Declining Health for Middle Aged Adults Essay

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

Strokes are commonly associated with old age, symptoms and awareness are often unnoticed in young adults due to ambiguity about strokes.

The health issue that this artifact discusses is the significance of knowing and recognizing the warning signs of a stroke. The American Heart Association has made it their mission to provide unlimited health information and research in the hopes of eliminating cardiovascular diseases as well as helping society in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Stroke is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of

More people are living much longer lives than in years past. People are very surprised to be living much longer lives than they thought they would. Health care has played a large part in patient longevity. There are many normal changes that come along with aging, however, because people are living longer these normal changes can become chronic problems. Common aging problems that can make the older adult a vulnerable population are reviewed in Gerontological Nursing (Tabloski, 2014) and can include nutritional needs, medication management, sleep changes, oral or mouth care, renal problems and musculoskeletal concerns. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2013 (http://www.hhs.gov), there are a large amount

Many elderly and their family cannot determine what are normal aging and what are not; therefore, educating them is the key role for nurses to promote safety and health for older adults. Not only assessing physical changes but also mental health assessment is important because those age-related physical changes may cause depression in older adults, which leads to other problems like “difficulty with sleeping,

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, has become a major risk factor for several types of heart disease across the globe. In the United States alone, nearly 70 million adults have been diagnosed with this condition [1]. Hypertension is a condition in which arterial walls experience extreme force from blood flowing through; long-term force against artery walls will lead to more serious health problems such as stroke, renal failure, and other cardiovascular diseases [2]. If the proper steps to treat hypertension are not taken, patients have a high risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition that causes arteries to harden significantly. Smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, high alcohol consumption, and high sodium intake are factors that may cause an individual to be diagnosed with hypertension [3] Detection of hypertension is crucial in order to reduce the incidence of death by cardiovascular disease [1].

In elderly patients, the decision-making ability is deteriorated and this could lead to a delay to seek medical help (Ganzer, Insel, & Ritter, 2012). Several included studies in this review have demonstrated that women were significantly older than men when they got the stroke symptoms (Maeda, Toyoda, Minematsu, & Kobayashi, 2013; Park et al., 2013). Hence, advanced age is likely to be another cause of pre-hospital delay in females. Additionally, some studies in this review have determined that elderly females with acute stroke are more likely to live alone than males (Mandelzweig et al., 2006; Park et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2010; Yanagida et al., 2014). Furthermore, earlier research has reported that acute stroke patients who lived alone were 2.63 times more likely to have longer hospital arrival times than patients who lived with others (p < 0.001) (Eissa et al., 2013). Thus, another possible cause of the delay time in females could be living alone.

The human organism is a collective structural and functional integrated system. It consists of many components; chemicals, cells, tissues, organs and systems. Atoms being the smallest unit of matter comprise the cell. Cells are the basic structural and functional units that build the body.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015) every year there are 800,000 individuals who have strokes. There are 610,000 first time cases and 185,000 recurring stroke individuals. It is important for caregivers to note that the increased risk of another stroke is higher after the first (CDC, 2015). It is also critical for the caregiver to ask questions of the physician, such as what aspects physiologically and emotionally have been affected and treatments

High blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death for both Florida and the United States (Centers for disease control, 2017). High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is known as the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it. Hypertension damages blood vessels in the organs, reducing their ability to work properly (National institute of diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases, 2016). About 1 of 3 U.S. adults—or about 75 million people—have high blood pressure. Only 54% of these people have their high blood pressure under control (Centers for disease control, 2017). Hypertension education, which focuses on controlling the disease with medication, diet, and losing weight, is important in preventing or delaying the progression of serious complications. Most people diagnosed with hypertensive disease will need to see a medical professional who will recommend lifestyle changes to help you control and prevent high blood pressure (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006, p. 1742).

Stroke, or brain attack, is the number four killer of adults in the world. In the United States, 160,000 deaths occur each year. From 1999 to 2009, the death rate from stroke gradually lowered as improvements to medicine and testing developed. Yet, 800,000 Americans continue to have strokes and survive the event. Worldwide, about 15 million experience stroke with 6 million who die and 5 million who become permanently disabled. (Robinson, Richard & Odle, Teresa G. & Frey, Rebecca J. & Odle, Teresa G. , 2011) The statistics in America are better for surviving a stroke because of rapid response and better interpretation of symptoms. Nevertheless, surviving a stroke often brings on dilapidating effects; which means a change in lifestyle and lifelong rehabilitation through physical therapy.

A less common type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. This type of stroke occurs when the artery that supplies blood to the brain ruptures or bursts. Stroke is an expensive disease with lifetime rehabilitation costing over $140,000 per ischemic stroke with higher costs for subarachnoid hemorrhage (Alberts, et. al. 2011). Although stroke risk increases with age, strokes can occur at any age. In 2009, 34% of people hospitalized for stroke were younger than 65 years (Hall, 2012). More women than men have strokes each year, in part because women live longer. Estimates of the overall incidence of stroke in U. S. children are 6.4 per 100,000 (0-15 yrs.) with approximately half being hemorrhagic stroke (ASA, 2016). African Americans are more impacted by stroke than any other racial group within the American

Stroke is a public health burden that affects 15 million people worldwide (World Health Report, 2002), approximately 795,000 people per year in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, America’s Burden on Stroke, 2012) and specifically in Mississippi, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death (Mississippi Vital Statistics, 2014). Approximately 610,000 are first or new strokes and approximately 185,000 strokes, nearly one of four,four; occur in individuals that have had a previous stroke (Mozaffarian, Benjamin, Go, et al, 2015). Currently, there are more than 6.2 million noninstitutionalized adults who have had a stroke in the United States (Faststats, CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 2012).

Mrs. Maxine represents my archetypal view of the healthy "seasoned citizen." Maxine is a Caucasian female born in rural, Mullens, West Virginia in 1926. She is the only child of a Southern Baptist, "middle class" family. Joseph Hammond, her father, was a farmer. Her mother, Ruby, was a "full-time parent" and prided herself on "running the house." Maxine explained that farmers wife's were routinely responsible for the day-to-day operations of the household. Her Southern Baptist faith was complements of her parents and minister grandfather.

Stroke is seen as a major health concern and this is due to the fact that every year, as many as 110,000 individuals suffers from strokes making it a key issue. (NHS 2014)