Improving Quality of Life for Older Persons

The assignment content is about a program aimed at improving the quality of life for older people by reducing disability and dementia. The report highlights the growing concern about the aging population, which will lead to increased healthcare costs and burdens on health care institutions. The program aims to identify priority research areas in biomedical science, clinical science, behavioral science, and health services delivery to contribute to the quality of life and independence of older people.

Assignment 9th
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
.
The purpose of the program is to raise the concern towards the improvement of older person's
quality towards life. Science is in to offering the best hope for improving the older person's
quality towards life. For the reduction in disability and also the reduction in dependency which
are quite a common thing of old age, and also towards the reduction of burdens which are
thrusted upon health care institutions due to their constraints in limits, this report is created
towards the grant of fund. Hence it can be conceived that this Executive Summary is intended for
the aging class of people, and thus they are the target audience.
The benefits of the program or project is in lowering vulnerability towards disability of older
class of people, with dementia, which are increasing at a faster rate. Although, the life
expectancy of the average Americans is on the rise, but at the same time, there is also a majority
group who are advancing vigorously towards the old age. This has become an area of concern for
not only the older people but also the families of them who are concerned about the attached
disability or that of dementia and most importantly the loss of independence (Manton, K. G., and
B. J. Soldo. , 1985). It has been highlighted that this aging will definitely challenge and not only
to the political systems, but also the retirement, and also the social service systems. So, it can be
comprehended that, the aging problem is creating risks in the area of health care. Hence, there is
an urgent need which cannot be underscored since the figures from census depicts that, older
persons are considered to be most vulnerable towards disability and also dementia, and this
vulnerability is increasing at a faster rate, thus it is evident that, the disabled older persons’ care
will only increase in days to come, unless the reasons which are causing disability are identified
and controlled (Schneider, E. L., and J. M. Guralnick., 1990). It is conceived that, there is a need
for controlling the acute and chronic illness in old age, which are majorly causing disability and
suffering, so this report aims at not merely extending life but finding ways towards the
enhancement of it (Hagnell, O., J. Lanke, B. Rorsman, R. Ohman, and L. Ojesjö. , 1983).
The basis upon which the program or project will be evaluated is on the two reports produced by
the (National Institute on Aging- Our Future Selves, 1978), and (National Institute on Aging-
Toward an Independent Old Age: A National Plan for Research on Aging. , 1982), hence, this
report is aimed at identifying the priority research on aging which were done on the biomedical
science, or the clinical science, and also the behavioral science including social studies relating
to health, and also including the health services delivery, and by considering the biomedical
ethics, so that the research can be done on the on aging which will then contribute towards the
quality of life and maximize the independence of older persons.
According (Schneider, E. L., and J. M. Guralnick., 1990), the cost of health care for older
persons is on the rise and is growing rapidly. (Schneider, E. L., and J. M. Guralnick., 1990),
highlighted that, during 1987 the cost for providing health care for elderly patients was $162

billion (National Institute on Aging. 1988. Personnel for Health Needs of the Elderly Through
the Year 2020. September 1987 Report to Congress. , 1988) which was the increased number in
a decade (Waldo, D. R., S. T. Sonnefeld, D. R. McKusick, and R. H. Arnett. , 1989). Again, the
Medicare costs were $75 billion for the disability care and also for the illness for old, and which
is estimated by (Schneider, E. L., and J. M. Guralnick., 1990), to have an extreme fluctuation by
2020, thereby rising to $145 billion per year.
But, what if the medical care fails in diminishing the incidence of disease among older persons,
and if the therapy reducing lethal complications of disease happens to increase life expectancy,
but at the cost of prolonged chronic illness with associated disability (Katz, S., L. G. Branch, M.
H. J. Branson, J. A. Papsidero, J. C. Beck, and D. S. Greer., 1983). So, this report aims in
promoting interventions so that there can be decrease in mortality rates, which can only be made
by diminishing the incidence, by reducing the severity of it, and also slowing the rate of
progression of disease, thereby improving active life expectancy as well as life expectancy,
where the rate of aging, is slowed or lowered by decreasing the dependence among older
individuals (Kane, R., D. Solomon, J. Beck, E. Keeler, and R. Kane., 1980)Construction costs
will include additional multidisciplinary centers and those for out-of-center facilities and
laboratories. The cost of construction can be supported by the federal government along with the
and local and state organizations. There will be additional contingency housing costs, so this
report suggests that, the total one-time costs for construction, is estimated to be $10 million and
are to be phased over a 3-year period, with $3 million which are planned to be undertaken to
explore and implement and are distributed among several areas of research.
References
Hagnell, O., J. Lanke, B. Rorsman, R. Ohman, and L. Ojesjö. . (1983). Current trends in the
incidence of senile and multi-infarct dementia. Archives of Psychiatry and Neurological
Science , 233-423.
Kane, R., D. Solomon, J. Beck, E. Keeler, and R. Kane. (1980). The future need for geriatric
manpower in the United States . New England Journal of Medicine, 1327-1332.
Katz, S., L. G. Branch, M. H. J. Branson, J. A. Papsidero, J. C. Beck, and D. S. Greer. (1983).
Active life expectancy . New England Journal of Medicine, 1218-1224.
Manton, K. G., and B. J. Soldo. . (1985). Dynamics of health changes in the oldest old:
Perspectives and evidence. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly; Health and Society , 206-
285.
(1978). National Institute on Aging- Our Future Selves. Bethesda, Md: U.S. Government
Printing Office.
(1982). National Institute on Aging- Toward an Independent Old Age: A National Plan for
Research on Aging. . Bethesda, Md : U.S. Government Printing Office.
(1988). National Institute on Aging. 1988. Personnel for Health Needs of the Elderly Through
the Year 2020. September 1987 Report to Congress. . Washington, D.C: Document 1988-

205-735-736:32533, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Government
Printing.
Schneider, E. L., and J. M. Guralnick. (1990). The aging of America. Impact on health care costs
. Journal of the American Medical Association, 2335-2340.
Waldo, D. R., S. T. Sonnefeld, D. R. McKusick, and R. H. Arnett. . (1989). Health expenditures
by age group, 1977 and 1987. . Health Care Financing Review, 111-120.