Late Adulthood

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.

________ 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

Greg was diagnosed with ________ as a result of his high blood sugar and insulin resistance. His doctor recommended losing weight, exercising regularly, and eating properly to improve his health.

Type 2 diabetes

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

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

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

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

oldest old

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

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.

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