Healthcare Report 2022

RUNNING HEAD: HEALTHCARE 0
Adults Aging Well March 2
2020

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Introduction
People who are in the age category of sixty years of age are considered as old adults or
senior citizens. In easy words, the term used by people for this age group is senior citizens. In a
youth-obsessed society, being old is treated negatively. It is often considered that senior citizens
are fragile, old, useless, and old-fashioned. Traditionally old age is marked as the final stage in
the human life cycle. Old age is often considered as a time of loneliness and decline (Pruitt &
Adlin, 2010). Most old adults feel lonely and lose their hope to live. This report will discuss the
adults aging well in contemporary society. This report will analyze the ways through which old
adults can live well or age well. This report will discuss the importance of social involvement in
helping old adults in aging well. Further, it will express the importance of developing healthy
habits in old adults to live a healthy life. Old adults need to have a purpose in life. Before
entering into old adulthood, an adult should be financially prepared to deal with daily life
challenges (Erber, 2012). This report will also describe the importance of the promotion of
health in old adults. This report will elaborate on old adults aging well.
Adults Aging in the UK
Demographics of the aging population
The UK has nearly twelve million people aged 65 and above. 5.4 million People are 75
plus in the UK. 1.6 million People are aged 85+. And over 5 lakh people are aged 90+ (Census,
2011). On average females live 3.6 years longer than men. Women have 0.6 additional years of
good health compared to men (Marmot & Bell, 2012). The living of humans depends on how
an individual has lived their life. For example, humans who were particular about healthy work-
life and healthy eating habits live longer in comparison to those who were careless and didn't
maintain a healthy lifestyle in their young and old adulthood.
Partnership status in old adults
In 2017 5.5 % of old adults aged 65+ were not married or civil partnered. 60% were
married and had a civil partnership. 10.5% were divorced and 24.1% were widowed (ONS,
2017). According to studies, it is discovered that people who are feeling lonely and lose their
hope or purpose in life die early than expected. Old adults that feel lonely and have no one social

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circle can lead to depression and die early in comparison to the one that has an active social
circle and have someone to spend time with.
Housing
6.5 million Households in England are headed by 65 years and above. Just 6% of the
population is still paying a mortgage. Also, 27% of households in the rented sector are headed by
a person aged 65 or above. More than 2500 senior citizens that were over 60 years were
identified as homeless in 2018 (ONS 2. , 2018). In old age, senior citizens need a comfortable
space to live and spend their remaining life happily and comfortably. Poor quality, hazardous,
poorly heated, and poorly isolated accommodation can lead to reduced mobility, depression,
chronic, and loneliness in the senior citizen that affects their health negatively (Haslbeck,
McCorkle, & Schaeffer, 2012).
Health in old adulthood
Physical health
To perform daily activities like buying groceries, driving a car, keeping one self-
hygienic, and interaction with social circle needs little energy. Performing these basic activities
needs energy and if the human body is not fit or feels dehydrated than these basic activities can
become hard to perform. A senior citizen whose body is already weak in comparison to young
adults, it sometimes becomes difficult to perform basic daily routine activities because of weak
stamina and poor health. Senior citizens need to try and maintain their health for living a disease-
free life (Chatterji , Byles, Cutler, & Seeman, 2015).
Senior citizens can perform activities such as a moderate level workout or a simple 30 min walk.
Also, it is very essential to keep a track on food at the later phase of life. Senior citizens should
avoid food that contains high sugar or food that is difficult to digest. Also, senior citizens are
required to develop stamina that will help them fight viruses and winters. For all these activities,
a senior citizen needs to exercise and keep a watch on their food consumption.
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is when the meal does not contain the correct amount of nutrition. Senior
citizens need more energy and stamina to perform jobs or tasks. They should eat foods that are

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high on protein yet easy to digest (Wu, 2016). For digesting their food it is essential to develop
a habit of simply walking for a healthy lifestyle. Malnutrition affects every part of the body
increases the exposure to illness, increases health complications. It is essential to eat the correct
quantity of vegetables and fruits to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Adults that are self-independent
and survive on their own should try to maintain a healthy diet to avoid health-related issues.
Lifestyle
Maintain a healthy lifestyle is the key to aging well. For example, avoiding smoking,
controlling alcohol consumption, practicing physical activity, and consuming the right amount of
nutrition in meals are some basic habits that a senior citizen should cultivate for maintaining a
healthy lifestyle (Sun, Norman, & While, 2013). A healthy lifestyle benefit in successful
aging increases the life length and reduces the risk of poor mental function.
Poverty and deprivation
Humans are generally considered to be living in poverty when their incomes are not
sufficient to encounter their daily requirements. This can mean struggling for food, paying
energy consumption bills, and a hideout to sleep comfortably. 16% of senior citizens living in the
UK suffer from poverty. It is difficult for them to survive basic daily needs. Also, the financial
capacity of a senior citizen decides his or her social support. Senior citizens that are financially
unstable develop stress easily in comparison to the financially stable ones. Stress often leads to
sleep deprivation. An old adult needs to sleep. Sleep-deprived old adults can get depression,
poor health conditions; negatively affect the immune system, and social loneliness (Simon &
Walker, 2018). For managing all these health-related issues senior citizens need to get prepared
when they were still young. There is a vast impact of home conditions on both the health and the
aging. Old adults living with long-term illness will make them lose their hope in life and that
shortens their life length. Senior citizens need to understand the relation between houses, food,
disease prevention, and maintain healthy lifestyle habits to lengthen their life duration.
Adults aging well in contemporary society
Medical science provides various "aging well" objectives. A few objectives are
emphasized on physical ability, importance to social activity, and prominence on intellectual
strength. On average humans live till the age of 83-85. Besides, a woman lives longer than a