Illness and disability - Essay Example

Lecturer Essay # Growing old in a new age- Illness and Disability This video focuses on the physical and mental health problemsof older persons, and how healthcare providers are responding to these health issues. According to the video, many of the older persons have at least one chronic health problem, and the common ones are arthritis, high blood pressure, heart diseases and orthopedic problems. Most of the older people evaluate their health based on their ability to do things, and this explains why most of them report that they are healthy.

Healthcare differences among older people are related to gender, social-economic status, ethnic group and the availability of social support. A majority of the health differences are a function of finance. Social support is the most critical of these factors. Among the elderly, dementias, depression and alcoholism have been found to be the most common emotional problems. These give arise to other health problems. In particular, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common problems among the elderly, and this requires great care and attention.

Unfortunately, some of these elderly persons deny their heath challenges, and this makes the process of treating and caring for them difficult. There is however a disturbing feeling among healthcare providers that the elder should receive less concern. They are offered inferior medical assistance compared to other groups. Some physicians believe that the elderly are a burden to the healthcare system. Luckily, there are those physicians who develop a personal relationship with these patients.

According to medical experts, it is important for physicians to feel the emotional side of the patients’ well-being. There is a wide range of programs available for the elderly, and some are in-home programs. However, most of these programs, especially the in-house care, are expensive and thus unavailable. According to the video, board and care homes are a good option in enhancing the quality of care among the elderly. Unfortunately, the United States does not compare well with other developed nations when it comes to caring for the elderly.

As the population of the elderly continues to increase, there is need to plan for how their health needs will be addressed. Works CitedThe University of Hawaii Center on Aging. " Growing Old in a New Age: Illness and Disability."Annenberg Learner - Teacher Professional Development. Annenberg Media, 1993. Web. 20 Nov. 2014. .