Chapters 15 & 16 Flashcards
what is ageism?
prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (disrespect, assumptions about ailments/ sickness, perceived as frail/incompetent)
T/F the majority of people 65+ have Alzheimers
false. only 11.9%
T/F as adults grow older, reaction time increases
True
T/F clinical depression occurs more frequently in older than younger people
False
T/F older adults have the highest suicide rate of any age group
False
T/F older people perspire less, so they are more likely to suffer from hypothermia
True
T/F Most old people lose interest in sexual relations
False
T/F all five senses tend to decline with age
True
T/F most older people are living in a nursing home
False
T/F older workers cannot work as effectively as younger workers
False
Life expectancy for women in the U.S
81.3 years
Life expectancy for men in the U.S
76.6 years
What is a centenarian?
someone who is 100+ years
Correlations of centenarians
longevity genes, effective coping with strep, more females than males, sense of humor/purpose, physically/socially active
Free radical theory of aging
occurs because normal cell metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules, which damage DNA and other cellular structures. Leads to disorders such as cancer and arthritis
Cellular clock theory of aging
each time a cell reproduces, telomeres (tip of chromosomes) become shorter; cells only reproduce 75-80x before the telomeres are not long enough to reproduce; healthy centenarians have longer telomeres
correlates of telomere length
longer in females, chronic stress, poor health habits, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle
Mitochondrial theory of aging
mitochondria decay over time
may lead to cancer, arthritis, etc
hormonal stress theory of aging
with age, hormones raised by stress remain higher for longer periods of time
prolonged levels of stress related hormones increase risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension
What happens to the brain in late adulthood?
loses 5-10% of its weight between 60-90 yeas olld
volume decreases: shrinkage of neurons, fewer synapses, reduced length of axon, reduced branching of dendrites
decline in demyelination
prefrontal cortex shrinks
What happens to vision and hearing in adulthood?
Farsightedness increases, poorer night vision, visual field diminishes and depth perception declines
Gradual hearing loss (sooner for men)
Cataracts (lens inside become cloudy)
lens inside eye become cloudy
Taste, smell, and touch in late adulthood
declines over adult years (more noticeable around age 65-70), fewer taste bds, taste buds for sweet and salty decline more rapidly, decrease in number of odor receptors in nose, the skin is less sensitive to touch
Mental exercise in late adulthood
Certain mental exercises activities can benefit maintenance of cognitive skills and may reduce cognitive decline
Physical exercise in late adulthood
Improves physical and mental functioning and slows aging
Explicit memory in late adulthood
Conscious memory
Episodic memory
experienced events. define in late adulthood
semantic memory
knowledge and concepts - declines with age
Implicit memory
unconscious memory
Procedural memory
skills and actions
Alzheimers disease
a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and physical functioning
are women or men more likely to develop Alzheimer’s?
women
Amyloid plaques
dense deposits of protein that accumulate in blood vessels, smaller ones are more detrimental than larger ones (they can block synapses and are easier to travel)
Neurofibrillary tangles
twisted fibers that make up the axons become tangles. they interfere with neurons ability to transmit information down the axon. some are normal to aging. large numbers of tangles are associated with Alzheimer’s
What are some strong risk factors for Alzheimer’s?
being over 50, family history, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, not active, tobacco use, and obesity
Integrity vs despair
sense of satisfaction (a life well lives) or loss/regret (an incomplete or unsatisfied life)
Happiness and aging
Clear relationship bewtween age and well being in the U.S. Smile graph
Positivity effect
showed adults images, when asked to recall they were most likely to remeber the positive images
Social aspects of successful aging: marriage
older adults in a marriage or partnership are usually happier, less distressed and live longer
Social aspects of successful aging: friendships
importance of a few close friends over many friendships, those with best friends lived longer and had lower depression
Social aspects of successful aging: social support
Associated with increased life satisfaction, lower levels of depression, decreased probability of being institutionalized, adult daughters more involved than adult sons
Social aspects of aging: volunteerism
many older engage in meaningful volunteer work; linked to better physical health and living longer
Social aspects of aging: culture
some cultures value older adults more than others. extended family takes good care of them, these cultures new elderly as key to holding their family together and a valuable source of knowledge and wisdom
Macular degeneration
central portion of retina deteriorates
