GOOD AFTERNOON/EVERY BODY.

IM GOING TO DO MY SPEECH ABOUT THE ELDERLY CARE

Firstly I will talk about the most common illnesses at this stage. Well, The most likely are six:
Arthritis, Diabetes, Alzheimer, heart failure, Parkinson and cancer

The main causes of arthritis are the age, trauma, or infection of the joint.
The Symptoms are Pain and stiffness, both can get worse over time.
The Causes of Diabetes are high blood glucose and insulin deficiency.
The Symptoms thirst and hunger, weight loss, and fatigue. If untreated, the condition can lead
to other problems such as kidney and heart failure.
Alzheimer's disease results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors
that affect the brain over. Although there is no cure, some studies suggest that diet,
pharmaceutical products, cardiovascular risk, or lack of mind-challenging activities may
contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's. Nowadays they are testing a new vaccine in humans.
The main symptoms are the memory lapses.
Heart Failure is caused by diabetes, obesity, heart attacks, hypertension, valvular heart disease
and some other forms of heart disease.
The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, ankle swelling, and coughing.
the causes of the Parkinsons disease are not known but its an inherited illness. Parkinsons
most often affects people 60 years of age and older, although it can affect younger people,
too, like actor Michael J. Fox.
The Symptoms include tremors, joint stiffness, slowness or absence of movement, difficulty
with speech and swallowing, as well as fatigue and gait and balance disturbances.

Talking about cancer ,The latest research points to environmental and lifestyle factors as the
main cause in the development of cancer. Tobacco, diet, inactivity and radiation exposure are
the top reasons. Only 5 to ten percent of cancers are the result of genetics. The symptoms can
be very varied but generally speaking fatigue and loss of weight are the most common

Lets move now to the diet

The nutritional needs change with the different stages of life. Its very important to attend
those needs. To cover them you should consume:

a wide variety of nutritious foods

water on a daily basis

enough kilojoules for energy, with carbohydrates as the preferred source

essential fatty acids from foods such as oily fish, nuts, avocado

adequate protein for cell maintenance and repair

fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins

essential minerals such as iron, calcium and zinc

foods containing plant-derived photochemicals, which may protect against heart

disease, diabetes, some cancers, arthritis and osteoporosis.

Here you can see some recommendations to follow to keep your health

Be as active as possible to encourage your appetite and maintain muscle mass.

well-balanced eating and regular exercise.

foods that are nutrient dense rather than energy dense

try to spend some time outside each day to boost your vitamin D synthesis for healthy
bones.

Limit foods that are high in energy and low in nutrients .

Choose foods that are naturally high in fibre to encourage bowel health.

Limit the use of table salt, especially during cooking.

Choose from a wide variety of foods and drink adequate fluids.

Share mealtimes with family and friends.

Exercise is really important in every stage of life.

You are never too old to take exercise.

Exercise will not restore your youth, but it will re-energise you; and the right exercise, done
regularly in the right way, will make you fit and keep you fit.
There are several types of exercises to practice. Were going to divide them into four types:
Endurance Exercises you can see them here (sealando)They improve the health of your
heart, lungs and circulatory system
Balance Exercises here(sealando) They prevent the problem of falls
Strength Exercises . those over here (they help you to keep your weight and they prevent
osteoporosis
And Flexibility Exercises these, prevent falls and keep your body supple

3.
Now Im going to tell you about the problems that may appear when the elderly stay in
hospital.
Almost half of adults who occupy hospital beds are over 65 ; this proportion is expected to
increase as the population ages.

Hospitalization itself poses risks to elderly patients because it involves confinement,

immobility, diagnostic testing, and treatments Treatment in hospitals can be dehumanizing
and impersonal.
The most common situations among the elderly while staying in hospital are

Bed rest effects: weakness of muscles and bones, falls as a consecuence, deep venous
thrombosis

Falls: caused by unfamiliar environment, the beds rails and height, the equipment surronding
the bed,

Mental status changes: confusion and some other mental disorders can get worse due to the
new setting and performing.

Pressure ulcers: Skin is mor sensitive because of the age but also because of the long periods
of inmovilization.

Undernutrition: Its very common the loss of appetite and sometimes the problem exists
before the admission and it gets worse

Aging is hard and as we get older there are many illnesses which are more likely to appear. To
have a good diet and to do regular exercises is essential to avoid problems or at least a way to
delay them. In the hospital there are many things to take into account when talking about the
elderly. They are in an unfamiliar environment, and they can experience several problems such
as falls, incontinence, ulcers
At this last stage of life nurses and family become the main support for those patients. So as
they are in their last stage of life, we as nurses should be the best, skilled and caring.

Finally, Id like to close my speech with a beautiful sentence by Eleanor Roosevelt : beautiful
young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.

Thank you for your attention.