chapter 15 study guide

16. Discuss Alzheimer's disease: symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, etc.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and irreversable disease that impairs mental functions and memory. Causes include a decrease in brain chemicals, stress, and shrinking of the brain. The treatment for this condition includes some medications and respite care.

7. Describe changes that occur with taste and smell in older adults. What problems occur as a result of these changes? (If you work in a nursing home, what is one of the major complaints the residents have?)

As a person ages they lose some of their sense of smell and taste and as a result there were some cognitive declines and changes.

6. List three eye diseases that are common as people reach the older adult years. Are they treatable and which is most serious?

Cataracts - thickening of the lens of the eye producing cloudy and distorted vision, Glaucoma - damage of the optic nerve due to pressure buildup taking away peripheral vision, Macular degeneration - deterioration of the macula taking away straight ahead vision All are somewhat treatable but have to be treated before they worsen beyond control. The most serious is macular degeneration.

15. Define dementia.

Dementia is the broad term for neurological disorders characterized by the deterioration of mental functions and memory.

2. Record the statistics on the growth of centenarians in the United States. Be sure to read about Jeanne Louise Calment. We could probably all learn from her.

I think that we could all learn to take life less seriously and enjoy ourselves every once in a while. Her life included little worrying and a lot of taking life as it comes and I think that is important to remember this because worry can take a lot off your life and a stressed life does not last as long as a happy and stress-free life.

17. After reading this chapter, what advice would you give to someone interested in maintaining a healthy life through late adulthood. Give at least two practical strategies presented in this chapter that has been proven to enhance functioning as we get older. (3 pts.)

I would say that you should continuign exercise and eating healthy in order ot maintain your health into old age. Doing this would give you a really good foundation for begining into a healthy life. I also would tell them to continuing or start doing cognitive-building activities in order to not see a decline in brain function leading to dementia. This would halp to limit the memory loss and maintain the skills that were gained through a lifetime of experience.

11. After reading the section on Executive Function, what practices could be helpful in maintaining executive function into late adulthood?

In order to maintain high executive function a person can continue aerobic exercise later into life and also maintain all the thinking and cognitive challenges that they have worked on throughout their lives.

1. Distinguish between life span and life expectancy. What is the current life expectancy in the United States? How does the life expectancy for men and women compare?

Life span is the maximum number of years a person can live whereas life expectancy is the probably amount of time a person will live based on many different factors. The current life span in the United States is 78.6 years according to our textbook. This age can differ between male and female due to the way people of these genders tend to live. If is also proven the men are more likely to die from certain fatal conditions that are the leading causes of death.

14. Look at the statistics of older people remaining in the workforce. What is likely the cause for this?

My research showed that over 25% of the current workforce is aged 65 and older and this is likely due to the high number of elderly people that are currently alive in comparison to the younger generations.

9. Describe osteoporosis. Who is most susceptible to this disease? Is there any way to prevent or reduce its effects?

Osteoporosis is the deterioration of bone tissue that leads to a distinct gait. Women are more susceptible to this disease but it can be prevented through the use of vitamin supplments and regular exercise.

10. Explain the CR theory and how it relates to aging. How many calories are recommended here?

The CR theory is the Calorie Restriction diet that is commonly suggested for elderly due to the aging benefits it produces including more secure brain function and RNA transcription. It is recommended for the elderly on this diet to consume 1120 to 1540 calories per day.

5. Explain the free-radical theory of aging. According to this theory, how could we prolong life?

The free-radical theory of aging states that people age because of normal cell metabolism producing unstable oxygen molecules, called free radicals, and these molecules bounce around destroying inner structures and DNA. We could prolong life by exercise and calorie-restrictive diets.

8. What are older adults most likely to die from?

The leading causes of death in old age are cancer and cardiovascular disease.

12. In regards to institutionalization of older adults, studies show that responsibility or decision-making is essential to the health and well-being of the residents. Explain this study by Rodin & Langer.

These abilities to make decisions and still lead a crucial role in their care and life is important for elderly people because if they do not continuously use these skills they will lose more and more cognitive abilities leading to higher levels of dementia and alzheimer's.

13. Explain how the phrase "Use it or Lose It" applies to the late adulthood years.

This phrase applies a lot in late adulthood because this is a time where their bodies are changing and if they do not use the skills they obtained they will lose their ability to do that certain thing. This could be anywhere from sports to crossword puzzles or even crocheting.

3. Explain the phrase "We are no longer a youthful society".

This phrase means that we no longer live in a society that is outnumbered by young people. Our society consists mainly of older people because the birth rates are declining and less young people are being born.

4. Give reasons for why women are expected to live longer than men.

Women are expected to live longer than men because of many factors including health attitudes, habits, lifestyle, and occupation. Another very important factor is that the leading causes of death, which are different chronic illnesses, more often affect men adversely leading to death.