Events in anyone day of the aged consist of the functions of daily living modified or enhanced for each individual according to his or her capability. It is the constant aim of the medical professions to enhance the individual's quality of life and to try to avoid what is preventable. Among some of the hazards of the geriatric day are fits, faints and falls. It is the fall which often highlights the first two and the consequences may be serious for an old person. Perhaps one day an easy way to circumvent the 'forces of gravity' or drugs to counteract impaired sensory input will be found. The importance of the study of gait has been increasingly recognized by physicians working in this field of medicine for the elderly; writings by geriatricians on the subject are numerous. Bernard Isaacs in his gait research laboratory in Birmingham is studying the subject. In this book the experience of the contributors is brought together, inevitably with some overlap, which has in the main been avoided by restructuring, modification and crosschecking of articles.
Never before in human existence have the aged been so numerous - and for the most part - healthy. In this important new book, two professionals, an anthropologist and a physician, wrestle with the complex subject of aging. Is it inevitable? Is it a burden or gift? What is successful aging? Why are some people better at aging than others? Where is aging located? How does it vary among individuals, within and between groups, cultures, societies, and indeed, over the centuries? Reflecting on these and other questions, the authors comment on the impact age has in their lives and work. Two unique viewpoints are presented. While medicine approaches aging with special attention given to the body, its organs, and its functions over time, anthropology focuses on how the aged live within their cultural settings. As this volume makes clear, the two disciplines have a great deal to teach each other, and in a spirited exchange, the authors show how professional barriers can be surmounted. In a novel approach, each author explores a different aspect of aging in alternating chapters. These chapters are in turn followed by a commentary by the other. Further, the authors interrupt each other within the chapters - to raise questions, contradict, ask for clarification, and explore related ideas - with these interjections emphasizing the dynamic nature of their ideas about age. Finally, a third "voice" - that of a random old man - periodically inserts itself into the text to remind the authors of their necessarily limited understanding of the subject.
The risk of serious injury resulting from a fall increases with age as our eyesight, ability to react quickly, memory, and cognitive functions begin to decline. For the growing population of people over age 65, falls can lead to loss of dignity and independence, and they can cause serious injury or even death.Preventing Falls is an essential guide for the elderly, caregivers, Parkinson's sufferers, and many others who face this health risk in their daily lives. As people age, knowing how to accommodate motor, sensory, and cognitive changes is important. While no single cause for a fall exists, the leading factors are environmental hazards, balance problems, muscle weakness, poor vision, and impaired judgment. Parkinson's patients as well as those with various neurological or muscular disorders are especially prone to falls because their motor skills are seriously compromised. This book addresses valuable skills and coping mechanisms as well as environmental changes and assistive devices that are needed to prevent falls.Many elderly victims of a fall require the skilled care of a nursing home within a year of the incident, especially those elders who cannot care for themselves and whose family members are unable to provide adequate help. The editors place emphasis on successful aging-the ability to maintain mobility and remain independent. Preventing Falls is a handy guidebook for elders to decrease their risk of falls, develop personal confidence, and maintain their independence. This vital sourcebook is complemented with a valuable 60-minute videotape offering step-by-step instruction on the best methods for preventing falls.J. Thomas Hutton, M.D., Ph.D. (Lubbock, TX), is the Director of the Neurology Research and Education Center at Covenant Health System and Medical Director of the National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence at Covenant Health System. Jeffrey W. Elias, Ph.D.(Reno, NV), is Associate Director for Research at the Sanford Center on Aging at the University of Nevada. Jo Ann Shroyer, Ph.D. (Lubbock, TX), is Professor and Chair of the Department of Merchandising, Environmental Design, and Consumer Economics at Texas Tech University. Zane Curry, Ph.D. (Lubbock, TX), is Associate Professor in the Department of Merchandising, Environmental Design, and Consumer Economics at Texas Tech University.
Presents current theory and interventions for the major problems encountered in the clinical practice of gerontological nursing. Topics covered include incontinence, function, and drug interactions and side effects.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the two important issues relating to disease in elderly: the age-related changes and the pathophysiology of the diseases. The book contains 19 chapters that are arranged by organ system and structured to cover the specific areas for a quick but in-depth understanding of diseases in aging patients. Unlike any other book on the market, this text is concise and yet thorough in approach to the stipulated areas. This book includes multiple-choice questions that reinforce the concepts that are most vital to understanding and treating geriatric patients, making it an outstanding resource on its own or as a companion to larger geriatric texts. Diseases in the Elderly is the ultimate resource for geriatricians, medical students, primary care physicians, hospital doctors, geriatric nurses, and all other medical professionals treating and diagnosing diseases in elderly patients.
Falling is one of the most common causes of disability in later life and is also one of the most preventable. This book provides an enormous body of fall-related research that has been organized by the author into easy, digestible information for geriatric health professionals. Extensively updated and revised for its second edition, the book has direct clinical applications and strategies for preventing and managing falls. It also contains new information on the physical, psychological, and social complications of falling. For physicians, nurses, administrators, and staff in long-term and other geriatric care settings, this book will be an essential resource.
This book is concerned with one of the major areas of misdiagnosis in medicine today. It has been estimated that as many as thirty percent of children typed as "epileptic" when presenting with loss of consciousness, falls or other paroxysmal episodes have, in fact, non-epileptic attacks. Yet because of the stigma attached to this label, and the frequent side effects of anti-epileptic drugs, it is important that the alternative etiological mechanisms be recognized. The most common of these conditions, the vagalmediated anoxic seizure or fainting fit, is so frequent that it will be encountered by anyone involved in the practice of clinical medicine in its widest sense. These seizures are discussed in depth using original data and extensively reviewing the literature. Many other less common, but nonetheless important, varieties of fits, faints and "funny turns" are self-induced by a Valsalva maneuver, and motor events ranging from day-dreaming to the effects of suffocation and brain swelling. As Jean Aicardi writes in his foreword to this volume: "Over 140 case histories...bring the flavor of real life into an exhaustive, yet highly readable account...This monograph is undoubtedly the most comprehensive source of information available about the various types of anoxic attacks, their clinical and EEG features, mechanisms and prognosis...This is a delightful book that anyone involved in clinical medicine in general and child neurology in particular will enjoy reading."
This 3rd edition presents cutting-edge standards of pacing and defibrillation to keep you at the forefront of this rapidly expanding field. You'll find coverage of all the new devices and management strategies you need to solve a full range of clinical problems using today's best approaches. Written by world authorities on pacing and devices for cardiac care, this new full-color 3rd edition is the more practical than ever! Addresses the management of patients with a broad range of conditions, including sinus node disease, carotid sinus hypersensitivity, tachyarrhythmias, heart failure, and more. Details cardiac pacing in pediatric patients. Illustrates vital concepts and techniques with over 745 x-rays and figures. Explains how to approach pacemaker generator changes. Reviews fundamental concepts such as how to pace the heart and how leads, power sources, programmers, and electronic circuitry work. Contains a new chapter on resynchronization trials. Offers technical information on both new and old devices to help you make the correct choice for every patient. Provides new material on implantation, with key updates to all aspects of this challenging clinical area.
