Introduction
Some changes that occur to a person as they age are considered normal since they are expected of a person at that age. Other changes, referred to as abnormal, indicate the availability of a health concern since they are not expected of an elderly in a particular age. Both normal and abnormal age changes must be addressed by various stakeholders concerned. However, more care is necessary if the problem is abnormal. Hearing loss is one of the most common normal age-related changes in the elderly. A common abnormal age-related change affecting this group is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Discussed below are one common normal and an abnormal change experienced by the elderly.
Hearing Loss
Age-related hearing loss is also called Presbycusis and occurs gradually as someone ages. This problem seems to be genetically influenced as it is common in only some families. Presbycusis occurs in two ways, first is the inability of a person to tolerate loud sounds. The second is the inability of an aging person to get what they are being told, forcing the communicator to either should or come closer. Studies show that approximately one in every three people aged between 65 and 74 face this problem (Tahden et al., 2018). Half of the older adults aged above 75 years have been found to exhibit symptoms that depict hearing loss (Amieva et al., 2018). However, most people who face this problem do not like admitting it (Tahden et al., 2018). This could make them depressed since they will withdraw from the people around them or feel embarrassed for not being able to hear. People, especially those who deal with facility programming, should ensure that the hearing loss issue is well addressed. Hearing aids should be available to all older adults since most people with the problem have no diagnostics. The telephones should be amplified to ensure that the elderly can hear better.
The MCI
One common abnormal change that occurs as people age is mild cognitive impairment. This ailment is abnormal, meaning medical intervention should be taken if a person experiences problems related to memory loss, language, and judgment. MCI victims can self-diagnose since most realize the loss of the mental capabilities to recall events. Dementia and other complications that MCI brings are linked to a particular gene, APOE e4 (Jongsiriyanyong & Limpawattana, 2018). This condition sometimes gets worse and may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. The disease is influenced by aging since it is associated with other aging conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cholesterol, and decreased social and physical activities. When setting up facilities for the elderly, the following should be ensured to reduce MCI. First, the facilities programmers should ensure that the aging people’s structures are free from air pollution and have enough ventilation. Secondly, the programmers should ensure that the facilities provide an environment encouraging social and physical activities. Finally, brain stimulators such as puzzle games, chess games, and memory training sessions should be plentiful.
Conclusion
Hearing loss and MCI are the most common diseases the elderly suffer from. Hearing loss is normal and is experienced by most of the population, while MCI is not. Both of these conditions are related to the aging process since they are contributed by particular genes which become more dominant with age. The two problems can be addressed using various methods, one of which is facility programming, as discussed above.
References
Amieva, H., Ouvrard, C., Meillon, C., Rullier, L., & Dartigues, J.-F. (2018). Death, depression, disability, and dementia associated with self-reported hearing Problems: A 25-Year Study.The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 73(10), 1383–1389.
Jongsiriyanyong, S., & Limpawattana, P. (2018). Mild cognitive impairment in clinical practice: A review article. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias®, 33(8), 500–507.
Tahden, M. A. S., Gieseler, A., Meis, M., Wagener, K. C., & Colonius, H. (2018). What keeps older adults with hearing impairment from adopting hearing aids?Trends in Hearing, 22.