Old Age in the Old Times

Old Age

In his sixty-fifth year George Sanders took his own life, leaving a note saying that he was bored. Writing in her sixty-fourth year, Simone de Beauvoir is determined that she, at any rate, will not be bored by old age. This book is a tribute to her energy in researching the sociological, psychological and anthropological aspects of old age?historically and in the present day. Its length (over 5...

Old age psychiatry in the modern age.

Old age psychiatry services globally are under threat. The discipline enjoyed its heyday in the two decades bridging the millennium. More recently there has been a move to integrate old age services with those of working age adults, to create 'ageless' services. Evidence is beginning to accumulate that this is a bad idea.

Obesity in old age.

Many older people in developed countries are overweight or obese. The prevalence is increasing as more people reach old age already overweight. Obesity in old age is associated with increased morbidity and a reduction in quality of life. The relative increase in mortality is less in older than young adults and the body weight associated with maximal survival increases with advancing age. Althou...

Spirometry in old age.

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are highly prevalent in older people [1–4]. This well established fact has not, however, overcome the problem of underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of both conditions in old age, with the inevitable effect on morbidity , and possibly mortality [1, 5]. Properly performed spirometric measurements of Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second (FEV1) an...

Disability in Old Age