Chapter 14 – Late Adulthood: Body and Mind

A GEISM Ageism Elderspeak

B ELIEVING THE S TEREOTYPES A BOUT O LD A GE An Imagined Threat Stereotype threat Anxiety about the possibility that other people have prejudiced beliefs.

Y OUNG -O LD, O LD -O LD, AND O LDEST -O LD Young-old (70%) Old-old (20%) Oldest-old (10%)

T HE E LDERLY : B URDEN OR B LESSING ? Caregivers or Care Receivers? Older people probably give more care than they receive.

A S HORT T IME F OR I LLNESS Compression of morbidity A shortening of the time a person spends ill or infirm before death; accomplished by postponing illness. Due to improvements in lifestyle, medicine, and technological aids. North Americans who live to be 95 are likely to be independent almost all of those years.

A GEISM AND THE A GING S ENSES Senescence is pervasive and inevitable Obvious in appearance (skin gets wrinkled, bodies change shape) and the senses. Only 10% of people over age 65 see well without glasses. Taste, smell, touch, and hearing are also impaired (e.g. by age 90, the average man in North America is almost deaf, hearing only 20 percent of what he once did).

A GEISM AND THE A GING S ENSES Auditory problems Small and sensitive hearing aids are available but many people still hesitate to get aids.

H EALTH AND S ICKNESS Primary Aging Secondary Aging

C ARDIOVASCULAR D ISEASE The likelihood of CVD strongly related to six risk factors (all more common with age): Diabetes Smoking Abdominal fat High blood pressure Lack of exercise High cholesterol

F ACTS ABOUT CVD CVD is considered secondary aging No single factor makes CVD inevitable. The links among aging, risk, and CVD are undeniable.

S TAYING H EALTHY Nutrition Aging body becomes less efficient at digesting food and using nutrients. People need fewer calories as they grow older. Many elders do not drink enough (awareness of thirst is reduced and the kidneys and bladder are less efficient).

S TAYING H EALTHY

Exercise Elders benefit from regular exercise. Older people exercise less than younger adults do.

S TAYING H EALTHY Drug Use Addiction Alcohol Changes in metabolism, less efficient liver functioning, and increased likelihood of living alone are risk factors for alcoholism.

L IVING A L ONG L IVE Maximums and Average Maximum life span Average life expectancy

A NTI A GING Centenarian Calorie Restriction

T HINKING IN L ATE A DULTHOOD T HE A GING B RAIN Brain Slowdown

T HE I MPAIRED : D EMENTIA Dementia Mild Cognitive Impairment

A LZHEIMER D ISEASE Alzheimer disease (AD) The most common cause of dementia

A LZHEIMER D ISEASE Genes involved in Alzheimer Disease AD in middle age is rare Most cases of AD begin much later Genetic tests for AD in late adulthood are rarely used

A LZHEIMER D ISEASE Stages of Alzheimer Disease Beginning Stages: Forgetfulness Personality changes Memory loss eventually becomes dangerous Final stage Full-time care is needed Communication ceases Identity and personality are lost Death comes 10 to 15 years after the first signs appear

V ASCULAR D EMENTIA Vascular dementia (VaD) A form of dementia

O THER D EMENTIAS Frontal lobe dementia Parkinson disease

O THER D EMENTIAS Lewy body dementia Named after round deposits of protein (Lewy bodies) in the neuron.

P REVENTION OF I MPAIRMENT Regular physical exercise Avoiding the pathogens that cause dementia.

T REATMENT OF D EMENTIA Steps: 1. Taking care of the overall health of the person 2. Getting a proper diagnosis 3. Starting appropriate treatment

T HE O PTIMAL : N EW C OGNITIVE D EVELOPMENT Erikson and Maslow Integrity Self-actualization

T HE L IFE R EVIEW Life review An examination of one’s own part in life, which often takes the form of stories written or spoken by elderly people who want to share them with younger ones. Obituaries?

W ISDOM Wisdom An expert knowledge system dealing with the conduct and understanding of life.

Chapter 15– Late Adulthood Psychosocial Development

T HEORIES OF L ATE A DULTHOOD Development is more diverse in late adulthood than at any other age.

T HEORIES OF L ATE A DULTHOOD Continuity theory The theory that each person experiences the changes of late adulthood and behaves toward others in a way that is consistent with his or her behavior in earlier periods of life.

T HEORIES OF L ATE A DULTHOOD Positivity effect The tendency for elderly people to perceive, prefer, and remember positive images and experiences more than negative ones.

T HEORIES OF L ATE A DULTHOOD disengagement theory activity theory

A CTIVITIES IN L ATE A DULTHOOD Work

A CTIVITIES IN L ATE A DULTHOOD

Home Caring for their own home Naturally Occurring Retirement Community

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES Long-Term Partnerships Shared Laughter

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES THE IMPACT OF RETIREMENT

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES DEATH OF A SPOUSE

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES Relationships with Younger Generations

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES Feelings of familism prompt siblings, cousins, and even more distant relatives to seek out one another. Filial responsibility The obligation of adult children to care for their aging parents.

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES Grandchildren Most (85 percent) elders over age 65 are grandparents. Factors influencing the nature of the grandparent- grandchild relationship: personality ethnicity national background past family interactions age and the personality of the child

F RIENDS AND R ELATIVES In the United States, contemporary grandparents follow one of four approaches to dealing with their grandchildren: Remote grandparents Companionate grandparents Involved grandparents Surrogate parents

T HE F RAIL E LDERLY Frail elderly People over age 65, and often over age 85, who are physically infirm, very ill, or cognitively disabled. Activities of Daily Life bathing, toileting dressing transferring from a bed to a chair Instrumental activities of daily life

T HE F RAIL E LDERLY

Caring for the Frail Elderly Family caregivers experience substantial stress.

E LDER A BUSE

T HE F RAIL E LDERLY Assisted living A living arrangement for elderly people that combines privacy and independence with medical supervision.