RST 230 Midterm 2 Part 1
Geographic distribution of older adults
% 65 years and older: central US (great plains), Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Vegas, Florida, Arizona WHY? People can move down south when they are old and have money WHY live in North Dakota? Old farmers, stuck on the farms, attached to farms
musculoskeletal system
- Bones, muscles, cartilage, ligaments, tendons - Elasticity of connective tissues decline - Bones lose calcium - Osteoporosis - Decline in muscle mass and strength
nervous system
- Brain, spinal cord, peripheral components - Brain: reduction in weight and size - Loss of neuron cells → longer reaction time
cardiovascular system
- Heart muscle becomes less elastic - The walls of the heart thicken→ high blood pressure - Arteries become less elastic→ atherosclerosis - Active lifestyle helps to increase the function of cardiovascular system
respiratory system
- Loss of elasticity, hardening and stiffening of support tissues and airways - Decreased amount of air in and out of the lungs - Reserve capacity of lungs declines - Lower ability to cope with air pollutants
Reasons for homelessness
- Making financial mistakes - Having expenses (child, medical decisions) - Veterans (PTSD, other physical disabilities) - Domestic abuse
The underclass
- Poor on social assistance - Long term chronically unemployed - Homeless
Characteristics of homeless people (who are the people who are homeless?)
- Single men (largest group) - Families with children (fastest growing) - Single women - Runaways
Benefits of leisure for the unemployed
- Time to experiment with different ideas - Psychological benefit-- counteracts depression - During leisure you can social network - Health benefit
The use of leisure time by older adults (how older adults use their leisure time and determinants of time use) - AR
-Determinants of time use: gender, education/income levels, retirement, caregiving, race and ethnicity, marital status
Defining poverty (Census definition)
The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition (ages of family members) to determine who is in poverty. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. - The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically (they are the same throughout the U.S.) - They are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). - The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps). - Poverty threshold for family of 4 and family of 2
Forced leisure and true leisure
True: chose to have leisure-- worked hard all day, deserved to take a nap and go out later Forced: did not have a choice for leisure
Social construction of aging
a society has certain assumptions of capabilities, roles and responsibilities, rights and privileges based on age
Major sources of income among older adults
# 1 source of income) Social security 2) earnings 3) pensions 4) asset income
Benefits of leisure for the homeless
-Inclusion -Keeps them busy -Reduces severity of mental disease -Helps substance abuse
Poverty rates in the U.S
3.5%(43.1 million people below poverty line)
Leisure motivations among older adults
Better health, spending time in a meaningful way, spend time with other people you care about, want to feel young again
Functional versus chronological age
Chronological: actual age Functional age: ability to carry out activities of daily living, ability to live independently
Leisure constraints among older adults
Cognitive abilities Money Ability to travel/drive Weather patterns Physical Social network strength
Core and balance leisure activities
Core activities participation is stable throughout life span, inexpensive, don't require skills ex) walking, yoga, dancing, the park, watching TV, socializing Balance activities they change in relations to people's roles and responsibilities, fluctuate over a lifespan, more expensive, require more skill, more physical ability, more resources, more time ex) party planning, boating, outdoors activities, zip lining, travel
Cognitive changes related to aging - intelligence (fluid and crystallized); memory (sensory, short-term and long-term)
Crystallized intelligence: Accumulated knowledge increases with age, intelligence based on knowledge Fluid: IQ—genetically determined, goes down with age, (how smart you are,) it is an average of the IQ of your parents Sensory memory- the ability to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli has ended Short-term memory (primary)- where the information is organized and temporarily held, it has limited capacity Long-term memory (secondary)- intended for storage of information over a long period of time
Theories of aging and activity (disengagement theory, activity theory, continuity theory, successful aging) - AR
Disengagement Theory: during later life, adults and social systems mutually withdraw from each other in order to prepare for the eventual death of the aging individual. Its basic premise is that stopping participation in leisure activities and social roles leads to more life satisfaction and better adjustment into older adulthood. ------Disengagement theory is controversial because people did not agree that from withdrawing from activities and roles in society, the elderly would benefit. Activity Theory: This theory proposes that the way to achieve greater life satisfaction in older adulthood is through one's ability to increase involvement in social roles and leisure activity. -Activity theory was introduced in response to the critique of the disengagement theory. -Activity theory is the basis for much of the activity programming in senior centers, retirement homes, etc. Continuity Theory: the continuity theory suggests that several patterns of aging could lead to positive development in later life and that adults do not need to withdraw or increase their involvement in activities to age successfully. -suggests that the pattern of involvement that was most appropriate for individuals might be linked to their personality style. -suggests individuals' preferences (for activities, social involvement, etc.) do not necessarily change just because they reach older adulthood Successful Aging: Rowe and Kahn proposed a model that identified 3 central components to adults' ability to age successfully based off of the MacArthur Foundation Study. - Avoid disease - Maintain high physical and cognitive function Continue engagement in life—engagement with life refers to our leisure activities - This model suggests that leisure activities in later life should provide adults with the opportunity to relate to and socialize with others, to be productive and contribute to society, or just have "value" to the individual, whether they are paid or unpaid.
The number and proportion of older adults in the U.S.
Dramatic increase in life expectancy in 2016 was 7.6 total, 76.1 for men and 81.1 for women In 2017, 15.6% of US population was over 65 years of age (50.8) The population of the oldest old (85+) is growing rapidly
Three types of capital (economic, social, and cultural)
Economic- resources that we have (401k, savings, car, retirement, house) Social- access to resources based on networks of influence and support, group memberships, relationships cultural - education, skills, knowledge that a person has that give him or her higher status in society, including high expectations
Homelessness rates in the U.S.
Less than 1% of the US population 41-51% African American 39% caucasian 13-17% latino -- because stronger family ties
Life span versus life expectancy; factors affecting life expectancy
Life span- maximum number of years for a human species 113-114 Life expectancy- projected number of years your expected to live based on your genetic heritage and environmental conditions-- average life expectancy is 78.7
The ways in which socio-economic status and capital affect leisure and sport participation
Location, level of education, and occupation effect leisure, people try to conform to expectations, where you live and economic situation, blending work travel with leisure
Stages of homelessness
Marginally Homeless- Stage 1: -do not live in the shelters or on the streets -they rely on friends and family for accommodation -they are near or at or slightly below the poverty line -they do not use homeless programs Recently Homeless-Stage 2: -not homeless more than a year -many of them live in a shelter, cars, RV (temporary housing) -consider their situation temporary Chronically Homeless-Stage 3: -no home for more than a year -OR had at least 4 episodes of homelessness in the last 3 years plus have a disabling condition (mental condition)
Dependency ratios
Population aged 65 years and over divided by population aged 20-64 multiplied by 100 **22-28**
Reasons for the growth of the elderly population
REASON: were having fewer kids, baby boomers are retiring, people live longer, people live healthier lives (don't smoke, eat better, exercise)
sensory system
Smell Hearing "Cocktail party effect"- inability to distinguish background sound from foreground conversation Vision -Seeing far away starts to get easier at age 42
Physical changes related to aging
sensory system, musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and nervous system
Spatial distribution of poverty in the U.S.
southeast (b/c African Americans live there), along the mississippi (b/c African Americans), new magnet states (b/c recent immigrants), along US/Mexico border (b/c Mexican Americans), around four corners (b/c Native Americans), appalachian mountains (b/c caucasian), Alaska (b/c Native Americans), counties in North/South Dakota