case 2

Middle-age adulthood is a critical period in human development, seeing the peaking and decline of growth and development. As a result, an individual in the period experiences extensive biological changes. One of the critical changes that occur past the age of thirty years is the loss of body muscles and functioning, medically known as sarcopenia, at a rate of 3-8% per decade, which further accelerates past the age of 60 years (Lazzara, 2020). The loss is associated with the decline of the nervous system, leading to the nerves detaching from the muscles.

The age group also experiences a reduction in bone tissue, referred to as osteoporosis. Humans achieve peak bone mass between the age of 35 and 40 years, after which the descent begins. The decline is rapid in females past menopause, where they can lose as high as 5-10% of bone mass every year (Lazzara, 2020). Another critical biological change is the prevalence of chronic inflammation, with no discernible causes but is believed to result from the body's response to injuries and pathogens, which are prevalent at the age. Another critical change is presbyopia, which involves vision loss due to loss of eye flexibility necessary to adjust to stimuli. As a result, the group struggles to see up close at night or in dim lights (Lazzara, 2020).

The group also suffers from presbycusis, which entails the loss of hearing capacity due to the disintegration of the nerve hair cells in the cochlea and otosclerosis involving the distortion of the bone structure and other elements of the middle ear (Lazzara, 2020). The loss is more common in males due to risk factors such as working in noisy environments, smoking, high blood pressure, and stroke. Middle-aged adults also experience weight gain due to fat accumulation. Another critical change is climacteric, which involves the decline in the reproduction capacity in men and its total loss in women as they enter menopause (Lazzara, 2020). Individuals can regulate the changes in the middle ages through adequate exercise, dieting, and other lifestyle adjustments.

Contraceptives Counseling

The most critical step to ensuring efficiency is establishing a close and trusting relationship with the patients to bridge any barriers and achieve effective communication. Another crucial strategy is to actively engage the patient to jointly identify and evaluate alternatives, evaluate their benefits and drawbacks, answer any queries the patients may have, and help them make the best choice that suits them. It would also be critical to promote adherence to guidelines to ensure the best outcomes during contraception use (Dehlendorf et al., 2014). My personal beliefs should not affect my ability to advise clients because I base the process on scientific and medical data.

Smoking Cessation Plan

Smoking cessation is a critical medical intervention because its success depends on the willingness of the patient to adhere to the recommended actions. As a result, the process should begin with enquiring about the smoking problem and offering patient education and awareness to highlight the risks of tobacco use and available rehabilitative options. The step should also involve persuading the individual to stop smoking and assessing their willingness and motivation to quit and the barriers. The next stage consists of developing a quit plan, including identifying the available therapies and interventions, engaging the patient in choosing the best one that suits them, and providing the necessary support (Olenik & Mospan, 2017). It is critical to engage the patients at every stage to ensure commitment to the process.

Effect of Poverty on Older Adults

            Poverty has an extensive impact on the quality of health and wellbeing of older people due to the socio-economic disadvantages they suffer. Living below the poverty line is associated with lower illiteracy, income, health insurance coverage, utilization of health services, and higher unemployment. They also suffer other risks such as poor nutrition, homelessness, unsafe living conditions, high rates of alcohol and substance abuse, high rates of smoking, and lack of social support (Stolz et al., 2017). As a result, such people have a higher rate of health complications, including malnutrition, common illnesses such as flu and diarrhea, lifestyle diseases such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, mental disorders, frailty, and injuries (Jaul & Barron, 2017). As a result, the group also suffers lower quality of life and higher morbidity and mortality compared to their wealthy counterparts.

References

Dehlendorf, C., Krajewski, C., & Borrero, S. (2014). Contraceptive counseling: Best practices to ensure quality communication and enable effective contraceptive use. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 57(4), 659-673. https://doi.org/10.1097/GRF.0000000000000059 (Links to an external site.)

Jaul, E., & Barron, J. (2017). Age-related diseases and clinical and public health implications for the 85 years old and over population. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 335-342. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00335 (Links to an external site.)

Lazzara, J. (2020). Lifespan development. Creative Commons Attribution. https://open.maricopa.edu/devpsych/chapter/chapter-10-adulthood/

Olenik, A., & Mospan, C. M. (2017). Smoking cessation: Identifying readiness to quit and designing a plan. Journal of the American Academy of PAs, 30(7), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JAA.0000520530.80388.2f

Stolz, E., Mayerl, H., Waxenegger, A., & Freidl, W. (2017). Explaining the impact of poverty on old-age frailty in Europe: material, psychosocial and behavioural factors. The European Journal of Public Health, 27(6), 1003-1009. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckx079