Impairment in the geriatric population

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to examine how the concept of impairment has been applied in geriatric populations. In so doing, we will focus on impairments in cognition and in the performance of everyday behaviors as they are known to be age associated and interrelated. Moreover, impairments in cognition and everyday behavior are some of the greatest challenges faced by this population. As people live longer, more are likely to be affected by age-associated neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer disease) resulting in a substantial number of cognitively impaired people requiring support and assistance in performing everyday behaviors (Gruenberg, 1977; Kramer, 1980). For these reasons, it is important to consider how cognitive impairment has been conceptualized, as well as factors that influence its expression.