Where Are All The Older Autistic People? Scotland, For Example

Where Are All The Older Autistic People

Where Are All The Older Autistic People

Folks who adhere to the “autism epidemic” as a new phenomenon confined only to our youngest generation are fond of asserting that no older autistic people exist. Typically, their evidence for the claim comes only from their personal experience, as they ask, “Where are all the older autistic people? I can’t find them!” Their comments conjure an image of their wandering the town square, tapping people on the shoulder, and asking them, “Are you autistic?” as a form of data gathering. But it must not be very good data gathering, as I personally know several people in these decades of life who are autistic. Perhaps I hang around in different town squares.

In spite of the inability of some to find autistic people in their 50s, 60s, and older, investigations performed in a more methodical manner have identified where the older autistic people are. These studies also underscore the fact that frequently, diagnoses of “mental retardation” in previous generations–labels that sometimes led to institutionalization–would be autism diagnoses today. Such findings don’t suit the “autism epidemic” crowd because the conclusions defy an assumed causation related to today’s vaccines or vaccine schedule or the ills (and toxins and chemicals and maternal antibodies and air pollution and etc.) of modern society. As it turns out, it’s possible that the ills of grandpa’s generation might be more relevant.

Read the rest of the article here.

Diets for older people

As we get older, it is inevitable that our health will gradually weaken at some point, irrespective of how well we looked after our bodies throughout our lives. However, we can continue to be full of freshness and vigor well into our pensionable years if we exercise adequately and get the nutrition that our bodies need. Malnutrition or an unhealthy diet will only quicken the onset of health problems once we surpass middle age.

People of all ages struggle to get the ideal nutrition for them, as evidenced by shocking child obesity figures, but the elderly often find it even more difficult to eat healthily for varying reasons. They may struggle to find the money to afford healthy meals every day, while they could also be physically unable to prepare proper meals. They could find it hard to get to a store to buy the foods that they need, or their appetite could be lacking if they suffer from loneliness or depression. As a consequence of failing to get adequate nutrition, elderly people are left increasingly susceptible to dietary-related diseases such as prostate cancer, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

It’s worth encouraging older people to try healthier diets that are best suited to what their bodies need. A TLC diet containing skinless poultry, fruit and vegetable salad, a roast beef sandwich and oatmeal is ideal for those with blood pressure or cholesterol concerns. If you’re trying to encourage better heart health, a Mediterranean diet with pasta noodles, sundried tomatoes, seafood and wholegrain toast will go a long way towards this. Whatever the nature of your elders’ dietary needs, it’s generally best to incorporate fiber, iron, unsaturated fats, calcium and vitamin D while eliminating salt, empty calorie foods, trans fats and red meat.

Of course, we shouldn’t merely tell our elders what is best for them. A degree of participation on our part can be massively helpful, whether it’s by doing our parents’ grocery shopping, cooking meals or them or turning one dinner a week into a family occasion to which they will really look forward. This not only enables them to eat healthier, but also offers a social platform that they enjoy immensely.

This infographic from Be Independent Home Care (https://www.beindependenthomecare.ie/our-services/private-home-care.html) offers further advice on how we can enable our elders to get the dietary requirements that will help them to a happier, healthier life.

Diets for older people

Diets for older people

Homecare: The World’s Fastest Growing Industry?

The senior citizen population in America is growing enormously, with 10,000 people a day crossing the threshold of their 65th birthday. On the face of it, this increase in life expectancy is very much a positive development, but the offshoot of people living longer is the increasing burden being placed on the healthcare industry to provide the care that is needed for the elderly population.

It’s not that the healthcare industry is in decline or even stalling – far from it. This is a sector worth $84 billion in the USA alone, with a workforce of 1.7 million people and enormous growth projected in the next decade. The main difficulty is that the growth of the industry isn’t quite keeping pace with the increase in people requiring care, as America’s senior population is expected to stand at roughly 84 million people by the end of 2016.

Another factor in the struggle to meet the demand for home healthcare is the increased regulation of the industry, with providers of healthcare being required to meet higher standards of care than ever before. It is unarguable that patients deserve the best of care, but when licensing for healthcare becomes stricter, the pool of suitable providers gets smaller, and the demand for care is even less likely to be satisfied.

To see more about the current status of the homecare industry, read the infographic below from Be Independent Home Care (http://www.beindependenthomecare.ie/our-services/private-home-care.html).

Homecare - The World's Fastest Growing Industry

Homecare – The World’s Fastest Growing Industry