Messinger-Rapport B J, Thacker H L
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Geriatrics. 2001 Jul;56(7):24-6, 29-31, 35.
Life expectancy of women is greater than that of men at every age. Thus, an older woman is more likely than a man to be living without a spouse and living alone. It is important in caring for an older woman to establish how well she is functioning physically and cognitively and in what activities she may need assistance. Given the high prevalence of dementia with advanced age, screening for dementia should be considered in women over age 75. Although their risk of suicide is lower, older women are more likely to be depressed than older men, regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic status. Late-life depression is treatable, and screening should be considered in the presence of a major life change, recent stroke, or MI.
在每个年龄段，女性的预期寿命都比男性长。因此，老年女性比男性更有可能在没有配偶的情况下独自生活。在照顾老年女性时，了解她的身体和认知功能状况以及她可能需要在哪些活动中得到帮助非常重要。鉴于老年痴呆症的高发病率，应考虑对75岁以上的女性进行痴呆症筛查。尽管老年女性的自杀风险较低，但无论种族、民族背景或经济状况如何，她们比老年男性更容易患抑郁症。晚年抑郁症是可以治疗的，在出现重大生活变化、近期中风或心肌梗死的情况下，应考虑进行筛查。
