A care aide employed on a geriatric medicine unit of a hospital expresses frustration that "old people get sick so much more often than young people.". What is the nurse's most appropriate response to this statement?
A) "In fact, the prevalence of obesity and accompanying chronic illnesses mean that young people actually have more chronic conditions than older adults.".
B) "It's actually a myth that older adults require more hospitalization than young people.".
C) "Actually, older adults experience fewer acute illnesses than younger people, it's just that they tend to take longer to recover from them.".
D) "With the increase in life expectancies in recent years, most older people actually live free of chronic diseases until very late in life.".
C
Feedback:
The incidence of acute illness is lower among older adults than younger adults, though recovery times tend to be longer. Older adults tend to have a higher incidence of chronic illness and require more frequent and longer hospitalizations.
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