Reflecting on the Needs of Older Adults

Reflecting on the Needs of Older Adults
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Reflecting on the Needs of Older Adults
Older adults primary care needs differ from the general population of adults because of chronic conditions. NCOA (n.d.) notes that older adults have higher risks of chronic conditions than general adult population. About 80 percent of older adults suffer from at least one chronic condition and in 2012, more than 60 percent of older adults had two or more chronic conditions (HealthyPeople, 2020). The most common chronic condition affecting older adults is diabetes. It is approximated that 23 percent of Americans 60 years and above suffer from diabetes (NCOA, n.d.). Other common chronic conditions among older adults include heart disease, stroke, and chronic bronchitis.
Older adults primary care needs also differ because of increased risk of falls and injury. HealthyPeople (2010) argues that every 13 seconds, older adults are treated for falls in the ER while they result in death every 20 minutes. One out of three older adults fall each year but do not report to their primary care physician (HealthyPeople...