Introduction to issues in againg and counselling seniors

1. Aging intro…
Created and presented by Brenda McCreight Ph.D.

2. Changing life span…
 Up until the 1600’s only 1% of the population reached age 65 - mostly
male and in church hierarchies or government hierarchies
 1800 the average age at death was between 38 and 44
 1900 the average age in industrialized nations was 39 to 47
 2000 the average life span was 71 years (higher in women, lower in men)
– life span increased by 20 years in one century
 Today – mid- 80’s

3. Neurobiology of aging in one short slide…
 There isn’t much neuronal loss – the main loss occurs because the neurons shrink,
not die
 This results in less capacity in the following:
 Frontal lobes- thinking and planning
 Temporal lobe - hearing and memory
 Grey matter – information processing
 White matter – communication

4. Common physical changes…
• The most widespread conditions
affecting those 65 and older include
arthritis, heart disease, stroke,
cancer, pneumonia and the flu.
• Accidents, especially falls that
result in hip fractures, are also
common

5. Common physical changes…
 Heart conditions (hypertension, vascular disease, congestive heart failure, high
blood pressure and coronary artery disease)
 Dementia
 Delirium
 Depression
 Incontinence (urinary and bowel)
 Arthritis

6. More…
 Osteoporosis
 Diabetes
 Breathing problems
 Frequent falls, which can lead to fractures
 Parkinson’s disease
 Sleep problems
 Cancer
 Eye problems (cataracts, glaucoma, Macular Degeneration)
 Weight loss (due to loss of appetite, loss of taste buds, depression, meds)

7. Still more…
 A slowed reaction time, which is especially important when
judging whether a person can safely drive.
 Thinner skin, which can lead to tears or wounds that heal very
slowly.
 A weakened immune system, which can make fighting off
viruses, bacteria and diseases difficult.
 A diminished sense of taste or smell, especially for smokers,
which can lead to diminished appetite and dehydration.

8. Dementias
 Alzheimer’s
 Vascular dementia
 Lewy bodies
 Mixed
 Parkinson’s
 Frontotemporal
 Corticobasal degeneration (not a dementia but symptoms confuse others and
person begins to be treated as if they have dementia) – poor coordination, reduced
movement, cognitive & visual impairment, speech & swallowing problems ---- no
treatment at this time

9. Quality of aging is impacted by…
 Early childhood experiences
 Trauma experiences throughout the life
 Long term lifestyle
 Level of education
 Income
 Ethnicity/race
 Gender
 Quality and number of significant relationships
 Long term health
 Genetics
 Losses/grief

10. Aging issues in Canada…
 Employment (relates to income and debt load – 45% of Canadians over
age 65 still have mortgage payments and other substantial debt)
 Housing – living alone, assisted, co-living
 Health care – general, HIV, trans, poverty, dementia, needs of senior
refugees still not known, substance & alcohol abuse, mental health
 Elder abuse/neglect – financial, emotional, physical, spiritual
 Social and family relationships
 End of life decisions

11. Counselling Issues or Seniors
 Problems are underreported to health care
 Mental health services are underutilized
 There are high rates of noncompliance with medical regimens and frequent
treatment dropout
 Evidence of increased tolerance to illness/disorder/discomfort to which
individuals have adapted
 Obesity and late onset diabetes impact medication effectiveness
 Minority older adults frequently have been excluded from drug research
 Frequent misdiagnosis
 Cohort resististance to counselling