Our awareness of the world occurs through physiological mechanisms that process afferent, sensory information. Like all physiological mechanisms these are subject to detrimental changes as the body ages. It is essential to understand these changes so that we can meet any extra requirements that may ensue. This is increasingly important as the proportion of the population that is elderly steadily rises. Individuals over the age of 65 now account for 16% of the population (OPCS, 1991a). This essay will identify the

problems that arise for the elderly and suggest ways they can be managed. Gustation shows least age-related decrement because, unlike other neural cells, taste receptors have life spans of only a few days and are continually replaced. Salt and sucrosecan easily be identified at all ages, but more complex taste stimuli (eg. carrot) cause

difficulties for old people, suggesting that olfaction, rather than gustation, might be

impaired (Doty et al., 1984). Olfaction shows marked age-related decline with 25% of

65-80 year-olds, and 50% of people over 80, repo

(Kosnik et al., 1988). Finally the elderly are more susceptible to glare, due to an

fracture. 30% of people aged over 65 fell at least once in the preceding year (Campbell et

these sensory losses can be largely offset by using flavour enhancers (Schiffman &

involved in a road accident than middle-aged people (Planek, 1974), accounting for a

temperature and poorer at regulating their own temperature, increasing the risk of

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ordy Brizzee, Anderson Palmore, Plomp Mimpen, Birren Schaie, Lives People, Regnier Pynoos, Sojourner Antin, Plomp Duquesnoy, Kline Schieber, Schiffman Warwick, et al, opcs 1991a, elderly people, regnier pynoos 1987, pynoos 1987, presbycusis due, regnier pynoos, hearing aid, planek 1974, ability detect, sensory impairments, walls floors ceilings, materials walls floors, affect vision age, doty et al,
Approximate Word count = 6248
Approximate Pages = 25 (250 words per page double spaced)