How much do you know about ageing? Here at Physiopedia we’ve been brushing up on our knowledge and improving our resources on the topic to help you to do the same.
Ageing describes the process of growing old and, with life expectancy increasing around the globe, age-related deterioration is affecting an ever-growing number of people. Physiotherapy works in preventing ill health through helping people to stay active; and by helping people to recover from illness or injury to stay mobile and independent. Read more from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) on their Live long, live well campaign and Physiotherapy Works publications on Falls and Frailty and Dementia Care, and have a look at recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the role of Physiotherapy in the prevention of repeated falls in older people.
Working with older people can present Physiotherapists with a unique set of challenges, due to the complexity of older age. It may involve patients with musculoskeletal, neurological, or cardiovascular problems, and indeed these may all be found in a single patient. Hence awareness of different pathological processes and of normal age-related physiological changes are crucial in the management of older people.
So how can we help you with this? A good place to start is with our Older People Introduction, part of the Association of International Physical Therapists working with Older People (IPTOP) Project. We’ve also listed some of our favourite pages on the subject below for you to have a look through:
- Ageing effects on Motor Control
- Age related changes in Cardiovascular System
- Effects of Aging on Bone
- Effects of age on joints
- Eyesight in the elderly
- Cardiovascular considerations in the older patient
- Hearing in the Elderly
- Medication and Older People
- Muscle Function: effects of aging
- Older People – Consent and Confidentiality
- Older People – Health Promotion and Public Health
- Older People – Patterns of Illness, Physiological Changes and Multiple Pathology
- Osteoporosis
- Perceptions about Ageing and Ageism
- Physical Activity and Older Adults
- Physiotherapy and Older People
- Policy and Initiatives Focused on the Older Population
- Psychological factors in Ageing
- Theories of Ageing
If you are thirsty for more, then you can catch up on all our Older People and Geriatrics pages, including recent research on the subject here.
Many thanks to all our Volunteers for working on these pages – if you are interested in joining our Volunteer Team please Contact Us!