Geriatric Research Paper
...heir money. As they get older they need more care which becomes increasingly more expensive. They do not socialize as much because as people age they prefer to be left alone. When they do go out to socialize they prefer to go out with their families as opposed to with friends. But because of their limited finances they can not all afford to go out. Alzheimer's is a very common disease among the elderly. This disease causes brain functions to go backwards. It slowly causes the affected person to forget a lot of things that can be easily remembered. They can not remember their family members and eventually can’t remember simple things like brushing your teeth and eating. The people affected by this disease become full care. This can become so taxing on a person’s family so that they have to put their loved one in a nursing home. Pneumonia can also affect the elderly. Because of the weakened immune system of the elderly they can easily come down with pneumonia. This respiratory illness can seriously affect the overall health of the elderly. If it is a really bad case the person may never recover form the illness. There are many myths about aging with no real evidence to back them. One being The Horse is Out of the Barn. That is a stereotypical assumption that, if you're older, it’s too late to reverse lifelong risky lifestyles and habits such as smoking, drinking, fatty foods and lack of exercise. The damage has already been done and poor habits are permanently ingrained. Debilities related to decades of smoking, excessive alcohol use, eating fatty foods and lack of exercise are often simply chalked up to age. Another myth is "the lights may be on, but the voltage is low." Again, a stereotype pervades that older men and women suffer from inadequate physical and mental abilities. This assumption finds its most pronounced expression in the general belief that sexual interest and activity in later life is rare and downright inappropriate. As we grow ...