Medical Conditions in Older People

There are stats that say four million older people in the UK are affected by long-term medical conditions.

With the baby boomers getting to an older age, this figure is expected to rise. In fact experts predict that this figure will reach seven million by 2030.

In 2023 people are living longer; in the most part thanks to our fantastic NHS.  But this does mean medical conditions in older people are adding ever-increasing pressure on the health service.

Falls are the largest cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people. This can also cause significant long-term outcomes.

But what are the most common medical conditions in older people?

With people living for longer, medical conditions in older people have become more prevalent. Living with these conditions is becoming easier to manage, thanks to advances in treatments and medicines.

Thinking about your Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister, Uncle, Auntie and Grandparents. As they get older, we should all have a bit more knowledge about medical conditions in older people. We can all be better prepared.

There’s a few things we might want to understand:

• The condition itself – what is it and what will it mean?
• The available treatments
• Some ways you might be able to prevent the illness
• How to live with the condition.

See below our basic guide to ten of the most common medical conditions in older people:

Arthritis occurs when there is a breakdown of tissue inside the joints. It can cause inflammation, pain, it can restrict movement and cause weakness in the affected joints.

This is a very common medical condition in older people, particularly in the UK. It’s not exclusive to old people though, it does affect around 10 million people of all ages.

There are two main types of Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis in older people. This is mainly caused by natural wear and tear. The older we are, the more our joints have moved and been used.

What are the symptoms of arthritis?

• Joint pain, tenderness and stiffness
• Restricted movement of joints
• Inflammation in and around the joints.

There is currently no cure for the illness, but there are treatments available. Depending on the severity of your condition, you can take painkillers and corticosteroids, which can help slow down the progress of arthritis.

Where do we come in?

If you have arthritis you are at much more risk of falling. Your joints can’t quite support you as much as they used to. Our personal care alarm and monitoring service will be there if you need us. If you fall, alert us by pressing the red button on your pendant or wristband. Someone will be there on the end of the phone to help – they talk to you through the base unit, which we install in your home.

Asthma happens when the body’s airways become sensitive to allergens. The airways can become inflamed, which can cause a painful and frightening attack. It causes the airway muscles to tighten and narrow, making it hard to breathe.

What are the symptoms of asthma?

• Persistent coughing
• A tight sensation in the chest
• Getting out of breath regularly.

Asthma is quite a common medical condition in older people. This can become much worse when people have a cold or the flu. Asthma can be potentially life threatening. In most cases, it is a condition people have to live with and manage well. But an attack can be frightening.

How can we help people with asthma?

If you have one of our personal care alarms, you can alert us at any time of the day or night. Just press the red button on your pendant alarm or wristband. A member of our team will talk to you through the loudspeaker on the base unit we installed in your home.

If you are in need of urgent medical attention, they will call an ambulance for you, and stay on the line if you need them. You may need us to just contact a neighbour, or your next of kin, who can pop in and make sure you have access to your medication. Whatever you need in that circumstance, we can be there.

One in three of us will suffer from a form of Cancer at some point in our lives. With more than 200 types of this medical condition, it can impact on so many people in such different ways. Breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer, are just a few examples.

Cancer occurs when cells in the body replicate abnormally. They usually cause a mass known as a tumour. Abnormal cells multiply, causing either a tumour to grow or the cancerous cells to spread through the bloodstream.

What are the common symptoms of cancer?

•  Finding an unexpected lump
• Unexplained weight loss
• Unexplained blood showing, for example in urine, stools, through coughing or vomiting.

Survival rates are sadly much lower in older people. This is why it’s so important to keep an eye out for symptoms. If cancer can be caught earlier, there is a greater chance of treatment being successful.

Chronic bronchitis is more commonly known as a type of lung disease. It affects respiratory system. Most cases start as a result of an infection which irritates and causes inflammation to the bronchi of the lungs. This causes an overproduction of mucus.

The body tries to shift excess mucus by coughing. Chronic bronchitis can mean people are coughing daily for prolonged periods of time.

The virus or bacteria that cause bronchitis are similar to the viruses that cause colds and flu. This often makes it difficult to diagnose the condition.

What are the common symptoms of bronchitis?

• Sore throat
• A runny or blocked nose
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Aches or pains in your chest.

If you are diagnosed with chronic bronchitis and you’re a smoker, it is so important to try to stop smoking. This will only exacerbate your symptoms and it will take a lot longer for the condition to go.

Alongside this, you should also ensure that you’re eating a healthy diet, which can help to prevent lung infections in the first place.

If you have chronic bronchitis, make sure that you get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and ensure that you treat any headaches or fever with paracetamol or ibuprofen – however don’t use ibuprofen if you have asthma.

Coronary heart disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers. The NHS tells us that coronary heart disease (CHD) is the term that describes what happens when your heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

The condition can be caused by lifestyle choices and other medical conditions, such as:

• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes.

If you are at risk from CHD, your GP is likely to do a risk assessment with you. Tests can include:

• A treadmill test
• A radionuclide scan
• A CT scan.

What are the main symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease?

• Heart attacks
• Angina
• Heart disease.

Many people will be advised by their GP to make severe lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of CHD. For example, taking regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and stopping smoking is a must. There are also some surgery options and medications that will treat the condition.

The effects of CHD can be dangerous to your health, and potentially fatal. If you have one of our care alarms, you can raise the alarm as soon as you feel unwell, have pains or concerns. Help can be on the way within minutes.

It is expected that someone will be diagnosed with Dementia every three minutes in the UK. Dementia is a condition that affects the brain’s capacity to function as it should. Rather than being an actual condition itself, dementia is a word to describe a set of symptoms relating to someone’s memory, language and understanding.

The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease. Vascular dementia is another type of dementia that develops following a stroke, or if there is blood vessel damage in the brain.

What are the symptoms of dementia?

• Having difficulty remembering recent events
• Struggling to follow conversations or to find the right words
• A difficulty judging distance or space
• Possibly forgetting where you are or what date it is.

Almost a million people live in the UK with dementia. Almost 90% of these are over the age of 65.

If you are experiencing symptoms like the above, it's so important to visit your GP as soon as possible. An early diagnosis could help ensure that the right treatment and support is put into place.

If you have been diagnosed with dementia, this is a scary time for both for you and your loved ones. Our personal care alarms and the range of equipment we provide, can be such a help. They can make sure you continue to live as independently as possible, for as long as you can. They also help to provide your loved ones with reassurance and peace of mind.

Did you know that 422 million adults across the world have Diabetes. That’s one in 11 people. Older people are susceptible to developing diabetes. This is due to changes that happen as our bodies grow and age. Diabetes is a lifelong condition, caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin. It affects 3.9 million people in the UK.

As medical conditions in older people go, type 2 diabetes is one of the most common. It’s becoming a growing problem for the NHS, with most new diagnoses coming from the older generation.

There are a number of recommended lifestyle changes that can help reduce the risk. These include:

• Healthy eating – increasing fibre and reducing sugar and fat in your diet
• Losing weight – reducing your weight safely and gradually as part of lower calorie intake and a more active lifestyle is the best way to go
• Exercising regularly –  keeping active and strengthening your muscles is so important.

Older people can be more susceptible to diabetes, even if it’s a complication from another illness. Furthermore, exercising and adopting a diabetic-friendly diet can be more difficult for elderly people to manage.

More than three million people across the UK are affected by osteoporosis. Over 500,000 people receiving hospital treatment for fractures every year as a result.

Osteoporosis develops slowly and is often left undiagnosed until a fall or an impact causes a bone to break.

Why does it take so long to diagnose?

Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones. Losing bone mass is a natural part of the ageing process. But some people do lose bone density faster than normal, which leads to Osteoporosis and an increased risk of fracture injuries.

Who is most at risk?

Women are mostly at risk of the condition because they lose bone density in the first few years after the menopause. There is medication available to help strengthen bones. You can also take calcium and vitamin D supplements, which are really important for healthy bones.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation highlights two types of exercise which can help combat the condition:

• Weight-bearing exercises – these involve exercises which push against gravity, whilst staying upright. High-impact exercise, such as skipping and tennis, help to build bones and keep them strong. Low-impact exercise such as using a stair-step machine and a treadmill are a safer alternative if you have bone problems.
• Muscle-strengthening exercises – these can include exercises which move the body, weights or other forms of resistance against gravity. Examples include lifting weights, using weight machines and elastic exercise bands.

How can we help?

If you have Osteoporosis, you are unfortunately more likely to have a fall. For your own peace of mind, and that of your family, why not get in touch?

Our personal care alarm and monitoring service will be there if you need us. If you fall, alert us by pressing the red button on your pendant or wristband. Someone will be there on the end of the phone to help – they talk to you through the base unit, which we install in your home.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic and progressive condition, which damages and affects parts of the brain. The NHS estimates that there are around 130,000 people in the UK living with Parkinson’s disease– that’s 1 in every 500 people.

Parkinson’s is caused when someone loses their nerve cells in a part of the brain called the ‘substantia nigra’. This will then lead to a reduction in a chemical in the brain called dopamine.

Who is most at risk?

Parkinson’s Disease is most commonly prevalent in middle-aged and elderly people.

If you are concerned about yourself or a friend or family member, make sure you keep and eye out for these common symptoms:

• Involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body (tremor)
• Slow movement
• Stiff and inflexible muscles.

There are of course other symptoms, and if you are concerned at all, you should contact your GP.

Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease. There are treatments available, which can help to reduce the main symptoms and allow those affected to maintain their quality of life for as long as possible.

How can we help?

The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be troubling. They can put you at risk of falling. Most people with the condition do still want to live independently. It’s important to find ways to help make that happen, without so much of the worry.

Our personal care alarm and monitoring service will be there if you need us. If you fall, alert us by pressing the red button on your pendant or wristband. Someone will be there on the end of the phone to help – they talk to you through the base unit, which we install in your home.

Falls lifting service

We also have a dedicated service for anyone who has a fall in the home. If you fall and you feel you are injured, we will call an ambulance for you. If you feel you are uninjured, but just can’t get back up, we will send a member of our team to help.