The Tribune

In a series marking National Rehabilitation Awareness Week Sasha Daneah Anderson looks at the issues of care for geriatrics

OLDER adults are more susceptible to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes, and therefore have a higher demand for healthcare and rehabilitation.

As a result of these chronic diseases, depression is prevalent in older adults which calls for the help of a Rehabilitation Counsellor, whose duty is to help individuals with disabilities experience a quality of life regardless of age.

Those aged 65 and above can also reap the benefits of being active, having the ability to preserve function and acquiring a sense of independence. In the Bahamas, there are too many older adults not given the opportunity to enjoy the latter part of their lives to the best of their ability.

They can either be found in an elderly home, on the geriatric wards at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre or in their homes being taken care of by family members or caregivers. Of those in elderly homes and on geriatric wards, most do not have the luxury of being visited by family members. Sadly, taking care of older adults becomes a burden most people cannot, or are not willing, to endure. However if we took the time to educate ourselves on rehabilitation, the responsibility of taking care of our elderly family members will be satisfying.

Everyone likes the idea of being a part of and contributing to something great, whether it is being active in the community, church, schools or families. Older adults who are not receiving rehabilitation for their chronic illness can be affected negatively, which further impairs their ability to function.

Being able to contribute to society can lift the spirits of these people, which in turn will improve their overall function. Like everyone else in need of rehabilitation, it is important to identify the clinical problems of the older adult in order to determine the appropriate rehabilitation plan. The most important evaluation for older adults is for the presence of depression. Depression has an affect on the overall mood and progression of a person.

Further, the main goals of geriatric rehabilitation are to maximise function and to minimise disability in order to return the patient to the highest attainable level of independence. With help from the rehabilitation team, older adults can actually place less strain on the economy in the long run. Once impairments and limitations are identified, goals are set by the rehabilitation team members and a treatment plan is introduced and reviewed accordingly. The rehabilitation of older adults can occur in a variety of settings such as in-patient rehabilitation facilities, out-patient facilities and home-based programmes. Each rehabilitation programme must be tailored to the client.

In addition to the rehabilitation treatment plan, exercise is a major component that can prevent illness and injury, limit functional loss and disability in older adults and reverse some of these conditions. Specific exercise programmes for older adults can include resistance training, endurance training, balance training and flexibility training. Programmes of this nature can improve daily function in older adults, reduce disability, reduce blood pressure, improve lipid profiles, lower cardiac mortality, reduce stroke-associated weakness, reduce pain and improve function in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis and reduce risk of falls. Although exercise includes all of these benefits for older adults, it is wise to obtain appropriate medical clearance for these conditions prior to the start of a rehabilitation programme. Once an older adult has been medically cleared to participate in exercise, high-risk adults should be monitored before, during and after exercise.

Finally, older adults undergoing rehabilitation are often at high risk for medical errors as a result of failing to diagnose, failing to provide adequate treatment, failing to prevent a problem before it starts and poor communication between providers of the rehabilitation team. As the number of older adults continues to increase, rehabilitation will continue to play a significant role in their overall health and improvement in the quality of their lives. With guidance from the rehabilitation team, this goal is achievable.

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Sasha Daneah Anderson is a Rehabilitation Counsellor born and raised in Nassau. Educated at St Anne’s Anglican High School and College of the Bahamas, she was graduated from Emporia State University, Kansas, with a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counselling. She can be contacted at sander12@g.emporia.edu