chapter 9: late adulthood
demographics of late adulthood
-1 out of 8 americans is 65 or older -by 2050 nearly 1/4 of the population will be 65 and older -number of people older than 85 is projected to increase from 4 to 18 milliono by 2050 -oldest old is fastest growing segment
hearing changes
-10 million elderly people in the U.S have hearing impairments of one kind or another -effect higher frequencies -cognitive decline -social life declines -
psychological and mental disorders
-15 to 25 percent of people older than 65 are thought to show some symptoms of psychological disorder -major depression: by feelings of intense sadness, pessimism and hopelessness -major neurocognitive disorder: dementia -alzheimer's disease
financial issues
-a lot of older people are in poverty and their savings might not be enough and depend on social security -their expenses is mostly medical stuff
Continuity and change in personality
-big five stable across adulthood -change is still possible -changes in the environment can change personality -what was once important might not be anymore
internal signs of aging
-brain becomes smaller and lighter -brain pulls away from skull -brain uses less oxygen and glucose and blood flow is reduced -neurons decline -heart's reduces ability to pump blood -respiratory system is less efficient -digestive system porduces less juice
outward signs of aging
-hair, becomes distinctly gray and eventually white and may thin out -wrinkles, skin loses elasticity and collagen -shorter
physical disorders
-leading cause in elderly people are heart disease, cancer and stroke -arthritis: an inflammation of one or more joints, afflicts roughly half of older people -hypertension: high blood pressure
changes in vision
-lens become less transparent, -optic nerve also becomes less efficient in transmitting nerve impulses -vision declines several dimensions
marriage
-men die first women live without them -they do not remarry -marriage gradiant makes men marry more -those who marry they tend to have substantial companionship and emotional support
death of spouse/ widowhood
-profound feelings of loss and often brings drastic changes in economic and social circumstances -loss of companion, lover, confidante, helper -brings new demands and concerns -economic issues are of major concern to many widowed people -three stages
Schaie conclusions
-some abilities gradually declined starting at around age 25, whereas others stay relatively steady -no uniform pattern of age-related intellectual changes. -fluid intelligence declines with age -crystallized intelligence remains steady and in some cases improves -average, some cognitive declines are found in all abilities by age 67 but they are minimal until 80s -significant individual differences -environmental and cultural factors play a role.
retirement
-some retire until they want too, some as soon as they can -leisure, spend more time in retirement -seek to ease the tension and frustration -health has declined -
Taste and smell changes
-tongue loses taste buds over time -olfactory bulbs in the brain begin to shrivel -oversalt their food, increase hypertension
continuing care community
a community that offers an environment in which all the residents are of retirement age or older -homogenous
adult day-care facilities
a facility in which elderly individuals receive care only during the day but spend nights and weekends in their ow homes
skilled-nursing facilities
a facility that provides full time nursing care fro people who have chronic illnesses or are recovering from a temoporary medical condition
Alzheimer's disease
a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning
institutionalism
a psychological state in which people in nursing homes develop apathy, indifference, and a lack of caring about themselves -they are told what to do at all times, they dont have independence -loss of control can have a profound effect on well-being
age related macular degeneration
affect the macula, a yellowish area near the retina at which visual perception is most acute
primary aging
aging that involves universal and irreversible changes that, due to genetic programming, occur as people get older
social support
assistance and comfort supplied by another person or a network of caring, interested people -emotional support by lending an ear and sounding board for concerns -understanding and pool of helpful suggestions -
secondary aging
changes in physical and cognitive functioning that are due to illness, health habits, and other individual differences, but which are not due to increased age itself and are not inevitable
cataracts
cloudy or opaque areas on the lens of the eye that intefere with the passage of light
Integrity vs. Despair (Erikson)
eriksons final stage of life, characterized dby a process of looking back over one's life. evaluating it and coming to terms with it -people who are successful in this stage experience satisfaction and accomplishment -they have few regrets -some look back and are unsatisfied and have regrets which is despair
wisdom
expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life
Plasticity
illustrates that the changes that occur in intellectual abilities during late adulthood are not fixed
older workers
many encounter age discrimination -some encourage for them to leave their jobs so they can replace them -
ageism
prejudice or discrimination directed at older people
glaucoma
pressure in the fluid of the eye increases, either because the fluid cannot drain properly or because too much fluid is produced
friendship
sense of control, more flexible than family -help with loss of spouse
cognitive reserve
the ability of the brain to build and maintain new neurons and the connections between them
life expectancy
the average age of death for members of a population -2050, average will be 80 -it has increased through time from 79 at 2012 -health and sanitation are generally better -vaccines and preventive measures for many diseases -working conditions are better -maximum life expectancy is 120
family relationships
the connections a person has with family members -asynmetrical, parents want closer, kid want distant -
major neurocognitive disorder
the most common mental disorder of the elderly, it covers several diseases, each of which includes serious memory loss accompanied by declines in other mental functioning
disengagement theory
the period in late adulthood that marks a gradual withdrawal from the world on physical, psychological, and social levels
elder abuse
the physical or psychological mistreatment or neglect of elderly individuals -11 percent of the elderly had expierenced some form of abuse or potential neglect during the previous year
life review
the point in life in which people examine and evaluate their lives -leads to a better understanding of the past -people may resolve lingering problems and conflicts with others, such as an estrangement from a child -sense of mutuality, a feeling of interconnectedness with others -it can be a source of social interaction,
selective optimization
the process by which people concentrate on selected skills areas to compensate for losses in other areas
continuity theory
the theory suggesting that people need to maintain their desired level of involvement in society to maximize their sense of well-being and self-esteem
activity theory
the theory suggesting that successful aging occurs when people maintain the interests, activities, and social interactions with which they were involved during middle age
wear-and-tear theories of aging
the theory that the mechanical functions of the body simply wear out with age
genetic programming theories of aging
theories that suggest that our body's DNA genetic code contains a built in time limit for the reproduction of human cells
K. Warner Schaie conclusions of intelligence
used sequential methods, combine cross-sectional and longitudinal methods -massive study in Seattle. Washington, 500 randomly chosen individuals took a batter of tests of cognitive ability