Ch. 14 - Aging Adults: Body and Mind Flashcards
demographic shift
A shift in the proportions of the populations of various ages.
Young-old
Healthy, vigorous, financially secure older adults (generally, those aged 65 to 75) who are well integrated into the lives of their families and communities.
Old-Old
Older adults (generally, those over age 75) who suffer from physical, mental, or social deficits.
Oldest-old
Elderly adults (generally, those over age 85) who are dependent on others for almost everything, requiring supportive services such as nursing homes and hospital stays.
Wear-and-tear Theory
A view of aging as a process by which the human body wears out because of the passage of time and exposure to environmental stressors.
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.
Metabolic Syndrome
Several conditions that tend to occur together and increase one’s risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Cellular Aging
The cumulative effect of stress and toxins, first causing cellular damage and eventually the death of cells.
Hay-flick Limit
The number of times a human cell is capable of dividing into two new cells. The limit for most human cells is approximately 50 divisions, an indication that the life span is limited by our genetic program.
Telomeres
The area of the tips of each chromosome that is reduced to a tiny amount as time passes. By the end of life, the telomeres are very short.
Calorie Restriction
The practice of limiting dietary energy intake (while consuming sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients) for the purpose of improving health and slowing down the aging process.
Ageism
A prejudice whereby people are categorized and judged solely on the basis of their chronological age.
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.
Universal Design
The creation of settings and equipment that can be used by everyone, whether or not they are able-bodied and sensory-acute.
Ecological Validity
The idea that cognition should be measured in settings that are as realistic as possible and that the abilities measured should be those needed in real life.
Neurocognitive Disorder (NCD)
Any of a number of brain diseases that affect a person’s ability to remember, analyze, plan, or interact with other people.
major neurocognitive disorder (major NCD
Irreversible loss of intellectual functioning caused by organic brain damage or disease. Formerly called dementia, major NCD becomes more common with age, but it is abnormal and pathological even in the very old.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
The most common cause of major NCD, characterized by gradual deterioration of memory and personality, and marked by the formation of plaques of beta-amyloid protein and tangles of tau in the brain.
Plaques
Clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid, found in brain tissue surrounding the neurons.
Tangles
Twisted masses of threads made of a protein called tau within the neurons of the brain.
Vascular disease
Vascular disease is characterized by sporadic, and progressive, loss of intellectual functioning caused by repeated infarcts, or temporary obstructions of blood vessels, which prevent sufficient blood from reaching the brain. (formerly called vascular or multi-infarct dementia.)
Frontotemporal NCDs
Deterioration of the amygdala and frontal lobes that may be the cause of 15 percent of all major neurocognitive disorders. (Also called frontotemporal lobar degeneration.)
Parkinson’s disease
A chronic, progressive disease that is characterized by muscle tremor and rigidity and sometimes major neurocognitive disorder; caused by reduced dopamine production in the brain.
Lewy Body Disease
A form of major neurocognitive disorder characterized by an increase in Lewy body cells in the brain. Symptoms include visual hallucinations, momentary loss of attention, falling, and fainting.
Polypharmacy
A situation in which elderly people are prescribed several medications. The various side effects and interactions of those medications can result in symptoms typical of major neurocognitive disorder.
Self-actualization
The final stage in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, characterized by aesthetic, creative, philosophical, and spiritual understanding.
Life review
An examination of one’s own role in the history of human life, engaged in by many elderly people. This can be written or oral.
New Understanding of old age
An increasing percentage of the population is older than 64, but the numbers are sometimes presented in misleading ways. Currently, about 15 percent of people in the U.S. population are elderly, and most of them are self-sufficient and productive.
The aging brain: what happens?
Speed of processing slows down, parts of the brain shrink, and more areas of the brain are activated in older people. New neurons may form, and new connections are established.
Information processing after age 65:
Memory is affected by aging, but specifics vary. As the senses become dulled, some stimuli never reach the sensory memory. Working memory shows notable declines with age because slower processing means that some thoughts are lost.
Neurocognitive Disorders, other than Alzheimers
Other NCDs, including frontotemporal NCD and Lewy body disease, also become more common with age. Several other types of NCD can occur in early or middle adulthood. One is Parkinson’s disease, which begins with loss of muscle control. Parkinson’s disease can also cause significant cognitive decline, particularly in the old.
New Cognitive Development
Many people become more interested and adept in creative endeavors, as well as more philosophical, as they grow older. The life review helps many older people remember earlier experiences, allowing them to gain perspective and achieve integrity or self-actualization.
