature and wind speed make cold weather seem colder to exposed skin. This is known as the wind chill index. A very strong wind combined with temperatures only slightly below freezing can have the same chilling effect as a temperature nearly 50 degrees lower in a calm atmosphere. The elderly and those in high-risk groups should remain indoors during winter storms http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/wind-chill.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739831371033325Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:58:00 +00002006-01-15T23:58:33.773-08:00Many older people avoid making a will because they feel it is morbid or unnecessary, and in fact, only one out of eight people die with a will. Some people think that wills are only for the wealthy, not realizing that the costs and complications caused by not having a will can be especially heavy when small amounts of property are involved. Every person needs a will to avoid unnecessary costs andhttp://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/wills.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739829228309318Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:57:00 +00002006-01-15T23:58:12.373-08:00One of the most difficult adjustments in becoming a widow is learning to live independently. Formerly shared decisions must now be made alone. Chores and jobs never done before now become one's responsibility and learning to cope can be a painful process. Relying on the experience of someone who has been through the process can be helpful, and one widow, Anna Averyt of Mobile, Alabama, offers thehttp://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/widowhood-preparing-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739826679024756Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:57:00 +00002006-01-15T23:57:46.860-08:00As individuals grow older, the likelihood of being confined to a wheelchair increases. The nature of the disability may be temporary, such as post surgery or following a fracture. The disability may be permanent, including such conditions as frailty or arthritis. Regardless of the reason for the disability, it may be necessary at some point to manage a wheelchair. Transfers Transfers from http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/wheelchair-management.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739824214952596Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:57:00 +00002006-01-15T23:57:22.203-08:00The oldest theory of aging is the "wearing out" theory. This theory proposes that the body wears out just as a car does. Molecules and cells within the body that are meant to last a lifetime and are not usually replaced begin to degenerate. Nerve cells do not regenerate and nor do the collagen molecules that hold the body's skin and organs together. When these are damaged, their function is lost.http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/wearing-out-theory.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739822461803405Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:56:00 +00002006-01-15T23:57:04.676-08:00A relationship between the hardness of drinking water and the aging of the cardiovascular system has been proposed often over the past 20 years. The study on three matched communities in Los Angeles appears to rule out that hypothesis. Mortality from cardiovascular diseases was not related to water hardness. See also AGING, BIOLOGICAL THEORY OF. Allweight, S. P., et al. Mortality and http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/water-hard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739820354426810Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:56:00 +00002006-01-15T23:56:43.676-08:00Walking is one of the best ways for older people to keep fit. Establishing a routine of walking and sticking to it can assist with digestion, elimination, and circulation. Many older people prefer walking to jogging because it is safer. Most elderly people in good health walk as well as they did in youth and middle age, although with more deliberation. Some tend to walk more slowly, eyeing the http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/walking.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739816584085782Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:55:00 +00002006-01-15T23:56:05.890-08:00The wisdom and expertise of many elderly people is a vast resource, many charitable and philanthropic organizations gladly receive older individuals who wish to offer volunteer services. When older individuals engage in volunteer work they often find that they become deeply engaged in the organization's activities even though they may not have been particularly interested at first. Politics is http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/volunteer-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739814171117412Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:55:00 +00002006-01-15T23:55:41.766-08:00The need for vitamins increases with age. There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) can be stored in the body and may build up to toxic levels if consumed in large doses. The water-soluble vitamins (B-complex and C) are not stored well in the body, so they must be eaten daily. Mineral oil inhibits the absorption of fat-soluble http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vitamins-minerals-vitamins-d-e-k-b.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739809944856827Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:54:00 +00002006-01-15T23:54:59.500-08:00Pernicious anemia is the most common type of megaloblastic (abnormal blood cells) anemia. It is caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency secondary to the lack of intrinsic factor secretion due to gastric atrophy. It occurs most frequently in later life. The onset is insidious so that the anemia may be severe by the time the patient is first seen. The symptoms often can be mistaken for other illnesses, http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vitamin-b12-deficiency-pernicious.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739805943976000Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:54:00 +00002006-01-15T23:54:19.493-08:00Vital capacity measures the volume of air a person can blowout of the lungs after a deep breath. William B. Kannel and Helen Hubert of Boston University School of Medicine report that vital capacity can predict both long-term and short-term mortality. They say, "This pulmonary function measurement appears to be an indicator of general health and vigor and literally, a measure of living capacity. http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vital-capacity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739803398962094Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:53:00 +00002006-01-15T23:53:54.086-08:00Frequently, valuable information, instructions, and warnings can not be read and understood by those with impaired eyesight because of poor selection of print size or visual contrasts. The most visible printing combination is black ink letters on white paper. Any print lighter than black or paper darker than white decreases the contrast. As people age, the need for contrast increases because of http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/visual-limitations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739801343711896Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:53:00 +00002006-01-15T23:53:33.496-08:00Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) is a service project under the auspices of ACTION. It was established in 1964 and is the oldest program in ACTION. VISTA volunteers work and live among the poor, establishing programs that focus on hunger, unemployment, homelessness, illiteracy, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and the needs of the elderly, handicapped, and low-income youth. http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vista-volunteers-in-service-to-america.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739799162062255Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:52:00 +00002006-01-15T23:53:11.680-08:00Often individuals who visit the elderly, whether out of a sense of duty or because they enjoy it, find that they do not know what to do during such events. Fortunately experience has shown that there are particular ways to create pleasant and meaningful times for the visitor as well as for homebound or institutionalized persons. Taking snapshots of family, friends, and events of past times can behttp://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/visiting-homebound-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739795770093636Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:52:00 +00002006-01-15T23:52:43.760-08:00As an individual ages, light does not reach the retina as readily due to decreased pupil size, loss of lens transparency, and the thickening of the lens and lens capsule. Thus, a 65-year-old needs twice as much illumination to see as does a 20-yearold, and the 75-year-old needs three times as much. If the eyes adapt slowly to changes in illumination, wearing dark glasses until the person just http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vision.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739792893531366Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:51:00 +00002006-01-15T23:52:09.060-08:00Vertigo is one of the most common symptoms in old age. Vertigo may be caused by changes in blood pressure, diagnostic tests, vascular lesions, poorly fitted hearing aid or eyeglasses, inner ear defects, heart disorders, drug reactions, or Meniere's disease (disease characterized by vertigo, nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and progressive deafness). Symptoms of vertigo include light-headedness, http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vertigo-dizziness-dysequilibrium.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739790344890649Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:51:00 +00002006-01-15T23:51:43.513-08:00Ventricular fibrillation is a cardiac arrhythmia in which the ventricles twitch and there are no recognizable waves on the ECG tracing. Ventricular fibrillation is seen with electrocution, drowning, drug toxicity, and most often myocardial infarction. The prevalence of ventricular arrhythmias increase with age. Arrhythmias are also more serious in elderly because they may further compromise vitalhttp://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/ventricular-fibrillation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739788302770247Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:51:00 +00002006-01-15T23:51:23.076-08:00A drug in the experimental stage that shows promise of improving memory is vasopressin, a naturally occurring neurotransmitter found in the hypothalamus. Its use as a drug was developed at the National Institute of Mental Health. Used as a nasal spray, vasopressin permeates the nasal membranes and reaches directly into the brain. Some studies show that the drug increased learning and memory in http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/vasopressin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16756779.post-113739785331061434Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:50:00 +00002006-01-15T23:50:53.363-08:00Varicose veins are dilated tortuous veins, usually in the lower extremities. The valves of these veins are incompetent, allowing the blood to seep backward. The seepage causes congestion and further distention of the veins. Although the saphenous veins (veins running down leg) are most commonly affected, the rectum and esophagus may also be affected. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins around the http://www.medrounds.org/encyclopedia-of-aging/2006/01/varicose-veins.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (MedRounds Publications)0