• Research Paper on:
    Elderly Living Alone and the Dangers This Poses

    Number of Pages: 4

     

    Summary of the research paper:

    In four pages nutrition and heat are examined as two potential dangers regarding elderly persons who live alone with a discussion of issues, statistics, and proposed solutions to this growing problem. Three sources are cited in the bibliography.

    Name of Research Paper File: MM12_PGeldht.rtf

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    Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
    do any other natural weather phenomenon. Over a ten year period, on average, floods killed 99 people, lightening strikes killed 58 people, tornadoes claimed another 57 and hurricanes took 14  each year (Colton , 2002). The average annual deaths from excessive heat was 193 and in 1999, there were 497 heat-related deaths (Colton, 2002). Many of those who died were  the seniors and elderly. This table illustrates the dangers of heat to those over 70. The percentage figure represents the percentage of the total number who died in that year.  Age 1998 1999 2000 70 - 79 44 / 25% 133 / 26% 39 / 25% 80 - 89 43 / 25% 106 / 21% 32 / 20% 90+ 8  / 5% 23 / 5% 8 / 5% (Source: Colton, 2002). The data become even more serious when the 60, in 2000 alone, "persons aged 60 and older accounted for  68% of all heat-related deaths" (Colton, 2002). There are three major reasons so many elderly die from intense heat. First, many live in old homes that do not have  air conditioning; second, they do not have the money to pay for the continual operation of their air conditioning units; and third, they were raised in an era of conservation  and sacrifice (the 1940s and 1950s) and believe they should be able to live through it without using so much energy (Colton, 2002). Dr. Cheryl Phillips, a geriatrician, said:  "Heat and the elderly are not a good combination. As people age, their bodies begin to lose the ability to sense when they are thirsty or to bounce back quickly  from dehydration, she said. The very people who are most vulnerable to heat also often have a tradition of thrift and public spiritedness that might lead them to use less 

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