SHN3013 Semester 2 Being Health In The Modern World Assignmet

SHN3013 Semester 2 Being Health In The Modern World

Introduction to examine the factors challenging health in different population groups: Elderly Population

The aim of this essay is to examine and evaluate the factors that are related to the challenging scenario related to the attainment and improvement of health and well-being of the older population. Additionally, in this essay focus will also be given to the identification of appropriate and realistic solutions with which the health and well-being of the chosen population group can be ensured. For this particular assessment, the elderly population have to be selected as a chosen population group.

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Discussion

Explanation of Older adults groups and challenges related to attaining and improving the health of the elderly population in Moder world

Four factors

People across the globe are now living longer lives. Nowadays, most people can expect to live up to sixty years or more. As a result, every country across the world is now experiencing a sudden growth in the size and proportion of the older population. As per the report published by World Health Organisation, by 2030, one in six people in this world will live life for 60 years or more. In 2020, the share of the population with age 60 years and more has increased by 1.5 million, and it is expected that this figure will reach 2. 2 billion by 2050 (Hansen et al. 2022). Worldwide, the total population of older people with an age range from 80 years and above is 426 million.

According to Irwin et al. (2022), from biological perception, “ageing” or “elderly population” can be defined by such a state of livelihood, where an individual goes through dysfunction of molecular and cellular structure and function. This can cause a gradual decrease in physical and psychological capacity, which in turn can increase the risk of the onset of disease or degenerative disorders and ultimate death. Despite the biological alteration, the elderly population can also be defined by several life transitions like retirement, relocation, mental health issues, stigma or sudden death of friends.

Common health conditions related to the older population are depression, dementia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, diabetes, osteoarthritis, mobility issues and so on. according to Pirzada et al. (2022), older age can be categorised by the emergence of several complex health statuses, which can be referred to as geriatric syndromes.

The major challenges that the older people or population used to face to attain health-related services in modern society are lack of infrastructure and unavailability of the right care provision. Social and personal stigma can be considered as one of the common reasons or factors related to the attainment and improvement of the health and well-being of elderly people in today’s society.

According to Partridge, (2022), ageism can easily correlate with stigma and discrimination. There is a common stereotype in modern society about elderly people, which leads them to remain isolated and marginalized in the community. Common negative stereotypes about elderly people include poor health, loneliness, cognitive incompetency, and unproductivity. Older adults used to get messages about when they are expected to retire, what they have to do or where they have to live, and with whom regardless of their desire, and needs. The feeling of being a burden on the family and society sometimes results from the elderly people to attain proper healthcare services.

Additionally, financial insecurity can be considered as another challenging factor. Poverty is one of the major threats in modern society to the health and well-being of the elderly population. According to the data published by the National Council of ageing or NCO (Kaihlanen et al. 2022). Over 15 million elderly people with age 65 years and above are leading economically insecure livelihoods, with incomes below 200 per cent of the federal poverty level. In the USA, the poverty level among the older population has been increased to 10 per cent (2021) from 8.9 per cent (2020) (Cottagiri et al. 2022). The increase in poverty rate results that 1 million of older population or adults are now relying on scarce resources to fulfil their needs. Therefore, financial insecurity can be considered as one of the social challenges that restrict attainment and improve health and well-being among the chosen population.

Moreover, nowadays, access to healthcare services is another major challenge, healthcare is becoming complicated and disjointed for elderly people, specifically, those who are struggling with long-term health conditions. Reduced mobility, loss of wages, familial dependencies, declined engagement with society and social and structural barriers are the major factors that restrict the older population from attaining or improving health and well-being in modern society. Another important factor can be added to this scenario is the ethnic minority. In England, it has recently been shown that the population of older adults with age 55 years or more is becoming ethnically diverse (Rudnicka et al. 2020). There are several existing evidence that suggests that there are substantial inequalities in healthcare provision among the ethnic groups of older adults. In this aspect, a highlight can be given to another modern society challenge, which is an increased rate of health care cost. In many industrialized countries like North America, Europe, and Japan, the percentage of the ageing population is increasing rapidly, which causes the decline of the working-age population and the increase of disease burden and healthcare costs on the government. Lack of governmental incentives for an ageing population, and governmental intervention to develop healthcare facilities can consider as another challenging factor that nowadays restricts many old-aged people from attaining and improving health and well-being.

Proposal of realist solutions in response to contemporary health and care challenges for the elderly population

Considering all the challenges into consideration, one of the best realistic solutions that can be suggested to the healthcare challenges for the elderly population is the governmental intervention to design a strategy for supporting a healthy ageing population. Expansion of accessible public transportation, and facilitation of continuing education for older adults can be the best-fit strategy or solution (Wu, 2020). Additionally, strengthening of healthcare sector by implementing digital initiatives like telemedicine and data-driven healthcare support can suppress the contemporary challenge like the inability to access healthcare facilities by the elderly population.

Another realistic solution in response to the contemporary healthcare challenge for the elderly population is to modernise the insurance and pension system. The government of the country should design pension schemes and insurance systems that can offer high coverage to the older population. For example, Supplemental Security Income or SSI, a well-developed Medicare insurance program, where people with age of 65 years and above and people with certain disabilities and ESRD can get financial support to access healthcare services (Steinman, Perry & Perissinotto, 2020). these initiatives can consider as the realistic solution for providing or ensuring good health and well-being of the older population in any country. Encouragement in the silver economy can consider as another important solution to the contemporary healthcare challenges being faced by elderly people. An older population can bring many scopes or opportunities to the economies of the countries or regions.

As the population ages, more people can take part in the silver economy. More specifically, it can be stated that the older population are one of the major contributors to the economy: significant spending power to travel and tourism, and healthcare service more than the younger population. Countries should prepare the workforce to serve the older population based on their demands, needs and requirements.

More specifically, the recruitment of professionals or trained nurses in healthcare can help older people to get services promptly; additionally, governmental initiatives to train nurses or people for telemedicine, and home-care support for the ageing population can help older people to access easily and best-fit healthcare support based on their needs (Cottagiri et al. 2022). This solution can not only strengthen the job opportunity and economy of a country but can also support the health and well-being of the older population to a considerable extent. Though, older adults may be less comfortable of using computers or smartphones or may experience physical and cognitive barriers that reduce the ability to access telehealth like hearing or visionary impairments, and cognitive impairment.

In such a scenario, support from well-trained caregivers can help elderly people to get access to healthcare facilities. In this healthcare facility, another important part that can be implemented is counselling (Kaihlanen et al. 2022). The nurses or care providers should be bound to a proper code of practice like providing mental support to older people so that they can overcome the stigma related to agism and should be encouraged to get involved in social activities.

Conclusion

To conclude this essay, it can be stated that numerous challenges or restrictions are being faced by older people in current society when it comes to access to and improving physical and mental well-being. Difficulty of using technologies, stigma, agism, financial insecurities, and governmental dilemmas to offer financial support to older people- are being discussed in this essay as common challenges of accessing health and well-being services. In such a scenario, encouragement of the silver economy, strengthening of the healthcare sector and implementation of healthcare insurance policies are realistic solutions to ensure good health for the elder population within a country.

References

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Hansen, T., Sevenius Nilsen, T., Knapstad, M., Skirbekk, V., Skogen, J., Vedaa, Ø., & Nes, R. B. (2022). Covid-fatigued? A longitudinal study of Norwegian older adults’ psychosocial well-being before and during early and later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. =-European journal of ageing, =-19(3), 463-473.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10433-021-00648-0

Irwin, M. R., Carrillo, C., Sadeghi, N., Bjurstrom, M. F., Breen, E. C., & Olmstead, R. (2022). Prevention of incident and recurrent major depression in older adults with insomnia: a randomized clinical trial. =-JAMA psychiatry, =-79(1), 33-41.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2786738

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