Intrinsic Capacity And Resilience Vs Frailty On The Way To Healthy Aging

Older aged adults face many adversities over the later life course. This edited volume will address the ways in which seniors bounce back from different types and combinations of adversity – termed “resilience”. While research has been accumulating that identifies inherent abilities and external resources needed to adapt and navigate stress-inducing experiences among aging and older adults, gaps remain in understanding the unique elements and processes of resilience. A series of chapters included in this book will address several overarching questions: why do some older individuals/families/communities adapt to adversity better than others; what are modifiable behavioral protective/risk factors related to resilience; and how can we foster resilience at the individual/community level and which approaches show the most promise? The spectrum of aging-related challenges and responses addressed in this book include: mental health; physical/functional health problems; multimorbidity; socio-economic deprivation; social isolation and loneliness; cultural dimensions of loneliness; housing/homelessness problems; and environmental disasters. This book presents cutting-edge science at the conceptual, methodological, empirical and practice levels applied to emerging resilience sub-fields in gerontology. It will also present potential areas of future research, policy and practice linked to these areas. During a period of the most rapid population aging in the US, Canada and many other nations, coupled with heightened global socio-political change, extending our knowledge of resilience will help society to make important adjustments to maximize health and wellness of older individuals. Supporting and enhancing resilience through technological, social and/or community-level advances in geroscience will help those facing adversity to thrive by harnessing, stretching, and leveraging a wide array of potential resources. The promotion of healthier older populations has far-reaching consequences for health care and social/community support systems, both in terms of public health including pandemic response, and the development and implementation of innovations in treatment and practice guidelines.

Increasingly, we question ‘what makes us healthy?’, as well as ‘what makes us ill?’. What does this shift mean for frailty? Almost wholly defined in negative terms, the term ‘frail’ tends to refer to a group of older people who are at highest risk of adverse outcomes such as falls, infections, disability, admission to hospital or the need for long-term care. This ground-breaking book takes a holistic approach to frailty. It connects the medical literature with the wider social science discourse on ageing, and focuses on promoting wellbeing and the building up of strengths. Living with Frailty draws together the latest biomedical evidence and good practice in this emerging area and explores ideas about assets and resilience, the role of society and the social model of disability in relation to frailty, arguing that insufficient attention is paid to positive action such as developing bone strength, maintaining good nutrition and exercising. Chapters look at: existing models of frailty person-centred care assessing frailty and quality of life how falls, and fear of falls, relate to discussions of frailty delirium and frailty the environment and frailty sarcopenia. Living with Frailty is an important introduction and reference for all practitioners, researchers and students with an interest in frailty, wellbeing and social approaches to health. Forewords by Professors Ken Rockwood, Dalhousie University, and Adam Gordon, Nottingham University.

The WHO World report on ageing and health is not for the book shelf it is a living breathing testament to all older people who have fought for their voice to be heard at all levels of government across disciplines and sectors. - Mr Bjarne Hastrup President International Federation on Ageing and CEO DaneAge This report outlines a framework for action to foster Healthy Ageing built around the new concept of functional ability. This will require a transformation of health systems away from disease based curative models and towards the provision of older-person-centred and integrated care. It will require the development sometimes from nothing of comprehensive systems of long term care. It will require a coordinated response from many other sectors and multiple levels of government. And it will need to draw on better ways of measuring and monitoring the health and functioning of older populations. These actions are likely to be a sound investment in society's future. A future that gives older people the freedom to live lives that previous generations might never have imagined. The World report on ageing and health responds to these challenges by recommending equally profound changes in the way health policies for ageing populations are formulated and services are provided. As the foundation for its recommendations the report looks at what the latest evidence has to say about the ageing process noting that many common perceptions and assumptions about older people are based on outdated stereotypes. The report's recommendations are anchored in the evidence comprehensive and forward-looking yet eminently practical. Throughout examples of experiences from different countries are used to illustrate how specific problems can be addressed through innovation solutions. Topics explored range from strategies to deliver comprehensive and person-centred services to older populations to policies that enable older people to live in comfort and safety to ways to correct the problems and injustices inherent in current systems for long-term care.

Written with first-line primary care providers in mind, Ham’s Primary Care Geriatrics: A Case-Based Approach, 7th Edition, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read source of practical clinical guidance for this rapidly growing population. Using a unique, case-based approach, it covers the patient presentations you’re most likely to encounter, offering key clinical information, expert advice, and evidence-based medical guidelines throughout. This highly regarded text uses a consistent format and an enjoyable writing style to keep you informed, engaged, and up to date in this increasingly important field. Uses a case study format that is ideal for learning, retention, and rapid recall. All case studies are thoroughly up to date with current references. Features an interdisciplinary perspective to provide team-oriented knowledge on the best diagnosis, treatment, and management strategies available to address the complex needs of older adults. Contains a new chapter on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Medicine in Older Adults, as well as completely revised or rewritten chapters on rehabilitation, infectious disease, and urinary incontinence. Provides up-to-date information on key topics such as opioid management and polypharmacy, the “geriatric emergency room, cultural humility in the care of older adults, and the five signs of problematic substance abuse. Includes key learning objectives and USMLE-style questions in every chapter.