The physical changes that occur in old age also bring health problems. The most common problems that gerontology deals with include, for example, incontinence, injuries caused by falls, or the development of diseases such as dementia. We present these and other typical health problems in old age below.
What are the most common problems?
Many diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke occur more frequently in old age than in younger years – but they are not typical signs of old age. The situation is different for signs of illness that occur when several organ systems are restricted in their function due to signs of aging and there is a lack of interaction between the brain, nerves and muscles.
Incontinence
Of women over the age of 65, about 15% and of men about 7% are affected by incontinence; among those over 80, the figure is already 25% – if they live at home. The figures are twice as high for nursing home residents. Overall, about 5 million people in Germany are incontinent.
Risk of falls
Due to loss of muscle mass and strength, deterioration of vision and sense of balance, 30% of people over 65 and 50% of people over 80 fall at least once a year.
Gait disorders
As people age, more and more require a walking aid: gait abnormalities are the result of deteriorated movement patterns and general gait instability due to reduced sensory organ activity. The walking speed decreases annually – if a speed of 1.4 meters per second is not reached, everyday difficulties arise increasingly, for example, during the green phase of a traffic light.
Dizziness
More than a quarter of all 65-year-olds complain of dizziness, which is often caused by poor interaction between the vestibular organ, the eyes, and the musculoskeletal system.
Dementia
40% of all people over 80 suffer from dementia, which is significant in that people with dementia are dependent on others for help – two-thirds of all dependencies in the elderly are caused by dementia.
Malnutrition
In many elderly people, difficulty swallowing, a decrease in the feeling of hunger, and chewing problems, such as those caused by a poorly fitting prosthesis, lead to a long-term undersupply of proteins and micronutrients. While this problem occurs in about 4% of all elderly people, it affects two-thirds of all nursing home residents. Permanent malnutrition leads to an increase in morbidity and mortality.
