THE SIMULATION OF AGING - AGE SIMULATION SUIT SIVIHA
We offer you to feel and understand the effects of aging thanks to our aging simulation suit with the aim of improving the environment and living conditions of the elderlys. Our aging simulation kit is adaptable to all sizes and morphologies.
THE AGING PROCESS
Understanding the aging process by simulation
The lens of the eye
begins to age from the age of 11.
The different physiological systems
(vascular, cardiac, cerebral, neurosensory and bone) gets old from 18-20 years :
- Respiratory function is greatly reduced with age
- High blood pressure increases with age and arteriosclerosis appears
- Bone aging, osteoporosis and osteomalacia
- Joint aging characterized by osteoarthritis
Muscle aging
(
decrease in muscle strength ). Difficulty in repeating effort, decrease in strength, endurance, resistance, speed, flexibility and coordination of movements. Sarcopenia is a progressive loss of muscle mass associated with aging. Its prevalence is high, between 10% and 24% of the population aged 65 to 70 years and up to more than 30% after 80 years.
Functionally, it is important to consider the loss of muscle power as it is involved in many basic activities important such as sit-stand transfer, climbing stairs or simply walking. In an imbalance, muscle distrust is often an aggravating factor for falls with medical consequences.
Decreased perceptual abilities, including impaired hearing and vision, disturb the balance of the body and cause instability of posture.
Some of the elements used in the simulation of different disabilities can also be used in the simulation of ageing.
OUR SIMULATION SOLUTIONS AGING
As you will see by discovering our products in detail, our simulations are using weights.
Why weights ?
Simply to simulate the loss of muscle strength of a minimum of 30% encountered by people over 55, an average estimated by gerontologists.
Why from 55 years old ?
It is the age which often forces us to reduce our sports activities due to the fatigue which is gradually taking hold and that we already feel through the tasks of our daily life.
THE AGING OF SIGHT, HEARING AND CERVICALS
The impact of the visions aging
Presbyopia is typically linked to age. It makes people furious want to see their arms stretch out to read the newspaper. The intraocular "lens", the lens thickens, becomes less elastic, which limits its power of accommodation. Normal aging is also responsible for the reduction of the visual field, a reduction in the vision of colors (dark and light) and contrasts. The vision becomes blurred, the bright light becomes annoying (sun, halogen). It also causes increased discomfort in night vision (for driving especially in rainy weather, the headlights dazzle).
What is hearing loss ?
Hearing impairment is, in the vast majority of cases, linked to the natural aging of the ear. It is presbycusis, the equivalent of presbyopia for sight. Definition of the phenomenon : From the age of 50, our sensory hearing cells tend to disappear progressively, which leads to the non-perception of certain sound frequencies mainly in high-pitched sounds.
Misunderstand is not the difficulties to perceive all sounds but not to perceive some of them. It is therefore a very partial discomfort at the start which develops as the number of badly perceived sounds increases. It is the understanding of speech that is the first difficulty. In noise, for example, the brain is not able to compensate for hearing loss to allow understanding. Hearing loss thus threatens our social life in the first place. Many old people feel progressively isolated and uncomfortable in society.
Cervical problems
People with osteoarthritis (chronic degeneration) have joint stiffness and limited movement of the neck.
Cervical osteoarthritis is painless in the majority of cases. However, it can be felt by causing stiff neck, with difficulty turning the head, often accompanied by headache.
AGING SIMULATION GLASSES
Simulation of vision problems :
- colors are perceived less clearly
- the sun and the bright lights dazzle
- photosensitivity
- the visual field is significantly narrowed
HEARING LOSS SIMULATION HELMET
The Headset simulates hearing loss at high frequencies due to aging.
THE CERVICAL NECKLACE, NECKLINE STIFFNESS SIMULATION
By limiting neck movements, the cervical collar simulates joint stiffness caused by age and particularly by cervical osteoarthritis.
THE LEGS AND FEET AGING
Aging leads to a decrease in muscle mass and strength, thus representing an important fall factor in the elderly.
Nouveau paragraphe
LEG PROBLEMS SIMULATION
Knee pads simulate impaired mobility knees as part of normal aging of the knees.
The ankle weights simulate difficulties in movement and movement as well as weaknesses due to the decrease in muscle mass in the legs.
KNEE AGING
Natural aging of the knees linked to age. It is common for knee problems to appear with age, the knee joints are severely tested throughout our lives and difficulties are felt. Knee bending becomes difficult, stiffness sets in which makes walking and standing-sitting movements difficult.
DEVICE PROPOSED AS AN ACCESSORY FOR THE SIMULATION OF SICK KNEE AGING
The restrictive knee pads simulate the unhealthy aging of the knees linked to intense activities of the knees. It is frequent that the knee joints of the elderly having exercised for example intense sports activities, undergo unhealthy alterations which, consequently, reduce the mobility of the knees in a more important way.
What are knee diseases ?
The destruction of knee cartilage has various causes: knee osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis. All these causes are responsible for the appearance of the same symptoms: pain, stiffness and ultimately functional disability.
Patellar chondromalacia: pathology occurring with age, degrading cartilage tissue and painful cracks. You should avoid off-center movements when bending or stretching your legs.
Symptoms of knee pain: swelling, painful bending, troublesome joint movements.
FEET AGING
The feet of an elderly person are more likely to have sensitivity problems because the nerve fibers are damaged at the extremities, namely the soles of the feet and the fingers of the feet. This problem can cause loss of balance, falls. An aggravating factor is poor blood circulation.
The decrease in muscle strength impairs mobility. Malposition of the hindfoot, deformation of the toes, sagging of the forefoot, support pain. So many problems that can gradually alter the balance and walking of the elderly.
What is hesitant and poorly systematized walking ?
It is the most common disorder in the elderly. Vision problems, hearing defiance, disturb the balance resulting in unstable posture. Aggravating factors are the deficiencies linked to global ailments with often a significant drug intake. The environment unsuitable for the movement of an elderly person adds to the difficulty.
BACK AND SHOULDERS AGING
The weight vest for the simulation of back and shoulder problems
The weight vest for simulating back and balance problems. With a hunched back, cane in one hand and the other hanging from the banister, it's hard to say that getting older goes unnoticed. Bone pain manifests more often and it is important to stand straight so as not to accentuate it. Osteoarthritis is often located in the back, even the shoulders, arms, and even the knees, there is a good chance that the degeneration of the spine is involved.
As we age, our bodies gradually degrade. In particular the spine, the vertebrates, which under many pressures throughout our life, end up becoming more fragile. The intervertebral disc, which lodges between our vertebrae, is made up of 90% water during growth against 10% at 60 years. As a result, bony growths (often called "parrot beaks") may appear at the joints because the spinal disc has flattened and emptied.
WEIGHT VEST, SIMULATION OF BACK, SHOULDER AND BALANCE PROBLEMS
Consequences of aging :
- forward position due to the curvature of the spine
- mobility is relatively restricted,
- a feeling of fatigue due to the decrease in muscle strength, accentuates the difficulties of balance
ELBOWS AND HANDS AGING
Gloves simulate the stiffness and swelling of fingers often caused by osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis evolves slowly over several years, we become aware of it as we age with the decrease in muscle mass and the breakdown of cartilage. After a while, the following symptoms, typical of osteoarthritis of the fingers,
may manifest :
- stiff fingers, especially after a period of rest, for example in the morning upon rising.
The stiffness improves upon activation;
- painful fingers when the hands are used for a long time or for heavy work;
less force to grab or pinch;
- bone deformations or growths may appear at the ends of the small
finger joints;
- inflammations characterized by swelling and redness in the joints.
Who are the people most affected by osteoarthritis of the fingers ?
The cause of cartilage wear is not yet known. Although it is not really hereditary, osteoarthritis of the fingers seems to have a family history. It also affects more frequently women, people over 50 and people whose profession treats joints.
Simulation of the aging of the elbows, the elbow pads simulate the stiffness of the elbows
The decrease in muscle mass and strength on the supporting limbs (arms), aggravate the wear of the cartilages of the elbows. The elbows often get blocked, especially after a period of inactivity and the stiffness gradually sets in, which represents a significant discomfort in the daily activities of the elderly.
SIMULATION OF ARM AND HAND PROBLEMS
Gloves simulate the stiffness and swelling of the fingers often caused by osteoarthritis.
Elbow problems :
the elbow pads simulate stiffness
(for example: after a period of inactivity) caused by joint pain.
Wrist weights simulate loss of arm strength.
Hand problems :
gloves simulate swelling of the joints as well as stiffness, which causes difficulty in using the hands.
Advices from the SiViHa team
To find out about the products that make up the aging simulation kit, we invite you to consult our document "Our brochure" available for download at the bottom of the page.
For the ultimate use of the aging simulation kit, we recommend overshoes
for a good simulation of the hesitant and uncertain gait of the elderly as well as the suitcase
for transporting and storing the equipment to facilitate your movement.
For overweight people, we recommend that you equip yourself with restrictive simulation kneepads
which are larger and simulate knee problems related to overweight.