Gerontology Midterm

Measuring individual Aging

Life expectancy and life span

Theory of Cumulative Inequality

Theory that seeks to explain why inequality increases with age.

Longitudinal studies by Valliant on aging well/healthy aging found that people who age well do which of the following?

1. Have the ability to reach out 2. Are empathetic 3. Have an orientation to the future

According to Rowe and Kahn, which of the following criteria must a person meet in order to age successfully?

1. Maintain physical health 2. Maintain active engagement with life 3. maintain mental health 4. Avoid disease and disability

In depth understanding of Erikson's theory of aging. What is it? What are the FINAL two stages of his theory's? be able to explain the role of life review in his theory.

2nd to last: Generativity vs. Stagnation Final Stage: Ego Integrity Vs. Despair: Reminiscence or life review is a very important part of integrating experiences and finding meaning in ones life. It is a major component of ego integrity vs despair.

What is the main factor involved in population aging?

A declining birth rate

Population aging

A gradual increase in the proportion of older people to younger people follows.

Social Exchange Theory

A persons status defined by the balance between peoples contributions to society and the costs of supporting them. Example: an older adult can receive social security with a free conscious because of their years of contributing to the program.

demograpgic transition model

A simplified representation of a common demographic shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates over time and in conjunction with urbanization and industrialization. Stage 1: Agricultural economy, women marry young and have many children, infants commonly die from acute and infectious diseases, birth and death rates are high, few people reach adulthood and fewer survive to old age. Stage 2: Death rates decline among infants and young children due to control of infections and parasitic diseases, as more babies survive into adulthood the population grows younger and the bottom of the age pyramid expands, through improved sanitation measures and health care, life expectancy increases and mortality among the aged begins to drop, the proportion of older people in the population grows.

Be familiar with Becca Levey's article about stereotypes and ageism.

According to the scholarly article on age stereotypes by Becca Levy, which of the following is a consequence of internalized age stereotypes and ageism? increased risk of cardiovascular events and poorer health in later life

Can you label and explain various stereotypes that are frequently used with older people (compassionate stereotype, reverse stereotype, golden ager, elderspeak, biomedicalization, etc.)?

Addressing an older adult as "dearie", "cutie", or "sweetie" is an example of a patronizing form of speech, known as elderspeak.

Which is NOT an example of chronological age?

Becoming a grandfather

Explain and Define the BIO/PSYCHO/SOCIAL theory and correctly identify factors of aging that would fall into each category of the theory.

Biological -- Genetics Psychological -- Memory Social -- Roles

What a social support system is, and what it consists of.

Can consist of ones professional orginization

Compression of Morbidity and how it influences a persons life?

Can increase longevity, with compression of illness and disease.

What is a centenarian? What are common characteristics shared by centenarians?

Centenarians are ... - Their numbers are increasing dramatically - Blue zones have a higher percentage of them. - One in 26 baby boomers can expect to live to be 100 by 2025

Cohort Size

Cohort size is determines by basic population processes. Fertility: The number of births Mortality: The number of deaths Migration: The arrival of new members from other countries These processes are the subject matter of demography; In combination they determine a populations age structure.

Which of the following statements is true about the changing age structure in the United States? A) The percentage of population 65 and over decreased drastically between 2000 and 2011. B) The rate of growth for the population who are 65 and beyond is most likely to decline during the twenty-first century. C) The population of older people was more in the 1940s than in the 2000s. D) The population of people 85 and older is expected to triple by 2040.

Correct Answer - D! D) The population of people 85 and older is expected to triple by 2040.

All of the following are true regarding income differences in health except: A) people with higher income live in less polluted areas and have better access to public services. B) middle-income people are more likely to eat breakfast and less likely to smoke and drink excessively. C) people with higher income are more likely than the poor to have health insurance and good health care. D) middle-income people are less likely than the poor to exercise regularly and to control their weight.

Correct answer - D! D) middle-income people are less likely than the poor to exercise regularly and to control their weight.

According to the textbook which of the following are reasons for age discrimination in health care?

Doctors are afraid older patients are not physically capable of handling aggressive treatment. Many healthcare professionals have not received adequate training on how to care for older patients. Older people are often excluded from clinical trials.

According to your textbook what is one of the best ways to reduce ageism?

Education

Continuity Theory

Emphasizes that personality plays a major role in adjustment to old age and views adult development as a continuous process

Perfect physical health is necessary for aging?

FALSE

Know the issues facing LGBT elders...

Gay men and women plan for aging by creating a SUPPORT SYSTEM

Think about whether or not you agree with the concept of Successful Aging.

I agree with the concepts of successful aging. All aspects in physical, emotional, social, and mental domains affects how your daily life with the choices you make and how you live.

Define resilience and know the different types identified by Jane McGonigal.

Jane McGonigal designed a game to increase which type(s) of resilience? - Physical, emotional, mental, social. Resilience is the ability to endure and even thrive under difficult situations

Difference between life expectancy Vs. Life span

Life Expectancy: Average number of years people in a given population can expect to live. or more precisely, the mean age at death. In developed countries, women can expect to live 6 to 8 years longer than men. Life Span: Greatest number of years any member of a species has been known to survive. The lifespan of a Human is 125 years old. The longest living human was Jeanne Calment who died at the ago of 122 in 1997

Why has life expectancy increased? Be familiar with the gender and race differences in life expectancy.

Life expectancy has increased because...through improved sanitation measures and health care, life expectancy increases and mortality among the aged begins to drop, the proportion of older people in the population grows. (Demographic transition, stage 2) Women outlive men with a higher life expectancy, elderly women greatly outnumber men in most nations. Internationally, active like expectancy is highest for males and females in Switzerland.

Elements of successful aging as defined by Rowe and Khan

Maintaining physical health. maintaining an active engagement with life. maintain mental health. avoid disease and disability.

compression of morbidity

People living in 'blue zones' not only experience increased longevity but also experience compression of morbidity

What is the sandwich generation?

People who find themselves responsible for both their children and their aging parents.

Be familiar with the concept of grandparents raising grandchildren (How prevalent is it? What are reasons it happens?)

Pruchno's study found that the primary reason grandparents began caring for their grandchildren was due to: A DRUG OR ALCOHOL ADDICTION

According to the article you read, which dimension of health do older adults regard as most important to "successful aging"?

Psychological health

Be able to accurately explain and know the key concepts of all these theory's

Social Exchange Theory Activity Theory Disengagement Theory Continuity Theory Gerotranscendence Theory Exchange Theory

A person can reach the ego integrity resolution of Erikson's final stage even if he has some major regrets about certain parts of his life.

TRUE

Ageism can oppress any age group, young or old.

TRUE

Ashton Applewhite believed the stereotype that older people are depressed. In reality, studies show that older people are actually happier than middle aged people.

TRUE

During stage one of the demographic transition, a population pyramid forms a perfect rectangle.

TRUE

The combined ratio of children and older people to workers is called the total dependency ratio.

TRUE

The happiest couples are those who share their lives and have compatible interests and values.

TRUE

The majority of older adults agree that sex remains an important part of relationships.

TRUE

Women live longer than men

TRUE. This is because men are more likely to consume alcohol and participate in dangerous work and activities.

Life Expectancy

The average number number of years people in a given population can expect to live or more precisely, the mean age at death. Life expectancy is calculated by taking the sum of the ages at death of all individuals in a given population, and dividing it by the number of people in that population.

Explain the LIFE COURSE theory and understnad the key features of this theory

The life course theory views old age as a part of a continuity of human development across the lifespan. Historical events, individual decisions, and early life experiences interact to determine later life outcomes.

With regard to exercise and older adults, which of the following is NOT accurate?

The majority of older adults exercise

Sex Ratio

The number of males per 100 females in the population.

Which of the following statements is true of grandparents who use a companionate style of grandparenting?

They focus on satisfying the emotional aspects of their relationship with their grandchildren.

Cross Linkage theory

This theory notes that as one ages, the collagen loses some of its elasticity and there is a hardening of the arteries of the circulatory system.

Gerotranscendence Theory

This theory states that elders continue to develop new perspectives as they age. They may withdraw from activities and relationships that no longer fulfill their needs, in other words they selectively invest time doing what they want to do.

Exchange theory

This theory states that people want to be in relationships in which reciprocity is balanced, meaning both parties contribute equally to the relationship

Activity Theory

This theory suggests old age is a time of mid life extended and people can age successfully by maintaining the same involvement they enjoyed in middle age.

Disengagement Theory

This theory suggests that there is a mutual withdrawal between elders and society and this withdrawal benefits both the elders and society.

Which of the following are benefits of being married? (Choose ALL that apply.)

experience better health more resources larger social support systems

The ability to perform is a component of what?

functional age A good example of functional age is at the age of 58, and no longer being able to run 20 miles.

Factors that effect life expectancy

gender, genetics, access to health care, hygiene, diet and nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and crime rates.

The theory of intergenerational solidarity is measured by which of the following?

the amount of interaction between adult children and their parents. the level of agreement about values and beliefs. how close the generations live to each other.

Know the Convoy Model of Social Relations

the close social relationships that surround an individual from birth to old age.

Define comorbidity

the simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions in a patient

Which of the following is not included in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act?

workers cannot be fired on the basis of race or gender