Ageing, health and illness

This chapter will briefly consider the changing demographics of both developed and developing countries, and the corresponding need for health care professionals to facilitate the fitness and health of older people. This is followed by a discussion of the most common health problems experienced by older people; in particular, those that frequently mark the transition to frailty, and around which a great deal of health care revolves. The chapter concludes with the case study of an elderly lady with osteoarthritis. Her story - including the challenges, joys and realities of ageing with a musculoskeletal disorder - will be the focus surrounding the objectives of the chapter