The Dangers Of The Elderly - 1582 Words

Australia, like numerous countries throughout the world, has an imminent aged care crisis. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) reports that there are 3.22 million people aged 65 years or older, or 14% of the population, and this number is expected to double over the next 45 years. The effect of the elderly living longer is that the occurrence of illness and disabilities, as well as recovery time, is increased (Lovell, 2006). Associated with this is the increase in demand for health care resources, and the negative stereotype of the elderly being an economic burden (Lovell, 2006). The stereotype of the elderly being frail is perpetuated by the media’s promotion of youth and vitality, as well as the biased reporting of the negative†¦show more content†¦In addition to the use of emotive terms, Rahilly includes statistics to demonstrate the importance of improving research on memory disorders. These statistics state that â€Å"over the next 45 years the number of Australians aged over 65 is expected to double† (Rahilly, 2013, para. 1). These statistics reflect those of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, therefore contribute to the validity of Rahilly’s argument. Despite the statistics supporting Rahilly, the validity of her article is questioned when researching her background. Annie Rahilly is the senior media advisor at the University of Melbourne, the university conducting the research into improving early diagnosis and prevention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease. The employment of the author at the university means that there is possible bias in the report. This is demonstrated as very little of her article explores the positive aspects of aging. Rahilly includes one quote, â€Å" while an increasing number of Australians are living with dementia, most people who worry about their memory don’t actually have the condition† (Rahilly, 2013, para. 8). This quote from Associate Professor Darby demonstrates the impact the media has. Fear inducing articles, such as Rahilly’s, which provide statistic after statistic about the prevalence of memory disorders, contribute to the