Chronic Disorders Case Study Essay

Words: 682
Pages: 3

There are numerous degenerative conditions and chronic diseases that older individuals face, specifically, elders over the age of 65. The elderly are facing chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and dementia. Between 2000 and 2020 the number of people with chronic diseases is going to increase to a staggering forty-five percent of the population. Also, elderly Americans with multiple chronic diseases is going to rise to twenty-five percent of the population of individuals over 65 (Shi and Singh, 2013). I do not personally know any elderly individuals who have diabetes or heart disease. However, I do have a friend’s mother who had mild dementia that is now full-blown Alzheimer’s. My friend is the full-time caretaker of her mother and helps her with activities of daily living. When my friend has to go somewhere out of town or for a few hours her mother stays at an adult day care because she cannot be trusted to be home alone anymore. The whole situation is rather sad because her mother does not know that Meagan is her daughter. Moreover, her mother thinks that Meagan’s husband is the guy that lives downstairs. I have a family member who has rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid issues. …show more content…
The biomedical model is what drives the health care system in the United States. The biomedical model is not effective in dealing with chronic diseases. The model instead focuses on acute diseases, which have short courses. The biomedical model locates a health issue and attempts to cure the issue with medication, change in diet, or therapy. The model is based on a single-cause/ single-effect, which differs from chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are typically multiple-cause/multiple-effects. Chronic diseases are discussed my more contemporary models, such as casual web