Health Conditions and Sleep Conditions that commonly affect sleep in older people include depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and conditions that cause discomfort and pain, such as arthritis.
When your loved one gets older, they no longer have enough strength for standing and walking. Due to this, seniors tend to sit more often than usual. So when they try to stand up and walk afterward, they may feel a bit unsteady and wobbly. It is a common scenario for older adults.
The doctor called it hypoactive delirium, and it's apparently common in dementia patients in a strange environment. Someone could be ill, in pain, dehydrated, confused or suffer from medication side effects.
A lack of physical activity or exercise can also make it more likely that a person will experience loss of mobility as they age. The increasing incidence of sedentarism (sitting too much) is a growing health concern: Too many older adults don't get enough physical activity and spend too much time sitting daily.
Unopened mail, papers pilling up, unpaid bills, phone calls not returned, low food supply, unkempt home interior and/or exterior, laundry piling up, spilling and dropping things (check carpet for stains) and keeping curtains drawn, all signal signs of decline.
Functional decline has been identified as the leading complication of hospitalisation in the elderly and can result in under-nutrition and dehydration, decreased mobility and loss of independence, accelerated bone loss, delirium and depression, pressure ulcers and skin tears and incontinence.
The United States' older adult population can thus, be divided into three life-stage subgroups: the young-old (approximately 65 to 74 years old), the middle-old (ages 75 to 84 years old), and the old-old (over age 85).
Conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and Parkinson's can all affect mobility. In some cases, diabetes may also contribute to mobility loss. Oftentimes, additional health factors such as excess weight can make mobility more difficult because it adds strain on the bones and joints.
Importance of muscle health: The age-related loss of muscle may decrease mobility. Loss of muscle mass can begin as early as 30 years2 and it can become more prominent from the age of 50 onwards. The rate of muscle loss is influenced by the amount of regular physical activity people do throughout their lives.
If you're unable to get up, the first thing to do is seek help. The second thing is to find a warm location because people who fall may also be at risk of hypothermia. Reach for a blanket, clothing, or nearby covering to help keep warm. Even if heat isn't a concern, it's still a good idea to keep moving.
Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Untreated pain and diseases like fibromyalgia. Anemia. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
A study from the University of Plymouth suggests that production of a hormone called peptide YY - the chemical that alerts a person's brain when he's had enough to eat - may be over-stimulated in the elderly. As a result, seniors could feel full well before they've actually consumed as much food as they need.
Sleep and Aging
Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults—7 to 9 hours each night. But, older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger. There are many reasons why older people may not get enough sleep at night.
According to their internal body clock, most older adults need to go to sleep around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Many people fight their natural inclination to sleep and choose to go to bed several hours later instead.
Leg muscle weakness in elderly loved ones typically doesn't indicate rare diseases; it's often something as simple as a vitamin deficiency. With that said, you should seek emergency medical care if sudden weakness comes, including sharp pain, loss of bowel or bladder control, or signs of a stroke.
The most common risk factors for mobility impairment are older age, low physical activity, obesity, strength or balance impairment, and chronic diseases such as diabetes or arthritis.
Generally, older adults in good physical shape walk somewhere between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily. This translates into walking distances of 1 and 4-1/2 miles respectively. Increasing the walking distance by roughly a mile will produce health benefits.
Abnormal development of the muscles or bones of your legs or feet. Arthritis of the hips, knees, ankles, or feet. Cerebellar disorders, which are disorders of the area of the brain that controls coordination and balance. Foot problems, including corns and calluses, sores, and warts.
Late adulthood encompasses a long period, from age 60 potentially to age 120– sixty years!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines an “older adult” as someone who is at least 60 years old. Many states may also have different definitions of “elderly” when determining what resources are available in cases of elder abuse, although most states commonly use 65 years of age as the cut-off.
End of Life
End of life is the last stage in the aging process. At this point, the senior is nearing their final days. Some older adults choose to stop receiving medical treatment and enter hospice care, and others wish to continue receiving the same services.