Common Chronic Health Conditions Associated With Aging

Course overview

This basic-level course is designed to assist healthcare professionals in encouraging, teaching, and guiding older adults with chronic conditions to practice healthy lifestyles. This course explores common chronic conditions associated with aging, and discusses how healthcare professionals can help older adults manage these conditions and enhance health. Included is a look at the emotional effects of coping with loss, disability, and chronic conditions. Depression and bereavement are described, along with the stages of grief and methods of distinguishing among them. Because the incidence of cancer increases with age, preventive cancer screening and prevention guidelines for older adults are presented. Prevention, treatment of, and coping with such common problems as hearing loss, hypertension, and incontinence are also discussed. Because stroke, arthritis, and osteoporosis all have the potential to negatively affect functional status, these conditions are also reviewed to help promote healthy aging.