Late Adulthood Flashcards
1
Q
gerontology
A
scientific study of aging
2
Q
life expectancy and longevity
A
- subgroups
- gender gap
- variability in death
3
Q
life expectancy and longetivity: subgroups
A
- young-old (60-75)
- old-old (75-85)
- oldest-old (85+)
oldest old is fastest growing group
4
Q
life expectancy and longevity: gender gap
A
women live longer on average
5
Q
life expectancy and longevity: variability in death
A
odds of dying increase with age
6
Q
senescence
A
- gradual deterioration of body systems
- graduation happens as organism ages after reaching maturity
- species vary widely in how long individuals live
7
Q
Hayflick limit
A
- theoretical proposal
- each species is subject to a genetically programmed time limit after which cells no longer have any capacity to replicate themselves accurately
8
Q
limitations on activities
A
- functional status
- basic activities of daily living
- instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS)
9
Q
limitations on activities: functional status
A
- individual’s ability to perform certain roles and tasks
- includes self-help tasks and chores of daily living
10
Q
limitations on activities: basic activities of daily living
A
self-help tasks
- bathing
- dressing
- using the toilet
11
Q
limitations on activities: instrumental activities of daily living
A
+ complex daily living tasks
- housework
- cooking
- managing money
12
Q
senses: vision
A
- may experience vision defects
- presbyopia
- enlarged blindspot on retina reduces peripheral vision
13
Q
senses: hearing
A
- presbycusis, usually not functionally limited
- gender differences: men lose hearing faster
- ability to hear high frequency sounds diminishes
- word discrimination = problematic
- tinitus increases
14
Q
sense: taste
A
- no evident decline in tasting in 5 basic flavours
- less saliva
- flavours seem blander
15
Q
senses: smell
A
deteriorates with age
16
Q
senses: touch
A
- loss of sensitivity to touch
- cold and heat can be dangerous
17
Q
changes in sleep
A
- more frequent awakening occurs after 65y
- REM sleep is decreased
- more likely to wake up early in the morning and go to bed early
- day time naps compensate for interrupted sleep
18
Q
dementia
A
- neurological disorder
- problems with memory and thinking
- affects individuals’ emotional, social, physical functioning
- leading cause of placement into long-care in Canada
19
Q
depression
A
big concern in late adulthood
20
Q
Alzheimer’s
A
- severe form of dementia
- early onset is slow
21
Q
Alzheimer’s: early onset
A
- disorientation in unfamiliar settings
- memory for recent events go next
- slow
- subtle memory difficulties
- repetitive conversation
22
Q
Alzheimer’s: memories for long-ago events
A
- well-rehearsed cognitive tasks are retained late in the illness
- can be accessed through multiple neural pathways
23
Q
Alzheimer’s: eventual failure to _____
A
- recognize family members
- inability to communicate
- inability to perform self-care
24
Q
Alzheimer’s: miscellaneous changes
A
- changes in appetite
- facial expressions and emotions of others are difficult to process
- may be unable to control emotions (sudden bursts of rage)
- may become excessively dependent
25
diagnosing Alzheimer's
- definitive diagnosis = only after death
- difficult to diagnose early on
26
early diagnosing of Alzheimer's
- self-perceived difficulties in performing IADLs
- biomarkers
- eye exam
27
preventing Alzheimer's
- medication increasing neurotransmittters seem to slow disease's progress
- healthy eating and exercise reduce risk
28
incidences of Alzheimer's
- dementia risks increase after 85
- 1/11 Canadians show significant symptoms of some form of dementia
- 85y+ = 1/3 suffer moderate/severe symptoms of dementia
- 2/3 of those with dementia = Alzheimer's
29
depression symptoms
- "old-age grumpiness"
- left untreated by health professionals
- mistaken for dementia (confusion and memory loss)
- chronic depressed mood (geriatric dysthymia) also related to life stressors
30
depression risk factors
- emotional loss
- education
- gender
- health status
- inadequate social support
- inadequate income - poverty
31
depression: suicide
- suicide rate for all age increase 75% for all ages since 50s
- elderly Canadians suicide rate is below average
- men = 5x more likely to commit suicide
32
suicide and men: possible causes
- more troubled by economic stress
- more likely to view themselves as a burden
- men do not adjust as well to death of a spouse
- use more fatal approaches
33
cognitive changes
- still fairly small
- average decline in intellectual skill
34
wisdom
- hypothesized cognitive characteristic of older adults
- includes accumulated knowledge +ability to apply knowledge to practical problems
- performance on wisdom tasks does not decline with age
- wisdom-related knowledge remains constant across adulthood
- linked with subjective well-being
35
Erikson's integrity vs despair
- last psychological stage
- must achieve sense of self satisfaction with their lives
- ego integrity
- reminiscence
36
ego integrity
- feeling that one's life has been worthwhile
- process involves coming to terms with death
37
reminiscence
- reflecting on past experience
- positive emotional experience
- seen as a way of communicating their experiences to younger individuals
38
life review
- evaluative process
- elders make judgments about past B
- balance of + and - emotions
- quest for generativity continues in importance
39
successful aging tips
- good physical health
- retention of cognitive abilities
- meaningful social interactions
- these are referred as paradigm
40
aging influences
- health
- life satisfaction
- mental activity
- production
- social engagement
41
criticisms of successful aging paradigm
- sense of control
- different motivators
- prescriptive paradigm
42
social engagement and participation
- activity theory
- disengagement theory
- continuity theory
43
activity theory
idea that activity should be done as much as possible
44
disengagement theory
- older adults should take things more easily
- should separate themselves from others to a certain degree
45
continuity
older adults adapt life-long interests/activities to imposed limitations due to aging
46
social roles
- physical and cognitive changes = responsible for inevitable roles changes
- some roles due to ageism
- appearance = often basis for judgment
- loss of role can result in isolation
- older adults feel freer to express individuality
47
living arrangements statistics
- 5.6% women live in long-term care institutions
- 3% men live in long-term care institutions
- % of married adults drop in LA
48
living arrangements
- married men will have a spouse until they die
- living alone = most common choice for elders
49
predictability factors with living with child
- health
- income
- adult childrens' characteristics
- public home care and social support services
50
partnerships
- marital satisfaction increases in later years
- increase pleasure, decrease in conflict
- spend more time with each other
- provide remarkable care for spouse
51
marital satisfaction in later years causes
- loyalty
- familiarity
- mutual investmnet
- reflects Sternberg's companionate love
52
effects of relationships with adult children
good quality + regular contact with children:
- increase quality of life
- can add stress due to roles
53
childless vs with children happiness
same level of happiness
54
grandchildren and sibling
- interactions = beneficial for both
- when grandchildren grow up, spend less time with grandparents
- relationships with siblings for adult children become more important (since children have died)
55
friendships
- gain importance in elders, even if they diminish in numbers
- will be reciprocal, equitable
- provide assistance with daily tasks
56
contact with friends impacts ____
- life satisfaction
- self-esteem
- loneliness
57
retirement
- age was on decrease, now increasing (63)
- many workers continue to work part-time
58
reasons for retirement
- age
- family considerations
- financial support
- health
- sex differences
- work characteristics
59
should mandatory retirement exist?
use concepts from the chapter
60
effects of retirement: geographic mobility
- 30% of seniors with 5 year period
- amenity move
- compensatory migration
- institutional migration
61
amenity move
- post-retirement move away from kin to location with desirable features
- ex: Florida snowbirds
62
compensatory migration
move near family when elder requires frequent help
63
institutional migration
move inot institution (retirement home, nursing home)
64
choosing not to retire
those who continue working
- those who retired and started new lines of work (part-time)
- those who never retired from long-term occupations
continuing to work
- perception = work > retirement
65
learning new job skills
- employees have potential concerns about hiring old people
- learning process does not change with age
- learning may be slower
- elders can significantly improve performance on many cognitive tasks
66
workplace functioning
- supervisors typically give higher ratings than younger adults
- older employees = viewed as more reliable + better quality work
