Personal Narrative: My Role As An Older Adult

Statistically, the majority of older adults require continual health care for at least one chronic condition, half of this group for multiple chronic conditions, and more than half are managing multiple prescription medications. In older adult groups without chronic illness, there is still a high demand for health care access for “acute conditions as well as for extensive preventative care services recommended by evidence-based guidelines, such as medical screenings and vaccinations” (Thorpe et al., 2011, p. 2). Education from research is necessary to address the efficacy of health care delivery within the communities nationwide, and to mitigate the disparities within a flawed system. “As this vulnerable population is expected to double by the year 2030, efforts to identify and eliminate disparities in access for older adults are among the most pressing health care issues for the 21st century” (Thorpe et al., 2011, p. 2). Ultimately, through exploration of predictive risk factors in the older adult population, along with implementation of various approaches for intervention and policy, health care accessibility for this vulnerable population can be greatly improved.

As this baby-boomer generation continues to age there will be profound effects on the way that money is spent on health care and insurance. With approximately 77 million people turning 65 over the next several years, the amount of government spending on Medicare will greatly increase (Gigante, 2012). Thus, the demand for medical care associated with the aging population will so

Part of the reason why seniors spend so much on healthcare is that they, in their old age, reap the consequences of risky behavior that they engaged in throughout their lives. Risky behaviors like poor nutrition, lack of physical exercise, alcohol use and smoking significantly increase a person's risk to suffer from chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. These chronic diseases result in 7 out of 10 deaths and 75 percent of healthcare spending (CDC). Preventative care like screenings, physical examinations, and avoiding risky health behaviors is a cost-effective way of reducing expenditures on catastrophic care, yet Americans use preventative care only about half as much as they should (CDC). This is due to a lack of easy access to preventative care and/or a lack of motivation to seek out care and control risky health

In August of 2017, the author started the RN to MSN program at South University specializing in adult-gerontology. The author is currently in her second masters class and is looking forward to the future as an adult-gerontology nurse practitioner.

In a health care system beset by inequality, excessive spending, and average outcomes, one segment of the population in particular presents a variety of problems and opportunities that need to be addressed: the elderly. Individuals over the age of sixty-five in the United States utilize a disproportionate share of medical services compared to the rest of the population, and the growth of this demographic means that any concerns associated with it will only continue to intensify. By studying the health care that is provided to the elderly, one not only gains insight into how this population segment could be better served, but also into how the delivery of health care for the entire population could be improved to ameliorate the problems associated with access, cost, and quality.

The aging population of the United States along with a healthcare financial system not adequate to cover the cost will be a major factor in the future of healthcare. There is a disparity in health care related socioeconomic status, age of emerging population and quality of care that require new modes of care to address patient affordability, knowledge, physician cultural competency, bias and the scope of health insurance coverage (Fiscella, 2002). The population of aging Americans will increase to 3.4 million by 2020 due to the influx of over the age of 65 retiring resulting in a 21.6% in older Americans requiring health services (Longevity, 2011). In addition, this emerging population will require additional services to an increase in life

Reminiscing to 2010, when I was faced with my grandmother 's illness during the adolescent years in my life I knew that I had a passion to care for the elderly (aging) population. From this passion, it ignited a fire so strong that I pursue my certified nursing assistant certification to gain a better understanding of working with the elderly population. By doing so, it has been a great benefit to my life; aging is an inevitable experience that we all will go through during our life. It is important to ensure that our elderly individuals are still able to enjoy the best quality of life after retirement. However, as we age, there will be a lifestyle change that the aging population must encounter.

Nowadays being at risk for falling could be life threating for the elderly population, which is a big concern for most health care professionals. Physicians, physical therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist assistants and other groups of health workers play a major role in reducing fall risks for older adults. Therefore, the elderly population should have a targeted multifactorial assessment focused on fall prevention. According to the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association, there is evidence that falls can be prevented by detecting risk factors and prescribing recommendations to reduce the chance of fall (Avin, Keith G, ; Hanke, Timothy A; Kirk-Sanchez, Neva; McDonough, Christine M; Shubert, Tiffany E; et al, Jun 2015).

The elderly population in the United States has been and is expected to increase due to the aging of the baby boomers’ generation. The percentage of the elderly in relation to the U.S. total population is approximately 14% (Novak, 2012). With the expected increment, the overall state of health across the nation will be dependent on how healthy the elderly are. Consequently, measures to ensure optimal health of this age group should be a priority for policymakers and other stakeholders in the health sector.

I am ecstatic to begin my journey in nursing school. There are a few things one would need to know to determine just how passionate I am. The subjects that make me most excited are people that have inspired me, past experiences with online classes, and the possibility to challenge my mind within the classes I am taking. As I begin to think about elaborating these points I feel enthusiastic for my future. I cannot believe nursing school is finally here!

Have you ever felt robbed of a childhood? At the age of six, I was placed into the DYFS system. I moved from house to house, not really having the chance to grow up like normal children. I didn’t get to experience things such as ; asking my older sister advice on boys, learning how to cook grandma’s favorite recipe, or going on family vacation to Disney world . I worked hard to get where I am right now. My experiences have made me of who I am today , my story will tell you my background, where I came from and why my application is incomplete without it.

The United States has experienced considerable gains in life expectancy in the past century thanks to a combination of medical and social innovations. This ever-growing aging population increases the public health challenges of curbing health and long-term care costs and minimizing the burden of disease and disability.

When It comes to healthcare access and healthcare outcomes there are many health disparities Such as attaining high quality, lives free of injuries, disabilities, preventable diseases and unexpected deaths. Achievement of health equity, elimination of dipartites, improvement of all groups, ability to create environments that promote good health socially, physically, and emotionally. Lastly, the promotions of good life, growth, development, and behavior across all life stages. American’s access to medical care has increased tremendously with Medicaid and Medicare, however this increase hasn’t been met with a concomitant improvement in health. Medicare is healthcare virtually all older Americans. Majority of Medicare beneficiaries are 65 or older who are entitled to social security

The efforts to improve quality of health care and outcome while bending the curve of health care must be a top national priority. Despite of progressing in reforming the health care market, still not very promising for America’s older adults or population as whole. While more than 90% population is currently insured, cost of Medicare and Medicaid will exhaust large shares of the US economy and federal budget in the next years ahead. Analyses of the employment market and the non-group market has confirmed the rising of premiums and deductibles. With that in mind, it is likely that the America population will encounter with higher rates of illness, disability and early mortality.

For my interview with an adult, I chose to interview my mom. She is a software engineer that is currently working at TD Bank. She is managing and working on a project called UGO Wallet, a digital wallet for mobile phones. I chose my mom because I find her line of work intriguing and growing up, I would always want to test out the apps she worked on. Currently, I am starting to study computer science as well because I feel this might suit me as a career as well as interest me along the way.