Mindful Continuing Education

1. More than a quarter of all Americans and two out of every three older Americans have multiple chronic conditions, and treatment for this population accounts for 66% of the country's health care budget.

2. Mobility is fundamental to everyday life and central to an understanding of health and well-being among older populations, as impaired mobility is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes.

3. The current growth in the number and proportion of older adults in the United States is unprecedented in our nation's history as demonstrated by each of the following EXCEPT:

4. For a variety of reasons, older adults in racially and ethnically diverse groups may experience the effects of health disparities such as language barriers, reduced access to health care, low socioeconomic status, and differing cultural norms more than younger people, and these can be major challenges to promoting health in an increasingly diverse older population.

5. Heart disease poses its greatest risk as people age, and remains the leading cause of death for older adults, followed by chronic disease and stroke.

6. Chronic diseases can affect a person,s ability to perform important and essential activities, both inside and outside the home, and initially older adults may have trouble with managing money, shopping, preparing meals, and taking medications as prescribed, which are known as _____________ activities of daily living.

7. Among health care costs for older Americans, 85% are for chronic diseases, and the cost of providing health care for one person aged 65 or older is two to three times higher than the cost for someone younger than 65.

8. Although binge drinking tends to decrease with increasing age, older adults who binge drank reported engaging in this behavior more frequently than their younger counterparts and reported consuming an average of about six drinks when they did drink, thereby increasing their risk of developing many health and social problems.

9. Research indicates that today's health information is presented in ways that are not usable by most adults, and without clear information and an understanding of the information's importance, people are more likely to skip necessary medical tests, have a harder time managing chronic diseases, and:

10. The Aging and Health Report: Disparities and Resilience among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Older Adults, found that, among older LGBT adults, about 20% have been denied health care or received inferior care, about 40% have a disability, and 25% report depression.

11. While older adults have the highest rates of poor physical health and activity limitation compared with other age groups, they tend to have lower rates of frequent mental distress compared with other age groups.

12. Health care providers and other service providers who have contract with older adults can help identify those with mental distress by monitoring __________________ as an indicator of mental health problems.

13. Regular physical activity is one of the most important things older adults can do for their health and specific recommendations for this age group include:

14. Although diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of come cancers and chronic diseases, a smaller proportion of adults aged 65 years or older eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables daily compared with other age groups.

15. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of illness and death among older adults, but most Americans with high blood pressure do not have it under control.

16. In 2011, HHS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and CDC launched the Million Hearts campaign, which seeks to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes among Americans during the next 5 years, and strives to improve clinical care by helping patients learn and follow their ABCS, including:

17. Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury death, and if they fall without injury, they may develop a fear that will likely lead to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness.

18. The state by state report card on healthy aging shows considerable variation among the states for each indicates that:

19. Impaired mobility in older adults is associated with several health problems including depression, cardiovascular disease,__________, and injuries secondary to falls and automobile crashes.

20. Social support interventions seek to change physical activity behavior by teaching people how to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines based on specific interests, preferences, and readiness for change.

21. Environmental approaches to promote physical activities and improve health strategies and behaviors include each of the following EXCEPT:

22. Since older adults may be more vulnerable to the influence of their residential environment they tend to stay within their neighborhoods rather than travel outside them and implementing recommended environmental and policy approaches may help to reduce environmental barriers and thus improving physical activity for older adults.

23. In response to the evidence of a growing need for supportive communities that enhance mobility for older adults, the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging developed the Lifelong Communities( LLC) initiative that calls for its programs and services to promote housing and transportation options, encourage healthy lifestyles, and expand access to services.

24. Starting at age 75, fatal crash rates increase per mile traveled, because of the increased tendency for older adults to get into automobile accidents.

25. Development patterns that create attractive, distinctive, walkable communities that give people of varying age, income levels, and physical ability a range of safe affordable, and convenient choices in where they live and how they get around are part of a community plan known as creative expansion.