Human Growth and Development (PY22052) - Chapter 23 Discussion Questions

How can immune system failure cause aging?

as the immune system is weakened by aging it can cause more problems when older people get injured, since it will take longer to heal wounds and get over colds, which causes adults to age more

How does evolutionary theory explain why there are more diseases of aging than diseases that occur during a person's younger years?

evolutionary theory provides an explanation to why genes promote aging. Societies need young adults to reproduce the next generation and then need elders to die so that scarce resources were devoted to the reproduction and rearing of the new generations. Thus genetic aging may be harsh to older individuals but benevolent for communities

What do studies of the very old suggest about the attitudes of other people toward elders?

many people treat older people like babies, they show respect and take pity on them at the same time

According to the genetic theory of aging, what is the maximum human life span?

maximum life span - the oldest possible age that members of a species can live under ideal circumstances; for humans, that age is approximately 122 years

Why is the average life span so many decades lower than the maximum?

maximum life span is quite different from average life expectancy which is the average life span of individuals in a particular group. In human groups, average life expectancy varies a great deal, depending on historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors as well as on genes

How can an older person compensate for declines in vision?

older people compensate for declines in vision by changing the environment - brighter lights, large and darker print - is a simple first step. Corrective lenses and magnifying glasses help. For those who are completely blind, dogs, canes, and audio devices have for decades allowed mobility and cognition

How can an older person compenate for hearing loss?

older people compensate for hearing loss by using the cochlear implant and a there has a been dramatic improvement in the ability of deaf people to enjoy concerts, plays, museums, and so on results from a "hearing loop" a small device in a room that enables people with hearing aids to hear the words or music they want, without the distracting clatter

How might the decrease in the senses of touch, taste, and smell harm an older person?

older people might not be able to feel the exact extent to which they are in pain if they get injured which could lead to further health consequences; they could not smell poison or taste it, due to decline in senses

How should it be decided whether or not an elderly person should drive?

testing should be beyond basic comprehension of driving it should test judgement and reaction time since that makes people better drivers and is more important than book knowledge and peripheral vision is a stronger predictor of accidents than acuity on a chart straight ahead

How is the demographic pyramid changing?

the aging population is growing and the population is shrinking as people have fewer children; 8% of the world's population is 65 and older and is expected to double by 2050; the bars at the top are getting larger and the ones at the bottom are getting smaller

What are the differences among young-old, old-old, and oldest-old?

Young old - are the largest group of older adults. they are healthy, active, financially secure, and independent. Few people notice them or realize their age Old - old - suffer some losses in body, mind, or social support, but they proudly care for themselves Oldest - old: are dependent, and they are the most notable

Why are falls a serious health problem in old age?

a fall that would have merely bruised a young person may result in a broken hip or a spine fracture, neither of which is lethal in itself but may potentially start a cascade of medical problems that could lead to death

Why don't the elderly exercise as much as the young?

a similar downward spiral is apparent with regards to exercise. In the US only 35% of those over the age of 64 meet the recommended guidelines for aerobic exercise, compared with 56% for adults aged 18 to 44. Many elderly stop exercising because many yoga, aerobic, and other classes are paced and designed for people in their mid 20s. This causes feelings of rejection and embarrassment among older people which is they work out less

What are the differences among ageism, racism, and sexism?

ageism can target people of any age, but it is not recognized as readily as racism or sexism; consider curfew laws that require every teenager to be off the street by 10 pm: that is ageist

What are the similarities among ageism, racism, and sexism?

ageism is the idea that age determines who you are; stereotyping makes ageism a social disease much like racism and sexism needless fear, waste, illnesses, and misery

What damages cells as they age?

cells damage as they age, since toxins damage cells over time, so minor errors in copying accumulate. The job of the cells of the immune system weakens with age as well as with repeated stresses and infections

How is compression of morbidity related to mortality?

compression of morbidity is related to mortality in the sense that it shortens the lifespan the wider the compression is more likely to lead to a higher mortality rate or likelihood of mortality

How does diabetes represent both primary and secondary aging?

diabetes gets worth with age and is harder to manage

How is elderspeak similar to baby talk?

elderspeak - a condescending way of speaking to older adults that resembles baby talk, with simple and short sentences, exaggerated emphasis, repetition, and a slower rate and a higher pitch than used in normal speech

Why would people lie about their age by adding years to it?

for respect

How is compression of morbidity good for society as well as the individual?

ideally a person is in good health for decades after age 65, and then within a few days or months, experiences serious illnesses that lead to death and years of frailty are avoided along with family and societal burden. This helps with population control and allows individuals to live happy and fairly independent lives up until death

How does heart disease represent both primary and secondary aging?

primary aging - the universal and irreversible physical changes that occur to all living creatures. secondary aging - the specific physical illnesses or conditions that become more common with aging but are caused by health habits, genes, and other influences that vary from person to person with age the heart pumps more slowly and the vascular network is less flexible increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. The lungs take in and expel less air with each breath, so that blood oxygen is reduced and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is more common. By contrast heart disease is chronic. The arteries are clogged so blood pressure is high or the heartbeat becomes unsteady. The heart gradually weakens and many adults are unaware of any disability but have high blood pressure or high cholesterol- both signs of chronic heart disease

Describe the differences in the sleep patterns of old adults and young adults.

the day night circadian rhythm diminishes with age. Many older people wake before dawn and are sleepy during the day. Older adults spend more time in bed, take longer to fall asleep, and wake frequently. They are also more likely to nap

Is there any harm in being especially kind to people who are old?

the effects of ageism whether benevolent or not are insidious, seeping into and eroding the older's person's feelings of competence; the resulting self doubt fosters anxiety, morbidity, and even mortality

Why don't we know if diseases of the elderly are more common now than in the past?

unlike 30 years ago, most people diagnosed today with cancer, etc continue to be vital for decades. The World Health Organization and many experts recognize that disability is a result of person - environment interactions so changing the environment limits disability. Cultures, schools, and technology can extend the optimal aging of the young old, forestalling the morbidity of the oldest old

Why is the wear and tear theory of aging no longer considered accurate?

wear and tear theory is no longer accurate because it does not account for many facts. Some body functions benefit from use. Exercise improves heart and lung functioning, weight training improves muscle mass, sexual activity stimulates the sexual reproductive system, foods that require intestinal activity boost the digestive system. Thus, although the wear and tear theory applies to some body parts, few scientists now believe it explains overall aging