The Elderly-Vulnerability

Aging is described as being the result of the progressive deterioration of an individual's physical and mental state (Santos et al., 2018). It is a physiological and natural process and when together with the attitudes of prejudice, and disrespect with the elderly, can lead to the occurrence of violence against this population. Some forms of abuse are, but not limited to, physical, psychological abuse, fraud and abandonment. Aging makes a person frail causing them to depend on others due to the decrease in function of cognition, physical and/or emotional state (Santos et al., 2018). This dependence on others may be in the form of assisting an elderly person with medication administration, preparing meals, following a specific routine in the maintenance of an illness, to attend physician appointments and the activities of daily living (Schroder-butterfil, 2006). I feel communities need to have a program in which individuals go to elderly persons, living on their own, to check on them to note how they are adapting with the aging process and the possible occurrence of abuse from family, friends, or workers. They also need to be checked on to make sure their needs are being met and if not refer the to programs and services they would benefit from. A standardized scale could assist health professionals to rate an elderly person's frailty to assist them with knowing what type of services a person may need to assist them with their needs. This scale should be done at various intervals to keep professionals aware/updated with the needs of an individual through the aging process (Santos et al., 2018).

Profile of seniors in Canada (Information from the Government of Canada)

Seniors in Canada are a rapidly growing segment of the population and are living longer and healthier lives than previous generations.

In 2014, over 6 million Canadians were aged 65 or older, representing 15.6 percent of Canada's population. By 2030—in less than two decades—seniors will number over 9.5 million and make up 23 percent of Canadians. Additionally, by 2036, the average life expectancy at birth for women will rise to 86.2 years from the current 84.2 and to 82.9 years from the current 80 for men (Government of Canada, 2014).

References

Government of Canada. (2018). Action for seniors report fall 2014. Retrieved from https://

www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/seniors-action-report.html

Santos Santos, R. C., Menezes, R. M. P., Goncalves, R. G., Silva, J. C., Almeida, J. L. S., & Araujo, G. K. N. (2018). Violence & frailty in the elderly. Journal of Nursing, 12(8), 2227-

2234.

Schroder-butterfil, E., & Marianti, R. (2006). A framsork for understanding old age vunerabilities. Aging Sociology, 26(1), 9-35. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.

nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC36728441