Week 1 Discussion

Question 1

Consider a 12-year-old and 75-year-old have one of the following illnesses:

• COPD
• Asthma
• Heart Failure
• Cancer
• Describe the chronic illness trajectory for the selected illness based on the patient's age.
• How does the chronically ill patient's illness trajectory influence the plan of care?

Question 2

Discuss your own philosophy of aging.

• When do you think a person becomes elderly?
• What do you think of older people?
• Are they active, senile, debilitated, etc.?
• Provide a description of an elderly person that you know.