While conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia, arthritis, respiratory illness, diabetes, cancer, mental health issues, and others are common in later life, their development and progression are shaped by more than clinical factors.
Older people frequently experience multimorbidity, making treatment more complex, and coordinated care essential.
However, effective disease management must also account for social determinants, structural inequities, lived experience, and the broader culture and systems that shape opportunity for health.
For example, research shows that ageism and age-based discrimination are linked with poorer physical and mental health, delayed diagnosis, and reduced access to treatment. Social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risks of several chronic conditions and premature mortality.
Elder abuse, housing insecurity, racism, and unequal access to services profoundly influence health outcomes, affecting everything from vulnerability to chronic disease to the ability to manage existing conditions.
This underscores why multidisciplinary approaches are essential.
Read the full article by Dr Andrea Petriwskyj for citations and bibliography.