Economic and Social Factors Affecting the Health of Older Adults

Download or read book Economic and Social Factors Affecting the Health of Older Adults written by Colette Joy Browning and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-12-11 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2020 over 1 billion of the world’s population were over the age of 60 years old, and it is expected to double by 2050 according to WHO. Due to the growing population of older adults, there is a focus on healthy aging that will benefit the individuals and the wider communities as older adults will be able to support family members and partake in paid or voluntary work for a longer period of time. Currently a large number of older adults are unable to work, increasing the likelihood of economic instability with fewer streams of income. Economic instability has been proven to have health impacts including declining mental wellbeing, malnutrition, and the inability to afford prescribed medications. Social isolation proves to be another important factor in the overall health of older adults. The CDC reports that poor social interactions have been linked to a higher risk of developing multiple serious medical conditions.