Chapter 17 Flashcards
Ageism
discrimination against a person based on age
The Graying of the Population
the global population is aging due to declines in fertility, economic growth, and improving health
Primary Aging
inevitable process of bodily deterioration throughout the life span
Secondary Aging
result from disease and bodily abuse and are often preventable
Late Adulthood
65 and over
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
essential activities that support survival, such as eating, dressing, bathing, and getting around the house
Functional Age
measure of a person’s ability to function effectively in their environment in comparison with others of the same age
Gerontology
study of aged people and the process of aging
Geriatrics
branch of medicine dealing with medical conditions associated with age
Life Expectancy
age in which is statistically likely to live – life expectancy of a person born today is 78.7 years
Gender Differences in Life Expectancy
women 81.1 years and men 76.2 years
Extending the Human Life Span
dietary restrictions will increase your life span
Cataracts
cloudy areas in the lens of the eye that cause blurred vision
Age-related Macular Degeneration
center of the retina loses its ability to discern fine details
Glaucoma
irreversible damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure in the eye
How does sleep affect your life span?
too much sleep or too little sleep both increase the risk of mortality
Health Status
1) Poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging
2) About 78% of adults ages 65 and older consider themselves in good health
3) Poverty is strongly related to poor health
Disabilites
about 16% of people above 65 report having some form of disability
How does physical activity play a role in your health?
1) A lifelong program of exercise may prevent many physical changes we once thought were due to normal aging
2) Inactivity contributes to disease and disability
How does nutrition play a role in your health?
prevents chronic diseases
Dementia
deterioration in cognitive and behavioral functioning
Alzheimer’s Disease
degenerative brain disorder characterized by cognitive deterioration and loss of control of bodily functions
Parkinson’s Disease
degenerative brain disorder characterized by stiffness, slowed movement, and unstable posture
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
account for at least 8 out of 10 cases of dementia and all are irreversible
Causes of Brain Diseases
plaques & tangles
Working Memory
short-term storage of information being actively processed
Encoding
1) Process by which information is prepared for long-term storage
2) Older adults may have greater difficulty encoding new information
Storage
holds memories for future use – this can deteriorate over time, making retrieval difficult
Retrieval
process by which information is recalled from memory storage
