This document discusses caring for the elderly and common medical problems they face. It notes that gerontologists classify age-related issues into four categories: intellectual impairment, immobility, instability, and incontinence. These problems often make the elderly highly dependent on nursing care. Additionally, chronic conditions in the elderly are sometimes misinterpreted as dementia. Proper care of the elderly requires addressing not just medical issues but also mental health, social engagement, and quality of life.

2. Unit7: Caring for the elderly

3. The medical problems associated with old age are classified by gerontologists under the Four (I)s (Also known as the giants of geriatrics):1-Intellectual impairment/confusion (mental confusion or damages2-Immobility (immovable, the inability to move)3-Instability (unstable; lack of firmness or steadiness)4-Incontinence (unable to retain bodily discharge (as urine) voluntarily.

4. gerontologyInstability Incontinence (unable to retain bodily discharge (as urine) voluntarily.Intellectual impairment/confusion (mental confusion or damagesImmobilitywhen a situation is not certain because there is the possibility of sudden change [≠ stability]: not moving at all [= motionless]: unable to control the passing of liquid or solid waste from your body relating to the ability to understand things and think intelligently

5. -These problems are seriously disabling and elderly people are often highly dependent on nursing care.Many are bedridden, and though neurodegenerative diseases are the main areas of research , depression, sleep disorders, problems with eating, and skin breakdown are also issues for the elderly and for people who take care of them. Studies show that chronic impairments in elderly people, such as deafness and muscle weakness, are frequently mistaken for failing mental abilities.Gerontologists argue that it is possible to grow old and die without losing faculties to dementia (mental deterioration).Factors such as the loss of a lifetime partner, and a sense of uselessness and social isolation after retirement, tend to make the elderly more prone(likely, exposed) to apathy (lack of interest) and depression which increases vulnerability to diseases.

6. Elderly people can be very demanding to nurse. They can be often :1-inattentive ( distracted, absent)2-with disorganized thought and speech.3-disturbed behavior.

7. geriatric nursing has rewards: elderly people are in long-term care which means that nurses get opportunities to build meaningful relationships with their patients.

8. os‧te‧o‧po‧ro‧sis[uncountable]a medical condition in which your bones become weak and break easily: ge‧ri‧at‧ric1-[only before noun] relating to the medical care and treatment of old people

9. ger‧on‧tol‧o‧gy{uncountable }the scientific study of old age and its effects on the body —gerontologist(n)[countable]—gerontologicaladjective

10. Gerontologists argue that it is possible to grow old and die without losing faculties to dementia (mental deterioration).

12. Factors such as the loss of a lifetime partner, and a sense of uselessness and social isolation after retirement, tend to make the elderly more prone(likely, exposed) to apathy (lack of interest) and depression which increases vulnerability to diseases.

13. faculty of(able to see, hear, think etc in the normal way)fac‧ul‧typlural 1 [countable] a department or group of related departments within a university faculty ofthe Faculty of Lawthe Engineering Faculty3[countable usually plural] a natural ability, such as the ability to see, hear, or think clearly: the patient's mental faculties

14. bore‧dom[uncountable]the feeling you have when you are bored, or the quality of being boring:

15. in‧at‧ten‧tivenot giving enough attention to someone or something {≠ attentive}—inattentivelyadverb—inattentiveness(n)/uncountable

16. bed‧rid‧den unable to leave your bed, especially because you are old or illfor‧get‧fuloften forgetting things—forgetfullyadverb—forgetfulness(n) {uncountable}

17. con‧fu‧sion1[uncountable and countable] when you do not understand what is happening or what something means because it is not clear im‧mo‧bilenot moving at all [ motionless]—immobility(n){uncountable}

18. deaf‧en[transitive usually passive]1-if a noise deafens you, it is so loud that you cannot hear anything elsestim‧u‧late[transitive]1-to encourage or help an activity to begin or develop further —stimulativeadjective—stimulation (n) {uncountable}

19. These problems are seriously disabling and elderly people are often highly dependent on nursing care.Many elderly people areBedriddenNeurodegenerative diseasesdepression

20. problems with eating,skinbreakdown.

21. Studies show that chronic impairments in elderly people, such as deafness muscleweaknessfrequently mistaken for failing mental abilities.

22. re‧la‧tion‧ship1-[countable] the way in which two people or two groups feel about each other and behave towards each other

23. dis‧tress[uncountable]1-a feeling of extreme unhappiness: ar‧ti‧fi‧cial[usually before noun]1-not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural [≠ natural = false]

24. hip[countable]1-one of the two parts on each side of your body between the top of your leg and your waist: The old lady had fallen and broken her hip.

25. Artificial hip

26. de‧gen‧e‧ra‧tivea degenerative illness gradually gets worse and can't be stoppedfrail1- someone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill: frail elderly people2- something that is frail is easily damaged or broken [= fragile]

27. in‧con‧ti‧nent unable to control the passing of liquid or solid waste from your bodyincontinence (n){uncountable}shuf‧fle1- [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to walk very slowly and noisily, without lifting your feet off the ground

29. Done by:AfnanDegnah& Arwa Al-Aseiri