1. Adulthood & Old Age
(Ch 5)

2. Physical Changes 20’s = maximum efficiency
Late 30’s & 40’s = reduction in activity & ability (decrease in strength, lung cap., eyesight)
50’s & 60’s = further decreases & gradual bone loss
70’s + = further decrease in strength, bone density, heart and lung output

3. Menopause in women 45-50
Marriage: why some divorce…
No physiological reason for reduced sexual activity with advanced age
Leading causes of death:
Heart disease, cancer, & cirrhosis of the liver

4. Cognitive abilities Average mental peak in the 40’s
Those involved in the humanities avg peak was in the 60’s
IQ tests penalized for lack of speed
Knowledge & vocabulary continue to grow

5. Social & Personality Development

6. Daniel Levinson… Identified important transition areas for men
1 - Entering the Adult World
Novice adult, conflict of past & present
2 – Age-Thirty Crisis (28-30)
Reexamining life choices, change needed

7. 3 – Settling Down (36-40)
“becoming one’s own man” (BOOM)
4 – Midlife Transition (40-45)
Questions past and future
Erikson’s generativity v stagnation
5 – Middle Adulthood (late 40’s)
Satisfactory solutions to crises creates stability or stagnation & unhappiness

8. Female Development Mostly focused on mid-life “Empty Nest” syndrome
Unhappiness
New sense of freedom, interests, & activities
Midlife Depression
Sense of loss, personal worthlessness
Can be triggered by Menopause

9. Old Age

10. Attitudes towards aging…
Ageism: prejudice towards the old
Misconceptions
Inflexible, senile, …
Most based on decremental model of aging
Progressive physical and mental decline is inevitable
Chronological age = “old”

11. Health Physical & mental abilities decline approx. 1% per year
Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis
Causes of death: heart disease, cancer, strokes
Lower $$ - don’t take care of themselves or seek care
Stereotypes lead to misdiagnoses

12. Life changes… Retirement, widowers, loss of friends
Continue to learn & develop skills
Sexual activity dependent upon past, not age
Poor health, death of spouse, past behavior

13. Adjusting to old age…
Self image associated with control & independence (negative)
Assertive personalities trend more positive
AARP (Amer. Assoc of Retired Persons)
Lobbyist for elderly
Rights, current issues, and community benefits

14. Mental Functioning John Horn’s 2 types of intelligence
Crystallized intelligence
Ability to use accumulated knowledge & learning in appropriate situations
Fluid intelligence
Ability to solve abstract relational problems & generate new hypotheses

15. Senile Dementia Alzheimer’s Disease
Characterized by memory loss, forgetfulness, disorientation of time and place, impaired attention, altered personality, decline in ability to think
Alzheimer’s Disease
Form of senile dementia, 4th leading cause of death
Poor judgment, irritability, social withdrawal

16. Dying & Death

17. Thanatology study of death and dying
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5 stages of dying
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

18. Hospice care
Location where terminally ill people go to die
Drugs used to ease pain and discomfort
Also done through homecare for elderly and terminally ill