Contributing Factors Of Injuries In Low To Middle Income Elderly Women Aged 65 And Over
Overview target group and concerns
The target group being discussed will female adults above the age of 65 who are living in less fortunate areas of England. A fact sheet published by the UK government stated that each year roughly 157, 000 women have a home accident between the ages of 65-74, this number nearly doubles for women over the age of 75. As these women are already older, the probability of the accident doing greater damage to their health is increased. Women in less wealthy areas of the country have less resources available to them, partially due to them not having enough funds but also because their communities to not offer certain resources like gyms. To gain a better understanding of potential injuries which can occur in female adults above the age of 65 it is important to look at different aspects which are effecting their health.
Place in society
All over the world countries are starting to see an increase in the average life expectancy for their population. For example, in 2016 18% of the United Kingdom’s population was aged 65 and over compared to 15. 9% in 2006 (reference). Once retiring, the annual income of an individual tends to be considerably less than their working salary was, especially if they are receiving a pension from an average job. A consequence of this drop in income means the women will have less money to put towards necessities like food and memberships to different sporting activities. With less food and less physical activity and an aging population there is a higher chance of sarcopenia (loss of muscle) and a higher risk of immobility. Elderly citizens living in less fortunate areas of the England often do not have the opportunities to get involved in specific sports programs designed for pensioners as their local councils do not have the means to fund these activities. Dorset is a county in England which is vastly popular amongst the retired population. Unlike less fortunate areas, Dorset have an Active Ageing Project in which the organization “Active Dorset” try and get inactive citizens aged 55-65 involved in sports too to attempt to keep the population healthy.
Psychological issues
As humans age the risks of health related issues increase. A common psychological issue occurring in elderly women especially is the fear of falling. According to a study carried out by researchers from the university of Sydney “people in the anxious group were more likely to be women” (reference). By having the fear that they are going to fall there is an increased chance that the women will feel less comfortable leaving their house, potentially leading to decrease in social interaction. A snowball effect of these women not leaving their houses could be loneliness and isolation as well as less physical activity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder” (2017).
One of the leading psychological issues for these people is dementia. A major branch of dementia is Alzheimer’s; this is where an individual’s memory will progressively worsen until they eventually cannot recall anything from their memory. Having Alzheimer’s could mean an elderly woman forgets she has a sport’s class or even forgets who her friends are meaning they become strangers. As a consequence, Alzheimer’s can lead to the elderly lady losing trust in these people.
Depression is another one of the leading mental disorders amongst the elderly and is regularly linked with loneliness and physical health. Because certain symptoms of depression are similar to common aging issues it is not always obvious that an individual has depression. A common side effect of depression is a lack of appetite meaning the female can potentially drop weight very quickly and not be getting the required nutrients to stay strong and healthy. The British nutrition foundation stated that the elderly living in care homes are especially prone to malnutrition (reference). By not getting the required energy from food an individual’s energy levels will also drop causing less motivation to do exercise.
Physical activity issues
Once a woman aged 65 and over takes retirement, there is a high probability that they will stop being as active, for example they do not have to commute to work anymore which would have required some walking or even cycling for a lot of women. This reduction in movement means the muscles do not have to be engaged as often. Combined with general aging, the skeletal muscles will start to break down (sarcopenia) leading to functional decline as well as less mobility meaning they become more dependent and are less capable of participating in physical activity. With age come increased risks of suffering from diseases like osteoporosis or arthritis. If an older woman were to do high impact sports like running the strain on her bones can be too high causing fractures in breaks in the bones. Similarly, lots of high intensity sports can make the joints and surrounding tissues very painful, which is a symptom of arthritis. If the women are living in less fortunate areas of England where campaigns to stay healthy and active are not feasible together with there being a fear in some individuals of leaving their houses, they are not receiving adequate information about these issues they could be facing.
Health issues
The NHS states that “In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is fifty-one” (2018). Going through menopause and osteoporosis are often linked. After the menopause a woman’s oestrogen levels will drop as their period will not occur again. Oestrogen is a hormone which helps keep bones strong and without it, there is an increased risk in getting osteoporosis. Elderly females above the age of 65 will have been in deficit of oestrogen for numerous years, and combined with the natural loss in bone strength through aging their bones are at a higher risk of becoming porous and breaking. Severe injuries like hip fractures can occur. Arthritis comes in different forms, however for aging people osteoarthritis often occurs as it is the result of over using their joints. The main joints in the body like the knees but also the spine are most commonly affected as they have to hold a majority of an individual’s body weight during their lifetime. The pain it causes can become very intense, making it difficult to do daily activities as simple as putting clothes on.
Having a low budget on food can also cause implications on a female’s health, well balanced meals which provide different macro and micro nutrients will be more expensive than buying a ready to eat meal. A ready-made mashed potato and sausage meal at Sainsbury’s supermarket costs £2. 50. To buy two chicken breasts it will already cost the elderly lady £2. 40 excluding some vegetables or rice for example. Considering elderly women are already at risk of diseases like sarcopenia and osteoporosis, not consuming a sufficient amount of protein or calcium can enhance how quickly the diseases affect the woman. Becoming older also comes with more life threatening risks. Heart diseases are one of the biggest reasons of death globally. In Europe, 37% of the female population have died due to coronary heart disease before reaching 75 years old. In the United Kingdom alone, heart failure generally occurs 3. 5 years earlier in poorer areas than it does in wealthier areas.
To conclude, it is inevitable that the general health of an aging female will start to decline over time however, there are contributing external factors like lifestyle choices which will determine how quickly her health could deteriorate. Living on a lower income in a less fortunate area often increases the chance of both psychological and physical health issues for the individual as they have less resources available to them. Precautions should be taken to prevent an elderly woman from reaching a state of bad health.
