Midlife and Older Couples Chapter 13 Midlife and Older Couples Chapter 13

Chapter Overview I.Anonymous Survey II.Introductory “Quiz” III.Thought for the Week IV.The Middle Years V.The Golden Years VI.Critical Thinking

The Elderly I. Anonymous Survey

II. Introductory “Quiz”

1. Empty nesting is a very stressful time for both parents. Mostly false. (see p. 398)

2. Most married, middle-aged women report that sex has gotten better. True

3. Middle-aged men are more concerned with emotional expression and companionship than younger men. True

4. Empty nest couples are more isolated from neighbors, friends, and marital networks than are parents with children in the home. False

5. There are more young adults living with parents now than there were in True

6. Unmarried family members spend more time caring for an elderly family member than married family members. True

7. About 15% of persons over the age of 65 live in a nursing home. False

8. For most people, retirement is difficult to adjust to. False

9. Couples in the retirement stage usually have less money, more health problems, a higher probability of death, and greater marital satisfaction than those in the empty nesting stage. True

10. Of those over the age of 75, 66% of the women are widowed and 70% of the men are married. True

III. Thought for the Week: Commitment This strength is a commitment to the family. It is a promise of time and energy. Commitment in strong families means that each member reaches his or her potential. It does not mean that the individuals suffer so that others in the family can grow.

IV. The Middle Years A.Define “Middle Age” B.Stressors C.Crisis or Opportunity? D.Work E.Sex F.Marriage G.Empty Nest, Spacious Nest, Cluttered Nest H.The Sandwich Generation I.Grandparenting

One middle-aged man described life as a rainbow: At the beginning are infancy, early childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood; around the very highest point of the rainbow are the middle years; and nearing the end of the rainbow are the later years of life. When one reaches the crest of the rainbow, the middle years, one can clearly see the remainder of life for the first time. “When I reached middle age,” the man explained, “I saw the rest of my life clearly. It looked like more of the same old stuff I had grown tired of over the past 10 years. Some People might call it a middle-aged crisis,” he continued. “I thought of it as a middle-aged opportunity, and I’ve been changing steadily ever since.”

III. The Middle Years A.Define “Middle Age” B.Stressors (p. 390) C.Crisis or Opportunity? D.Work E.Sex F.Marriage G.Empty Nest, Spacious Nest, Cluttered Nest H.The Sandwich Generation I.Grandparenting

D.Work 1.Men: Routinization a.Making the old job fulfilling b.Career change c.Anger 2.Women: a Second Career a.Returning to college or the workplace b.Applicable experience v. On-the-job experience c.Discrimination and feelings of inferiority

III. The Middle Years A.Define “Middle Age” B.Stressors (p. 390) C.Crisis or Opportunity? D.Work E.Sex F.Marriage (p ) G.Empty Nest, Spacious Nest, Cluttered Nest H.The Sandwich Generation I.Grandparenting

V. The Golden Years A.Define Old Age B.Survey Cards and Conventional Wisdom (p. 402) C.Retirement D.Family Dynamics E.Losing a Spouse

VI. Critical Thinking 1.What good are the elderly? 2.What benefits might come of having them in the home? 3.What would you like to happen to your parents when they get old?