The Older Adult
Gastrointestinal System
Taste is reduced
Nervous System
Musculoskeletal system
Urinary System
Respiratory System
Reduced cough reflex
Residual capacity increases
Vital Capacity Decreases
Cartilage becomes calcified.
Cardiovascular System
Reduced elasticity in blood vessels
Oxygen is not used as efficiently as it used to be.
Slower Absorption
Small/Large Intestines get smaller
Glomerular filtration is reduced
Incontinence should not be occurring naturally.
Decreased Stature
Increased risk for fractures.
Brain loses some blood flow
Number of neurons is reduced
Temperature regulation is slower through hypothalamus
Diastolic murmurs in 50% of older adults
Longer cardiac cycle
Dysrhythmias
Bradycardia
Faster heart rate means there is less time for the coronary artery to fill, deprives heart of oxygen
Tachycardia
Atrial Fibrillation
Heart block
Blood clots
Signals are not communicated properly from top to bottom of heart
Diabetes, Cancer, Renal Failure
Declining Muscle Strength
Lungs shrink
Turn, Cough, Deep Breath
50%
Nocturia
changes in cortical control
Reflux urine
Risk for polynephritis
Decreased renal blood flow and decreased numbers of functioning glomeruli
Integumentary
Endocrine
Immune
Hair Loss (Males)
Gray Hair
Skin Wrinkling
Increased Sensitivity to Cold Temperatures
Decreased Subcutaneous Fat
Loss of Tissue Elasticity
Loss of Cartilage
Vertebral discs become thinner with age
Calcium absorption is reduced
Snoring
Open-mouth breather
Nasal Stuffiness
Thicker mucus secretions
Kyphosis
Increased anterior-posterior diameter
Reduced cilia number
Loss of elasticity
Reduced number of alveoli
Increased Risk of Respiratory Infections
Reproductive
Small degree of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Lower Cardiac Output
Lower contractility strength
Hard/Brittle enamel
Tongue atrophy
Reduced saliva production
Presbyesophagus
slower esophageal emptying
Increased risk for aspiration
Fat
Vitamins B, B12, D, Calcium, Iron
Affected Bowel Elimination
Internal Sphicter loses some tone
slow neuro signals to defecate
Males
Femaies
Structural changes
Thin mucosa
Thin epithelium
Fibrosis of seminiferous tubules
Narrowed Lumen
Thick basement membranes
Structural Changes
Prostatic enlargement
Atrophy of Vulva
Flattened labia
Loss of subcutaneous tissue
Alkaline
Changed Flora
Kyphosis
Reduced muscle strength
Muscle atrophy
Decreased muscle mass
Decreased tendon jerks
As time passes, tendons will shrink and harden
Slower nerve conduction
Loss of sense of body position/movement
Risk for falls
demyelination
Frequent awakening
Less stage 3 & 4
Five senses become less efficient
Presbyopia
Reduced lens elasticity
Stiff muscle fibers
Hearing
Vision
Narrowed visual field
Decreased peripheral vision
Presbycusis
Hearing Loss
Loss of Hair cells
Reduced Blood Supply
Basilar membrane becomes less flexible
Less endolymph production
Taste/Smell
Reduced number of sensory cells
Tongue atrophy
Touch
Reduced receptors
Immunosenescence
Lower immune response
Thymus gland becomes smaller with age
Increased susceptibility to disease
Less vasoconstriction
Reduced Cardiac Output
Reduced Muscle Mass
Decreased thirst perception
Reduced short term memory
Increased ADH
Increased ANP
Decreased Aldosterone
There is a connection with the muscular, cardiovascular, and nervous system that lead the older adult to have an increased sensitivity to cold temperatures.
Lower cardiac output means less blood flow to the kidneys. This leads to less urinary output.
Decreased absorption of some nutrients affects the musculoskeletal system with loss of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat.
The increased susceptibility to diseases
and the reduced cough reflex increased the older adult's risk for respiratory infection.
Frequent awakening at night can be related to nocturia.
Jessica Rocha Torres