1. Living Well with Chronic Illness
Chapter 21
Living Well with Chronic Illness
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2. Persists regardless of treatment, is of long duration, and usually progresses slowly
Chronic diseases are not always obvious and may not interfere with the person’s day-to-day life until late in the disease, but are nonetheless present and require ongoing treatment
In the United States, the most common chronic diseases are hypertension, osteoarthritis, and heart disease
92% of older adults have at least one chronic disease and 77% have at least two
Chronic Illness
Copyright © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Chronic Health Conditions Among the Population Age 65 and Over, by Sex, 2009-2010
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4. Many chronic diseases could be eliminated through preventative strategies, especially when started at a young age
Major global lifestyle risk factors for the development of chronic disease (Box 21-1)
Tobacco use
Unhealthy diet
Physical inactivity
Alcohol abuse
Chronic Illness
Copyright © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. A Model for Chronic Illness
The trajectory model aids health care providers to understand the realities of chronic illness and its effect on individuals
Copyright © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Associations between age and chronic disease and the development of frailty remains in question
The formal diagnosis is made in the presence of at least three of the following:
Unintentional weight loss
Self-reported exhaustion
Weak grip strength
Slow walking speed and low activity
Tips for assessing frailty (Box 21-3)
Frailty
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7. Frailty, Aging, and Chronic Disease
It is expected by 2025 that 1.2 billion people will be considered frail, the majority living in developing countries
Working with older adults who are either frail or living with chronic illness means that the gerontological nurse has the opportunity to decrease both morbidity and mortality of older adults (Box 21-4)
Frailty, Aging, and Chronic Disease
Copyright © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. One of the most common chronic conditions noted in the United States is:
peripheral vascular disease.
hypertension.
heart failure.
kidney failure.
ANS:  B
Question 1
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9. Question 2 Which of the following is a sign of frailty?
Unintentional weight gain
Hyperactivity
Weak grip strength
All of the above
ANS: C
Question 2
Copyright © 2016 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.