True or false?
1. Everyone becomes "senile" sooner or later, if he or she lives long enough.
2. American families have by and large abandoned their older members.
3. Depression is a serious problem for older people.
4. The numbers of older people are growing.
5. The vast majority of older people are self-sufficient.
6. Mental confusion is an inevitable, incurable consequence of old age.
7. Intelligence declines with age.
8. Sexual urges and activity normally cease around age 55-60.
9. If a person has been smoking for 30 or 40 years, it does no good to quit.
10. Older people should stop exercising and rest.
11. As you grow older, you need more vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
12. Only children need to be concerned about calcium for strong bones and teeth.
13. Extremes of heat and cold can be particularly dangerous to old people.
14. Many older people are hurt in accidents that could have been prevented.
15. More men than women survive to old age.
16. Death from stroke and heart disease are declining.
17. Older people on the average take more medications than younger people.
18. Snake oil salesmen are as common today as they were on the frontier.
19. Personality changes with age, just like hair color and skin texture.
20. Sight declines with age.
Answers:
1. False. Even among those who live to be 80 or older, only 20-25 percent
develop Alzheimer's disease or some other incurable form of brain disease.
"Senility" is a meaningless term which should be discarded.
2. False. the American family is still the number one caretaker of older
Americans. Most older people live close to their children and see them often;
many live with their spouses. In all, 8 out of 10 men and 6 out of 10 women live
in family settings.
3. True. Depression, loss of self-esteem, loneliness, and anxiety can become
more common as older people face retirement, the deaths of relatives and
friends, and other such crises--often at the same time. Fortunately, depression
is treatable.
4. True. Today, 12 percent of the U.S. population are 65 or older. By the year
2030, one in five people will be over 65 years of age.
5. True. Only 5 percent of the older population live in nursing homes; the rest
are basically healthy and self-sufficient.
6. False. Mental confusion and serious forgetfulness in old age can be caused by
Alzheimer's disease or other conditions which cause incurable damage to the
brain, but some 100 other problems can cause the same symptoms. A minor head
injury, a high fever, poor nutrition, adverse drug reactions and depression can
all be treated and the confusion will be cured.
7. False. Intelligence per se does not decline without reason. Most people
maintain their intellect or improve as they grow older.
8. False. Most older people can lead an active, satisfying sex life.
9. False. Stopping smoking at any age not only reduces the risk of cancer and
heart disease, it also leads to healthier lungs.
10. False. Many older people enjoy--and benefit from--exercises such as walking,
swimming, and bicycle riding. Exercise at any age can help strengthen the heart
and lungs, and lower blood pressure. See your physician before beginning a new
exercise program.
11. False. Although certain requirements, such as that for "sunshine"
vitamin D, may increase slightly with age, older people need the same amounts of
most vitamins and minerals as younger people. Older people in particular should
eat nutritious food and cut down on sweets, salty snack foods, high-calorie
drinks, and alcohol.
12. False. Older people require fewer calories, but adequate intake of calcium
for strong bones can become more important as you grow older. This is
particularly true for women, whose risk of osteoporosis increases after
menopause. Milk and cheese are rich in calcium as are cooked dried beans,
collards, and broccoli. Some people need calcium supplements as well.
13. True. The body's thermostat tends to function less efficiently with age and
the older person's body may be less able to adapt to heat or cold.
14. True. Falls are the most common cause of injuries among the elderly. Good
safety habits, including proper lighting, nonskid carpets, and keeping living
areas free of obstacles, can help prevent serious accidents.
15. False. Women tend to outlive men by an average of 8 years. There are 150
women for every 100 men over age 65, and nearly 250 women for every 100 men over
85.
16. True. Fewer men and women are dying of stroke or heart disease.
17. True. The elderly consume 25 percent of all medications and, as a result,
have many more problems with adverse drug reactions.
18. True. Medical quackery is a $10 billion business in the United States.
People of all ages are commonly duped into "quick cures" for aging,
arthritis, and cancer.
19. False. Personality doesn't change with age. Therefore, all old people can't
be described as rigid and cantankerous. You are what you are for as long as you
live. But you can change what you do to help yourself to good health.
20. False. Although changes in vision become more common with age, any change in
vision, regardless of age, is related to a specific disease. If you are having
problems with your vision, see your doctor.
Source: LIFELONG LEARNING FOR AN AGING SOCIETY - AN INFORMATION
PAPER. Prepared for use by the Special Committee on Aging, United States Senate.
Serial No. 102. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC: 1991.
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last updated January 28, 2002