Late Adulthood Flashcards
gerontology
scientific study of aging
life expectancy and longevity
- subgroups
- gender gap
- variability in death
life expectancy and longetivity: subgroups
- young-old (60-75)
- old-old (75-85)
- oldest-old (85+)
oldest old is fastest growing group
life expectancy and longevity: gender gap
women live longer on average
life expectancy and longevity: variability in death
odds of dying increase with age
senescence
- gradual deterioration of body systems
- graduation happens as organism ages after reaching maturity
- species vary widely in how long individuals live
Hayflick limit
- theoretical proposal
- each species is subject to a genetically programmed time limit after which cells no longer have any capacity to replicate themselves accurately
limitations on activities
- functional status
- basic activities of daily living
- instrumental activities of daily living (IADLS)
limitations on activities: functional status
- individual’s ability to perform certain roles and tasks
- includes self-help tasks and chores of daily living
limitations on activities: basic activities of daily living
self-help tasks
- bathing
- dressing
- using the toilet
limitations on activities: instrumental activities of daily living
+ complex daily living tasks
- housework
- cooking
- managing money
senses: vision
- may experience vision defects
- presbyopia
- enlarged blindspot on retina reduces peripheral vision
senses: hearing
- presbycusis, usually not functionally limited
- gender differences: men lose hearing faster
- ability to hear high frequency sounds diminishes
- word discrimination = problematic
- tinitus increases
sense: taste
- no evident decline in tasting in 5 basic flavours
- less saliva
- flavours seem blander
senses: smell
deteriorates with age
senses: touch
- loss of sensitivity to touch
- cold and heat can be dangerous
changes in sleep
- 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
dementia
- neurological disorder
- problems with memory and thinking
- affects individuals’ emotional, social, physical functioning
- leading cause of placement into long-care in Canada
depression
big concern in late adulthood
Alzheimer’s
- severe form of dementia
- early onset is slow
Alzheimer’s: early onset
- disorientation in unfamiliar settings
- memory for recent events go next
- slow
- subtle memory difficulties
- repetitive conversation
Alzheimer’s: memories for long-ago events
- well-rehearsed cognitive tasks are retained late in the illness
- can be accessed through multiple neural pathways
Alzheimer’s: eventual failure to _____
- recognize family members
- inability to communicate
- inability to perform self-care
Alzheimer’s: miscellaneous changes
- 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
diagnosing Alzheimer’s
- definitive diagnosis = only after death
- difficult to diagnose early on
early diagnosing of Alzheimer’s
- self-perceived difficulties in performing IADLs
- biomarkers
- eye exam
preventing Alzheimer’s
- medication increasing neurotransmittters seem to slow disease’s progress
- healthy eating and exercise reduce risk
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
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
depression risk factors
- emotional loss
- education
- gender
- health status
- inadequate social support
- inadequate income - poverty
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
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
cognitive changes
- still fairly small
- average decline in intellectual skill
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
Erikson’s integrity vs despair
- last psychological stage
- must achieve sense of self satisfaction with their lives
- ego integrity
- reminiscence
ego integrity
- feeling that one’s life has been worthwhile
- process involves coming to terms with death
reminiscence
- reflecting on past experience
- positive emotional experience
- seen as a way of communicating their experiences to younger individuals
life review
- evaluative process
- elders make judgments about past B
- balance of + and - emotions
- quest for generativity continues in importance
successful aging tips
- good physical health
- retention of cognitive abilities
- meaningful social interactions
- these are referred as paradigm
aging influences
- health
- life satisfaction
- mental activity
- production
- social engagement
criticisms of successful aging paradigm
- sense of control
- different motivators
- prescriptive paradigm
social engagement and participation
- activity theory
- disengagement theory
- continuity theory
activity theory
idea that activity should be done as much as possible
disengagement theory
- older adults should take things more easily
- should separate themselves from others to a certain degree
continuity
older adults adapt life-long interests/activities to imposed limitations due to aging
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
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
living arrangements
- married men will have a spouse until they die
- living alone = most common choice for elders
predictability factors with living with child
- health
- income
- adult childrens’ characteristics
- public home care and social support services
partnerships
- marital satisfaction increases in later years
- increase pleasure, decrease in conflict
- spend more time with each other
- provide remarkable care for spouse
marital satisfaction in later years causes
- loyalty
- familiarity
- mutual investmnet
- reflects Sternberg’s companionate love
effects of relationships with adult children
good quality + regular contact with children:
- increase quality of life
- can add stress due to roles
childless vs with children happiness
same level of happiness
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)
friendships
- gain importance in elders, even if they diminish in numbers
- will be reciprocal, equitable
- provide assistance with daily tasks
contact with friends impacts ____
- life satisfaction
- self-esteem
- loneliness
retirement
- age was on decrease, now increasing (63)
- many workers continue to work part-time
reasons for retirement
- age
- family considerations
- financial support
- health
- sex differences
- work characteristics
should mandatory retirement exist?
use concepts from the chapter
effects of retirement: geographic mobility
- 30% of seniors with 5 year period
- amenity move
- compensatory migration
- institutional migration
amenity move
- post-retirement move away from kin to location with desirable features
- ex: Florida snowbirds
compensatory migration
move near family when elder requires frequent help
institutional migration
move inot institution (retirement home, nursing home)
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
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
workplace functioning
- supervisors typically give higher ratings than younger adults
- older employees = viewed as more reliable + better quality work
