Module 10

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

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 ________.

Alzheimer's disease

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.

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

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

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

Physical and psychosocial well-being

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 have a social network and can take care of their own daily needs?

Sebastian

Which of the following is the description used by developmental psychologists to categorize the "oldest old"?

They are frail and in need of care

Which of the following is the description used by developmental psychologists to describe the functional age of the "young old"?

They live independently and are healthy and active

________ is a form of diabetes characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin.

Type 2 diabetes

According to Salthouse's processing theory of cognitive aging, ________ causes a decline in memory functioning.

a slower processing speed

Bonnie is a 65-year-old woman who has difficulty managing simple, everyday tasks because of painful swelling of the joints in her hands. Bonnie has most likely been diagnosed with ________.

arthritis

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

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 trying to explain the ________.

generalized slowing hypothesis

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

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

mental decline

In late adulthood, the ________, are considered the group likely to experience some health problems and some difficulties with daily activities.

old 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

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

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.

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

young old