Late Adulthood

According to demographers, what is the approximate age of onset of late adulthood?

65 it begins and goes to 74

Which of the following is a term for prejudice and discrimination directed at older people?

Ageism

A temporary condition in which individuals experience a disturbance in attention and awareness, is referred to as

Delirium

Nancy is in her early 60s and nervous about growing old because she doesn't want to be limited in her daily functioning or lose her memory or judgement. How might you reassure Nancy about her fears?

Dementia is not inevitable; while 10% will develop dementia in their lifetime, less than half of people above age 84 will have it.

Which statement is true of life expectancies in the United States?

Life expectancies in the United States are higher for women than men.

________ involves the storage of information for long periods of time, whereas ________ is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that is responsible for temporarily holding information available for processing and most sensitive to decline in old age.

Long-term memory; Working memory

Joe is 70 years old and recalls names of teachers or classmates from when he was an adolescent, but has difficulty remembering information presented quickly and orally, such as complicated instructions. His ________ memory seems to be intact, but his ________ memory is showing decline.

Long-term; working

Sebastian is age 75 and was married for 42 years. His spouse died more than 3 years ago. Helen is also 75 and is now widowed after 50 years of marriage. Which of the two may experience complicated grief, or difficulty because they do not have an extensive social network or the ability to take care of their own daily needs?

Sebastian

Thomas is 57 years old and has severe arthritis. He is overweight and also suffers from fatigue, loss of concentration, headaches and unrefreshing sleep, and this has caused a change in his physical functioning despite his age. What type of aging is Thomas experiencing?

Secondary

Companionate grandparents are usually characterized by which of the following?

They act as supporters and buddies to their grandchildren

James is 64 years old and complains to his doctor that he has blurred, "fuzzy" vision. When he reads the newspaper the lines appear wavy or distorted. His Doctor tells him that he suffers from the most common cause of blindness in people over the age of 60, but not to worry because the disease was detected early. He put him on medication and a diet rich in antioxidants and thinks that he may even avoid laser surgery. James was diagnosed with ________.

age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Daisy wants to live much longer than her parents and grandparents, who died of health related issues in their late 60s. What is good advice for Daisy?

exercise, eat more vegetables, and have good friends

Professor Black explains that genetics, diet, lifestyle, activity, and exposure to pollutants all play a role in the aging process, and suggests that processing in all parts of the nervous system, including the brain, are less efficient with age, hence why older people have more accidents. Professor Black is explaining the ________.

generalized slowing hypothesis

Research has shown that among the elderly, divided attention impairments are significantly associated with ________.

increased automobile accidents in older adults

Yvonne is 75 year-old active retiree and has decided to volunteer part-time at a day care for her church. Although she is physically fit for her age, she faces challenges in retaining information. Given her age, the most challenging information for Yvonne to remember is ________.

information presented quickly and orally, such as complicated instructions

Dr. Miller is giving a lecture on the theories of aging. She explains that genetics, diet, lifestyle, activity, and exposure to pollutants all play a role in the aging process, and suggests that overall processing speed declines in the peripheral nervous system affecting your brain's ability to communicate with your muscles and organs. Dr Miller is explaining the ________.

peripheral slowing hypothesis

Ninety-two-year-old Robert is watching his 25year-old grandson play an action video game that involves real time strategy. Robert challenges his grandson to a round, but a few minutes into the game, Robert gets frustrated because his fingers are not working fast enough, and decides to quit. What theory of aging might explain why Robert cannot keep up with his grandson's quick game play?

peripheral slowing hypothesis

The term senescence is another name for ________.

primary aging

Which is the best advice for Felicia, who is 81 and healthy, and hoping to continue leading an active life?

remain sexually active, exercise, and have good friends

Sheila retired two years ago at the age of 65. She would have worked a few more years, but felt pressure to make room for new younger recruits at her state job. No longer as active on a daily basis, her morale and self concept are lower. In addressing this issue, a developmental psychologist may recommend that Sheila gets involved in voluntary and leisure organizations, child care or other forms of social interaction. This supports which theory?

Activity theory

While Gary is at the ATM during the lunchtime rush, he fumbles while trying to insert his credit card and takes a long time reading the prompts to withdraw money and terminate his transaction. He overhears someone behind him mutter, "Hurry up, grandpa! Some of us have work to do." The words are an example of ________.

Ageism

Essie is an 86-year-old woman who tries to function independently but has suffered for several years with forgetfulness, especially with recent memories. She has trouble finding her car in the parking lot after grocery shopping. The store managers have called her children to come and help her. She has been known to forget her way home at times. Her children worry that she may have a form of dementia called ________.

Alzheimers disease

Tommy is complaining of blurred vision. A visual screening reveals that his eyes have cloudy areas on the lenses that are preventing light from passing through. Tommy's diagnosis is likely ________.

Cataracts

A large generational divide involves the use of technology. A 70 year old is less likely to use technology than a 20 year old. Research shows that some of this difference may be explained by a decline in attention and memory that occurs as we age. What kind of age related change would describe this limitation?

Cognitive

Denise has been retired for 12 years and is 72 years old. She is having a conversation with her daughter, discussing plans to do different things with each of her grandchildren during the summer vacation. She loves spending time with them and values her friendship with them. What style of grandparenting characterizes the type of grandparent Denise must be?

Companionate grandparent

An 85-year-old man, George, is demonstrating serious memory loss, lessened intellectual ability, and impaired judgment. What diagnosis is George likely to receive from a doctor?

Dementia

Seventy-three year old Larry has contemplated his life and realizes he is dissatisfied. He realizes that missed opportunities have passed, like staying in contact with his children and being an involved grandparent. When he thinks of his accomplishments, he cannot say that he has accomplished what he wished. According to the theory of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, Larry is experiencing ________.

Despair

Mary at age 80 loves her independence, but lately she has been involved in more car accidents, although minor and mostly due the constant switching of attention when there is a lot of traffic. To explain Mary's challenges, new research may point to problems in ________ among older adults, when it comes to activities such as driving.

Divided attention

The ancient Greek city state of Sparta was ruled by a Gerousia. A Gerousia was a council made up of members who were at least 60 years old and served for life. The political power within the ruling class accumulates with age, making the oldest the holders of the most power. In many preindustrial societies, the elderly still have influence and power and their vast knowledge is respected. This type of political and social structure is known as a ________.

Gerontocracy

Lorraine is 70 years old and complains that she cannot read or drive as well as she once could because her vision and especially her peripheral vision has decreased. After an eye exam, the Doctor tells her that the fluid in her eyes cannot be drained properly causing too much pressure in the fluid in her eyes. What condition does Lorraine have?

Glaucoma

Lynn, a 65-year-old, entered in a new relationship 5 years ago and now has an active and positive sex life. She walks 20 minutes a day, has reduced her alcohol use, eats more fruits and vegetables than ever before. She is very socially engaged and uses it as a de-stressor. Researchers may attribute her overall good health to ________.

Health benefits such as improved Cardiovascular health, increased self esteem, and better relationship satisfaction with positive sexual health.

According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic disease is especially a concern in the elderly population in America. It is estimated that at least 80% of older Americans are currently living with some form of a chronic condition, with 50% of this population having two or more chronic conditions. ________ is the leading cause of death from chronic disease for adults older than 65.

Heart disease

Jay is 72-years old and is someone who sees himself as having lived a satisfying and successful life. He is grateful to have had a good career at the division of motor vehicles for over 40 years, and even more grateful for the loving family he has. He coached his children and grandchildren in football. Even now, he babysits his great grandchildren and does activities with them as well. His life has been filled with productivity, or according to Erik Erikson, ________.

Integrity

Michael is in his mid-60s and beginning to looking back over his life, evaluate it, and come to terms with it. Which psychosocial stage according to Erikson describes what Michael is attempting to accomplish?

Integrity versus despair

Kirk is beginning to look back on his life and evaluate it. Which stage describes what Kirk is attempting to accomplish?

Integrity vs despair

Stereotypes about people in late adulthood lead many to assume that aging automatically brings ________.

Mental decline

If Sandra is 82 years old, which terminology would demographers use to describe her?

Old old is between the ages of 75 and 84

Ann is a 75-year-old woman who has chronic pulmonary disease and osteoporosis, and she recently suffered a stroke. She now needs quite a bit of assistance on a daily basis. Which of the following best describes Anns functional age?

Oldest old

Ezekiel is 88. According to demographers, which age category is he in?

Oldest old

Maria is 65 years old. She is retired but worked as weaver—work which is quite physically demanding. Although Maria doesn't practice any sports or go to the gym, she is constantly on the move. She does all household chores alone, mainly because she has no one to help her. She admits, "Two years ago I moved a double mattress on my own and I broke a vertebra, and from then on I had to start taking calcium." Her doctor told her that her bones had become brittle, fragile and thin. The doctor most likely diagnosed Maria with what condition?

Osteoporosis

Shevanne is 63 years old and complains that high-pitched sounds, such as "s" or "th" are hard to distinguish and conversations are difficult to understand, particularly when there is background noise. Some sounds seem overly loud and annoying. Her doctor tells her that she is suffering from an age related hearing loss due to damage of the cochlea in her inner ear. Her doctor has diagnosed her with the second most common illness in aged people. Which is it?

Presbycusis

Which of the following factors are considered in a description of one's functional age?

Physical and psychosocial well-being

Anna Mae is 72 years old. She recently became a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity when a project was introduced to her group of friends at the Senior Community Center where she was already involved in tutoring school children in reading and math. This is just an example of how people in late adulthood continue to be ________ in many ways.

Productive

Carol and Greg both retired at 65 by choice. They remain productive in many ways. Which of the following has not been reported to be one of the ways people in late adulthood continue to be productive?

Sleeping until midday every day and then watching television.

Friendships tend to be an important influence in life satisfaction during late adulthood. Friends may be more influential than family members for many older adults. Which of the following theories supports the idea that as people age, friendships are not formed in order to enhance status or careers, but may be based purely on a sense of connection or the enjoyment of being together?

Socioemotional selectivity theory

When a cells ________ have just about disappeared, the cell stops replicating, making it susceptible to damage and producing signs of aging. (This term describes the part of the protective area(s) or tip of the DNA that grow(s) shorter every time the cell divides.)

Telomeres

Dr. Veino has suggested to Eleanor that she get the recommended vaccinations for older adults and that she consider increasing her daily intake of foods containing antioxidant vitamins to lower her risk of developing certain age-related diseases. Dr. Veino's recommendation suggests that she believes ________.

These controllable factors contribute to increasing ones life expectancy

Mary worked in customer service for 40 years. She was known to be insightful and able to overcome obstacles that she encountered on a daily basis. She retired from her management position at the age of 65. Now, as a volunteer at a polling bureau, she puts her ability to use common sense and good judgment in making decisions to good use. Which ability, common to many older people but not all, is Mary displaying?

Wisdom

Joe is 70 years old and recalls names of teachers or classmates from when he was an adolescent, but has difficulty remembering information presented quickly and orally, such as complicated instructions. Which type of memory capacity decline is he demonstrating?

Working memory

Demographers use which terminology to describe people between the ages of 65 and 74 years?

Young old