Since the improved methods in diagnosing and treating illness, along with advance in technology and an increasing elderly population, nursing has been faced with meeting the needs of diverse groups of individuals. According to the Administration on Aging as of 2006 approximately 1 of every 8 Americans was 65 or older and by 2030 it is projected that the numbers will double. The first step in meeting the needs of this targeted population is to dispense common myths that exist about the elderly. Not all older adults are inactive, senile, lonely, depressed, dependent, nonproductive, or sexually inactive; although there are normal age-related changes that are associated with growing older and these changes are part of the process: health issues, disorders, diagnostic variations, influences of acute and chronic settings on the elderly, legal and ethical issues, medications, and end-of-life issues.
