Chapter 17

Question 1

Ageism

Answer 1

prejudice or discrimination against a person (most commonly an older person) based on age

Question 2

The Graying of the Population

Answer 2

the global population is aging – this is generally due to declines in fertility, economic growth, and improving health. The growth of the population age 65 and up is projected to increase rapidly

Question 3

Primary Aging

Answer 3

gradual, inevitable process of bodily deterioration throughout the life span

Question 4

Secondary Aging

Answer 4

aging processes that result from disease and bodily abuse and disuse and are often preventable

Question 5

Late Adulthood

Answer 5

65 and over

Question 6

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Answer 6

essential activities that support survival, such as eating, dressing, bathing, and getting around the house

Question 7

Functional Age

Answer 7

measure of a person’s ability to function effectively in their physical and social environment in comparison with others of the same chronological age

Question 8

Gerontology

Answer 8

study of the aged and the process of aging

Question 9

Geriatrics

Answer 9

branch of medicine concerned with processes of aging and medical conditions associated with age

Question 10

Life Expectancy

Answer 10

age to which a person in a particular cohort is statistically likely to live (given their current age and health status), on the basis of average longevity of a population –* according to this text life expectancy of a person born today is 78.7 years

Question 11

Gender Differences in Life Expectancy

Answer 11

women live on average 6 years longer than men – women 81.1 and men 76.2

Question 12

Extending the Human Life Span

Answer 12

dietary restrictions will increase your life span

Question 13

Cataracts

Answer 13

cloudy or opaque areas in the lens of the eye, which cause blurred vision

Question 14

Age-related Macular Degeneration

Answer 14

condition in which the center of the retina gradually loses its ability to discern fine details; leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in older adults

Question 15

Glaucoma

Answer 15

irreversible damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure in the eye

Question 16

Sleep

Answer 16

many older people don’t sleep well or sleep all through the nights –* too much sleep and too little sleep are both associated with an increased risk of mortality

Question 17

Health Status

Answer 17

1) Poor health is not an inevitable consequence of aging
2) About 78% of adults ages 65 and older consider themselves in good to excellent health
3) Poverty is strongly related to poor health and limited access to health care

Question 18

Disabilites

Answer 18

about 16% of people ages 65-74 report having some form of disability

Question 19

Physical Activity

Answer 19

a lifelong program of exercise may prevent many physical changes we once thought were due to normal aging. Inactivity contributes to disease & disability

Question 20

Nutrition

Answer 20

plays a large role is susceptibility to chronic illnesses and a healthy diet is associated with a higher quality of life in older adults

Question 21

Dementia

Answer 21

deterioration in cognitive and behavioral functioning due to physiological causes

Question 22

Alzheimer’s Disease

Answer 22

the vast majority of dementia is caused by Alzheimer’s disease which is a progressive, irreversible, degenerative brain disorder characterized by cognitive deterioration and loss of control of bodily functions, leading to death

Question 23

Parkinson’s Disease

Answer 23

progressive, irreversible degenerative neurological disorder, characterized by tremor, stiffness, slowed movement, and unstable posture

Question 24

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

Answer 24

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s together with multi-infarct dementia account for at least 8 out of 10 cases of dementia and all are irreversible

Question 25

Causes of Brain Diseases

Answer 25

plaques & tangles

Question 26

Working Memory

Answer 26

short-term storage of information being actively processed

Question 27

Encoding

Answer 27

process by which information is prepared for long-term storage and later retrieval – older adults may have greater difficulty encoding new information

Question 28

Storage

Answer 28

retention of memories for future use – this can deteriorate over time making retrieval difficult

Question 29

Retrieval

Answer 29

process by which information is accessed or recalled from memory storage