Adulthood Flashcards
Define “adulthood,” then name the 3 categories and their age ranges
the spectrum that society designates as the beginning of maturity (usually 18) to the end of life
Young adulthood: 20-40
Middle adulthood: 40-65
Late adulthood: 65+ years
Chronologic Age vs. Physiologic Age
Chronologic: the number of years you have lived
Physiologic: “a person’s ability to adapt to the environment in normal life situations/crises”
Describe the milestones in bone development that occur as you age
Skeletal maturity is reached in young adulthood: peak bone mass achieved between 25-35 yrs old
Bone loss exceeds formation in middle adulthood: accelerates in women after menopause (osteoporosis)
Explain what happens to cartilage over time (2 main things)
mechanical loads/compressive forces squeeze out fluid and nutrients: when unloaded, fluidand nutrients flow back into the cartilage.
with age, this process is disrupted: results in dehydration, poor nutrition and increased degradation of weightbearing surfaces (pathologies)
Cartilage also thins with age, and can crack, fray, or shred as early as age 30
What changes occur in muscle as we age?
peak muscle strength reached in 30’s, no decline till 50’s: ability to build/maintain muscle mass begins to decline a early as 20’s
skeletal muscle type 2 (fast twitch) fiber and motor units decline, denervation of type II fibers
define Sarcopenia
the age related declin in muscle mass and strength
describe the changes age has on cell dynamics
cell differentiation peaks in young individuals: responsible for increased amount of adipose tissue in older adults
How can age affect the senses?
Vision: decreased tear production, loss of near vision (presbyopia), “crow’s feet” wrinkles
Hearing: Presbycusis (“old ears”) –age-related hearing loss of high pitched sounds
Smell and Taste: atrophy of taste buds, decreased ability to identify odors
Touch/pain/temperature: reduced sensitivity to pain (age 50), decreased ability to tolerate pain/ adjust to temp changes, thinner skin
Presbystasis: loss of balance
How can aging affect cognition?
after 30, we see the degeneration of nerve cells and composition
older adults worry about losing their ability to think/ remember/ learn/ perform
procedural memory is maintained while declarative and working memory decline
Fluid intelligence (ability to learn new info) peaks at 20, but Crystalized Intellignce (ability to apply existing knowledge) improves as we age
What is Functional Performance?
Functional Performance: the ability to participate in activities, tasks, and roles during daily ocupations
consists of Work, Play, Liesure, and Self Care
Explain how age can affect Functional Performance
Work: work gives us meaning -after retirement, this purpose may be lost, we loose our fulfillment
Play and Leisure are important in maintaining out quality of life
Self care: some adults (The sandwich generation) may be caring for their parents as well as their own children and their home
the older we get, the harder self care can be
