Unopened mail, papers pilling up, unpaid bills, phone calls not returned, low food supply, unkempt home interior and/or exterior, laundry piling up, spilling and dropping things (check carpet for stains) and keeping curtains drawn, all signal signs of decline.
Functional decline is a new loss of independence in self-care capabilities and is typically associated with deterioration in mobility and in the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, toileting, and bathing.
Common risk factors associated with functional decline include history of falls, acute illness, delirium, cognitive impairment, depression, medication side effects, malnutrition, pressure ulcers, and decreased mobility secondary to incontinence.
Functional decline is one of the most common and serious clinical problems in elderly patients. ( 1,2) It is often defined and measured by a reduction in ability to perform self-care activities of daily living (ADL) because of a decrement in physical or cognitive functioning. (
Cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis and dementia are common chronic conditions at age 85. Osteoarthritis, diabetes, and related mobility disability will increase in prevalence as the population ages and becomes more overweight.
We develop many thinking abilities that appear to peak around age 30 and, on average, very subtly decline with age. These age-related declines most commonly include overall slowness in thinking and difficulties sustaining attention, multitasking, holding information in mind and word-finding.
Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. As people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time.
After age 30, people tend to lose lean tissue. Your muscles, liver, kidney, and other organs may lose some of their cells. This process of muscle loss is called atrophy. Bones may lose some of their minerals and become less dense (a condition called osteopenia in the early stages and osteoporosis in the later stages).
Functional decline has been identified as the leading complication of hospitalisation in the elderly and can result in under-nutrition and dehydration, decreased mobility and loss of independence, accelerated bone loss, delirium and depression, pressure ulcers and skin tears and incontinence.
As articulated by the Institute of Medicine, and augmented by researcher and palliative physician Joanne Lynn in the early 2000s, there are four commonly recognized trajectories: Sudden Death, Terminal Disease, Major Organ Failure, and Frailty (Lynn, 2004).
An individualized, multicomponent exercise program proved safe and effective to reverse the functional decline associated with acute hospitalization in very elderly patients.
More Frequent Illnesses. An obvious sign of deteriorating health is more frequent illness and cases of disability. Your aging loved one is more prone to colds, flu, infections, and more, so it is important to give them proper care as soon as possible. If you notice they are getting sick more often, consult a doctor.
Researchers with Duke University's School of Medicine suggest that physical decline begins in the decade of the 50s and worsens as we age, especially for those who don't exercise.
Your bones, joints and muscles
With age, bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. You might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility — factors that can affect your coordination, stability and balance.
Adults over age 65 are more likely to encounter diseases related to aging, such as Alzheimer's disease, or more advanced chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging. It includes the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, learning, and reasoning — and behavioral abilities to the extent that it interferes with a person's quality of life and activities. Memory loss, though common, is not the only sign of dementia.
Mental health problems are common among seniors and may include isolation, affective and anxiety disorders, dementia, and psychosis, among others. Many seniors also suffer from sleep and behavioral disorders, cognitive deterioration or confusion states as a result of physical disorders or surgical interventions.
Some signs of aging can be seen from the outside: Your hair turns gray, and wrinkles and age spots appear on your skin. Our bodies are less able to store fluid in older age, so our spinal discs shrink and lose elasticity, for instance. As a result, people get smaller as they grow older.
You have trouble following a conversation. You find it hard to make decisions, finish a task or follow instructions. You start to have trouble finding your way around places you know well. You begin to have poor judgment.
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
The normal aging process is associated with declines in certain cognitive abilities, such as processing speed and certain memory, language, visuospatial, and executive function abilities.