Health Problems Among Seniors Essay

Older adults are at an increasing risk of different types of health problems. A majority of individuals who are 65 years and above suffer from more than two chronic diseases. These include heart diseases, cognitive and mental illnesses, and arthritis. For instance, they lose the ability to do basic tasks like the activities of daily living (ADLs). The inability of performing these activities makes elderly people dependent on caregivers. They either live with other family members or in long-term care giving facilities such as nursing homes. The main focus of this paper is arthritis. Arthritis is a leading cause of disability among elderly people due to the age factor and other risk factors such as obesity.

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Arthritis is a health problem that needs to be prioritized, particularly among individuals that are 65 years and above. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in every 4 Americans suffer from arthritis. This number translates to 54 million Americans (CDC para 3). This leads to an approximately $81billion in medical costs. The CDC predicts that by 2040, there will be 79 million arthritis patients. These figures indicate the growing health threat that arthritis poses to entire population. Its effects are not only felt by the individual patients but also by their families and the general population due to the medical burden.

Arthritis is a blanket term that describes over 100 rheumatologic diseases. . The disease affects the cartilage, which is the tissue that covers the bones at the joints. The function of cartilage is to allow bones to move smoothly over each other as well as absorbing the shock of physical movement. Unhealthy cartilage causes the friction between the bones, thus leading to pain and inability of joint movement. If untreated, arthritis leads to chronic pain, damage to joints, and disability (Covinsky, Lindquist, Dunlop, Gill and Yelin para 2). Consequently, the patients become further limited in their movement and the activities that they can undertake such as bending, lifting food to their mouths, walking without support, or kneeling. In most instances, arthritis occurs together with other diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases. The combination of these diseases leads to a significantly reduced quality of life and difficulties in disease management.

The CDC has a comprehensive Arthritis Program, which includes epidemiology, health intervention, and community programs. The program collects data on the prevalence of arthritis and its impact on the quality of life, particularly for people with arthritis and other chronic diseases (CDC para 2). The program then uses this information to create national programs together with its partners such as the Arthritis Foundation to prevent and manage this disease. The primary activity of these programs is encouraging physical activity among the elderly people. The policy gives various recommendations to different stakeholders. First, it recommends various actions that healthcare providers must undertake. They are encouraged to advise their clients to engage in physical activity, maintain healthy weight, and link the patients to educational, treatment, and support programs.

Conclusion

Evidently, arthritis is a rising health concern. Although the CDC's Arthritis Program is quite comprehensive, there should be more policies for the same. These policies should primarily involve educating and training people on prevention rather than management. Further, extensive data collection should be conducted in order to the relevant public healthcare providers in decision making processes.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Arthritis in America: Time to Take Action!" CDC, 2017. www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/arthritis/. Accessed 13 July 2018.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About CDC's Arthritis Program. CDC, 2018. www.cdc.gov/arthritis/about/index.html. Accessed 13 July 2018.

Covinsky, Kenneth, Lindquist, Karla, Dunlop, Dorothy, Gill, Thomas and Yelin, Edward. Effect of Arthritis in Middle Age on Older-Age Functioning. Journal of the American Geriatric Society, vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 23-28.