DISCUSSIONS FOR GERO

THESE ARE CLASS DISCUSSIONS. ALL I SIMPLY WANT YOU TO DO IS COMPLETE EACH DICUSSION ON SEPARATE PAGES INCLUDING THE RELATING REFERENCES THANK YOU

DISCUSSION 1 PAGE 1

Instructions:

Read the story of “Joe” (https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.amazonaws.com/5c1754ad402d4/951220?response-cache-control=private%2C%20max-age%3D21600&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Story_of_Joe.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20201109T000000Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PL5SJBSTP6%2F20201109%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=e564a8149c6501b71025781311aea1b77ba2a4f57aef73f263a71760f4e502ad)and then think about your own elderly person that can break the mold.
Tell “your own story” of how a member of the elderly population changed your perception of what the elderly are all about
Write your own story about someone you know that is elderly, or possibly, just someone that “can break the mold” that was the intentions of the original ACES material.
DISCUSSION 2 PAGE 2

Recently there has been an extensive amount of research into something called telomere, which is a short sequence of base pairs (DNA’s) that are found at the end of chromosomes. This short sequence repeats itself approximately 50-70 times and can be found at the end of the chromosomes found in human cells. There has been a push to isolate them on a person’s leukocytes because they are easy to isolate and locate within the body of these research subjects, but these can be found in other cells.

The proposal as to the function of telomeres is that they were a timepiece for each person; which means that a telomere would drop off at predetermined intervals (maybe 1-2 yrs) and eventually when the telomeres ran out, the cell would either die or undergo the apoptosis process. The telomeres would fall off when the cell produced an enzyme called telomerase. Thus, researchers became fascinated by what appeared to be a biochemical process in direct control of cellular life and death, and that could potentially be in control of death of an organism such as a human.

If you can imagine that these scientists were science fiction writers, they would be dreaming about laboratories throughout the world that could assist their patients to live up to 150 years of age or even longer. The potential for some kind of mediation allowing a person to live longer does appear to be a reality, but possibly not to the extent that many imagine.

Stochastic Theories

Free Radical Theory
Orgel/Error Theory
Wear and Tear Theory
Connective Tissue Theory

Non-Stochastic Theories

Programmed Theory
Gene/Biological Clock Theory
Neuroendocrine Theory
Immunologic/Autoimmune Theory

Instructions:

Read the paragraphs above.
Answer the following questions as thoroughly and concisely as possible:
From the list of aging theories above (Stochastic & Non-Stochastic Theories), where would you categorize the “telomere aging theory”? Would it be a Stochastic or Non-Stochastic theory?
Please provide a rationale as to your selection
DISCUSSION 3 PAGE 3

It has been said, that the cost to Medicare and even to society in general of healthcare of the elderly in this country is “way out of line”. The actual spending of healthcare on the elderly constitutes approximately 1/3 of the total healthcare expenditures on less than 20% of the population. This would imply that more money is spent on time taking care of the elderly than any other age group.

Instructions:

Read the article, ‘For the Elderly, Being Heard About Life’s End’
https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.amazonaws.com/5c1754ad402d4/4079990?response-cache-control=private%2C%20max-age%3D21600&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Discussion_2_Article.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20201109T000000Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PL5SJBSTP6%2F20201109%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=756c262e42e1505928e13a7b7c6d1d52a0457b81dea2870dfb2a8d7ff8c3c08e
Answer the questions as thoroughly and concisely as possible:
Is the myth of the elderly true?
Are all the elderly sick, all the time, or are the physicians taking advantage of a government-run system in order to make more money?

Is this a warning to all of us before the great gray surge becomes worse that healthcare will be impossible to provide to all of the elderly?
DISCUSSION 4 PAGE 4

An elderly gentleman is admitted to the hospital with an MRSA infection. It is soon discovered that the Staphylococcus is resistant to many different antibiotics. Unfortunately, this is discovered only after he is given a usual treatment regimen which is interrupted at the third dose to start him on some Vancomycin. Once the Vancomycin is finished, the gentleman develops a UTI (urinary tract infection) to which he is treated for. Having put the gentleman on a usual antibiotic to treat the UTI, the same scenario plays out and the initial antibiotic is stopped, and he is put on one that will treat the resistant bacteria.

Instructions:

Read the scenario above.
Answer the following questions: (Please give a rationale for all of your answers)
Due to this scenario playing out twice during the same stay, discuss some of the health implications that this man may be facing.
What other conditions or health problems might he be at risk for now?
Are there any organs at risk for being compromised?
Are there any adjustments you could make to his diet or nutrition that may make the situation better?
Describe what “quality of life” aspects are relevant when a very elderly person is near death and you are the caregiver.