ALU 301 Chapter 5 (Underwriting the Elderly)
Questions With 100% Correct Solutions
Unique qualities of the elderly population
1. The heterogeneity of the population
2. The presence of comorbid conditions
3. The occurrence of Frailty.
Population heterogeneity
Diversity in health status among individuals of similar age.
Heterogeneity
Is expressed on an individual basis in that the signs and symptoms of disease can be unusual and the
impact of the disease on function is variable from one person to the next.
Comorbidity
The combination of two or more impairments that increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. Is
common in the aging population. High blood pressure and arthritis were most common.
Frailty
Identified as one of the geriatric syndromes, is characterized by a person's high risk for variety of poor
outcomes such as falls, acute illness, slow recovery, dependency.
Non-Medical Considerations
Accidental Death
Injuries from accidents are the sixth leading cause of death. Falls represent the primary cause.Driving
and Moving violations that are the most common are failure to yield, failure to obey traffic signal or
sign.
Polypharmacy
The use multiple medications concurrently
Major causes of Morbidity in elderly
Arthritis, hypertension, hearing impairment, heart disease
Aortic stenosis
is the most common significant valvular disease in older people. Impaired left ventricular function in
the setting of aortic stenosis is a poor prognosis.
Cancer in the elderly
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the elderly. Signs such as unexplained weight loss, low
serum cholesterol, new onset of anemia
ASCENT
A tool used to determine a robust person from a frail.
Questions With 100% Correct Solutions
Unique qualities of the elderly population
1. The heterogeneity of the population
2. The presence of comorbid conditions
3. The occurrence of Frailty.
Population heterogeneity
Diversity in health status among individuals of similar age.
Heterogeneity
Is expressed on an individual basis in that the signs and symptoms of disease can be unusual and the
impact of the disease on function is variable from one person to the next.
Comorbidity
The combination of two or more impairments that increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. Is
common in the aging population. High blood pressure and arthritis were most common.
Frailty
Identified as one of the geriatric syndromes, is characterized by a person's high risk for variety of poor
outcomes such as falls, acute illness, slow recovery, dependency.
Non-Medical Considerations
Accidental Death
Injuries from accidents are the sixth leading cause of death. Falls represent the primary cause.Driving
and Moving violations that are the most common are failure to yield, failure to obey traffic signal or
sign.
Polypharmacy
The use multiple medications concurrently
Major causes of Morbidity in elderly
Arthritis, hypertension, hearing impairment, heart disease
Aortic stenosis
is the most common significant valvular disease in older people. Impaired left ventricular function in
the setting of aortic stenosis is a poor prognosis.
Cancer in the elderly
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the elderly. Signs such as unexplained weight loss, low
serum cholesterol, new onset of anemia
ASCENT
A tool used to determine a robust person from a frail.
