The Home Environment and its Effect on the Older People - Dissertation Example

The essay "The Home Environment and its Effect on the Older People" talks about the age-induced limitations of the older people and how the supportive home environment makes a significant difference to their occupational performance, physical and psychological health, happiness and longer term prospects. In an aging world, the number of older citizens continues to present a significant increase, especially in the more developed countries of the world. In the United Kingdom, a fifth of the population is over the age of 60 years and the number of people over the age of 65 years has more than doubled since the 1960s.

The number of people above the age of 90 is to double between the years 1995 and 2025 and the number of people above the age of 80 years is to increase by almost a half. These older citizens want to live active as well as independent lives and it is in the interest of the society as well as the older citizens that they will be provided the best possible quality of life in their old age. However, aging also means that a senior citizen is at a higher risk of a variety of health ailments and the elderly also have special psychological needs.

There is a general decline in health and mental capacity of senior citizens as compared to the younger generation. A deterioration in the immune system means that older adults are more susceptible to catch infections and these adults are also more likely to suffer serious injuries, such as fractured bones, as a result of a fall.