Introduction
It is worth noting that the psychological or physical abuse of senior individuals is a serious public health issue, and it affects all aspects of an older person’s life. Any form of violence can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences that have an impact on the quality of life of an older adult (Stone & Humphries, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the connection between abuse and health problems experienced by senior individuals.
Discussion
As people get older, they experience bone wastage, and their muscles lose in strength since muscle fibers shrink, and tissue is replaced much slower. Age-related alterations in the nervous system result in reduced muscle tone (McKean, Ross, Dressler, & Scheurer, 2017). In the case of abuse, the situation deteriorates, and the senior individual cannot recuperate quickly, which affects the way they function. If a person becomes less mobile due to trauma, they start losing muscle tissue. Moreover, joint movement becomes stiffer, and it may be painful for them to move.
Importantly, physical abuse always implies psychological harassment, which may result in various health-related issues in the senior individual. If a person experiences violence, they may develop anxiety and depression, which often lead to digestive disorders. Depressive moods may result in improper nutrition, inadequate eating behavior, and problems with swallowing and food digestion (Bonder & Dal Bello-Haas, 2018). Such dysfunctions affect the normal movement of food and the individual experiences additional stress due to the digestive disorder that causes discomfort and improper nutrition.
Concluding Points
It is crucial to stress that senior patients suffering from any form of abuse often experience chronic pain in bones and muscles, which affects their mental health (Bonder & Dal Bello-Haas, 2018). Aging people do not recuperate quickly, which leads to lower physical functioning. As a result, individuals cannot exercise enough, which affects muscle tone and joint mobility. Increased stress levels may also result in the development of cardiovascular disease (Stone & Humphries, 2017). Since psychological abuse is associated with an unstable emotional state of a senior individual, it is likely to cause hypertension. Increased nervousness and the inability of the senior person to control their blood pressure are the main factors leading to hypertension and associated conditions.
References
Bonder, B. R., & Dal Bello-Haas, V. (2018). Functional performance in older adults (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.
McKean, S. C., Ross, J. J., Dressler, D. D., & Scheurer, D. B. (2017). Principles and practice of hospital medicine (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional.
Stone, C. K., & Humphries, R. L. (2017). Current diagnosis and treatment emergency medicine (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional.