title: [Aging and becoming vulnerable].
abstract: "The vulnerable are those whose autonomy, dignity and integrity are capable of being threatened". Based on this ethical definition of vulnerability, four risk factors of vulnerability might be identified among elderly persons, and are described in this article: the functional limitation, the loss of autonomy, the social precariousness and the restriction of access to medical care. A clinical case of elderly abuse is presented to illustrate vulnerability. Finally, some recommendations to lower the risk of vulnerability in elderly persons are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Service de gériatrie et réadaptation gériatrique, CUTR Sylvana, Département de médecine, CHUV, 1066 Epalinges. Stefanie.Monod-Zorzi@chuv.ch
authors.forename: Stéfanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monod
authors.forename: Annelore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sautebin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003071:Cognition; D004552:Elder Abuse / Q000191:economics*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D028723:Personhood; D011203:Poverty; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D035862:Vulnerable Populations