COURSE OVERVIEW:

It is a common belief that both physical and cognitive function will decline with ageing and that people must accept these changes. In many respects this is true, but compensatory and preventive management can control the effects of system decline. An example of this is to use corrective lenses to accommodate for the presbyopia of middle age. Similar adjustments to lifestyle can slow or negate the effect of ageing in other systems. In this course the changes due to ageing will be investigated in the context of residents in aged care.

No one knows how and why people change as they get older. Some theories claim that ageing is caused by injuries from ultraviolet light over time, wear and tear on the body, or by-products of metabolism. Other theories view ageing as a predetermined process controlled by genes.

No single process can explain all the changes of ageing. Ageing is a complex process that varies as to how it affects different people and even different organs. Most gerontologists (people who study ageing) feel that ageing is due to the interaction of many lifelong influences. These influences include heredity, environment, culture, diet, exercise and leisure, past illnesses, and many other factors.

With age, progressive physiologic changes occur that ultimately lead to a decrease in the function of various organ systems. In fact, ageing has been defined as "processes in an organism that increase the mortality risk as a function of time".

This course explains the changes associated with ageing in all of the systems important to physical performance and functioning. This information will be referred to throughout this course as we examine clinical reasoning and physiotherapeutic treatment of elderly people living in residential aged care facilities.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:

• The physiological changes associated with age
• The age effect on vision
• The age effect on hearing and the vestibular function
• The age effect on taste and smell
• The age effect on the gastrointestinal system
• The age effect on the mouth
• The age effect on swallowing
• The age effect on digestion
• The age effect on the liver
• The age effect on the kidney
• The age effect on the skin
• The age effect on the musculoskeletal system
• The age effect on the skeletal muscle function
• The age effect on flexibility
• The age effect on the nervous system
• The age effect on cognition
• The age effect on sleep
• The age effect on the memory
• The age effect on the cardiovascular system
• The age effect on the respiratory system
• The age effect on the chest wall
• The age effect on the lung
• The age effect on the endocrine system
• The age effect on the immune system

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.