Aging 2 Flashcards
what is arthritis?
The inflammation of the joints accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems
Most common chronic disorder in older adults
what is osteoporosis
an aging disorder involving extensive loss of bone density related to deficiencies in calcium, vit D, hormonal changes, and lack of exercise
woman are especially vulnerable: 2/3 woman over 60
Explain accidents in the concept of aging.
Injuries greatly increase as a result of a fall in late adulthood
618/100k ppl 65+ fracture a hip
20% of these ppl die within 12 months usually because of pneumonia
What are the leading causes of death in older adults?
Cancer (#1) heart disease (#2) stroke (#3) chronic lung diseases pneumonia influenze diabetes
What are the five aspects of multi-dimensional cognition.
- Mechanics
- Pragmatics
- Sensory/motor and speed-of-processing dimensions
- Memory
- Wisdom
Explain cognitive mechanics.
The hardware of the mind
-involves speed and accuracy of the process
tends to decline with age
Explain cognitive pragmatics.
the culture-based software programs of the mind
include reading/writing, language, education, knowledge, and life skills.
These can improve with age
What is sensory/motor and speed of processing?
relates to processing information with our senses and relating them to our motor skills.
tend to see a decrease with age
Explain the difference between learning and memory and how it relates to aging
Learning is the acquisition of information and memory is the storage and retention of information
Although memory tends to decline, the ability to learn is not lost with age.
What are the 5 dimensions of memory?
- episodic memory
- semantic memory
- working memory and perceptual speed
- explicit and implicit memory
- source and prospective memory
What is semantic memory
it is the person’s knowledge about the world
Includes fields of expertise, education, and everyday knowledge. Experiences little decline with age.
What is working memory and perceptual speed?
Working memory: the concept used to describe the short-term memory as a place for mental work and problem solving. (site of decision making)
Perceptual speed: the rate of performing simple perceptual-motor tasks such as recognizing patterns, being able to recognize something as the same or different from another.
Decline in both of these occur with aging.
What is explicit and implicit memory?
Explicit: memory of facts and experiences that individuals can consciously state. (Ex remembering a grocery list)
Implicit: memory without conscious recollection; involves skills and routine and is automatic. (Ex typing or riding a bike)
explicit is more likely to see decline than implicit
What is source and prospective memory?
Source: remembering where one learned something
Prospective: remembering to do something in the future.
Both experience decline
What is important to understand about memory and aging?
Not all aspects of memory experience decline. Decline occurs primarily in episodic and working memory.
Successful aging does not mean eliminating memory decline, but reducing and adapting to it.
