Gerontolgy
The United States has customarily regarded itself as a young nation. However, in more recent years it has been changing subtly away from youth and has been aging. The American population is rapidly growing older. Improved health care has enabled more and more people around the world to live longer than ever before. "In the United States, people aged 65 and older totaled 35 million in 2000. This represents a 12 percent increase since 1990." (Census 2000) People aged 65 and older are the fastest growing segment of the world's population. "Estimates indicate that by the year 2030, 21 percent of the population will be aged 65 and older." (Sociology 162) The older population has been growing more than twice as fast as the rest of the population and the fastest growth has been in the oldest group of Americans. "Approximately a fifth of all Americans were 65 or older in 2000 as opposed to in 1900 when there was only 1 in 25 who were 65 or older." (Aging 14) Since the older population accounts for a majority of the general population, it has become a major concern. "Gerontology is the scientific study of old age and placing the emphasis of the social and behavioral aspects of aging" (Microsoft Encarta) Gerontology and "ge
As a result, muscles and tissues shrink. But many families are unable to bear the expensive cost of nursing homes and medical care for the elderly, and health insurance is unable to cover the expenses. "The glands, which secrete hormones regulate such functions as metabolism, temperature, and blood sugar levels, become less sensitive to the triggers that direct hormone secretion. Although some people never reach this age, and others who do, are beset with illnesses and diseases; more and more people are living healthy lives well into their 90s and older. 23% of women between 65 and 69 and 6% aged 70 and older are still employed. "Aging is the irreversible biological changes that occur in all living things with the passage of time, eventually resulting in death. riatrics, the specialized branch of medicine concerned with aging and the diseases of older persons and their therapy" (Microsoft Encarta), are both relatively new. The task of modern societies is to ensure that the aged population have their basic needs met and that they have the resources to continue to function properly in the community. Increased interest in geriatrics is due largely to the greater number of older persons in society, which is in turn a result of social and medical changes that have extended the life expectancy, ". "Individuals with armored personalities -controlled, striving, ambitious people-find adjustment more difficult. " (Microsoft Encarta) However, these tests relied heavily on skills commonly used in school classrooms, such as arithmetic, and require the test to be completed within a specific time limit. "In the United States, however, about 20 percent of the elderly live below or slightly above the poverty level; these are predominantly women and members of minority groups for whom economic security has always been a problem. The important variables are health and income.
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