OLD AGE Flashcards
increasing proportion of the elderly
Gray revolution
2 factors resulting in increase in proportiion
longer life span
decreased birth rates
60-70y.o___
70-80y.o___
80+___
young old; middle old; very old
life expectansies:
worldwide: ___
philippines: ___
71.9 years old; 69 years old
an elderly gymnast from Germany.
Johanna Quaas
classifies a person as a senior citizen based on age (60 years old and above)
Republic Act #7432 (Senior Citizens Act)
Theories of Ageing
Programmed Theories and Damage or Error Theories
physiologic changes that govern how we grow old
Programmed Theories
external or internal factors
Damage or Error Theories
3 programmed theories
programmed longevity, endocrine theory, immunological theory
postulates a built-in impairment in the ability of the cell to continue dividing, which is the result of sequential switching on and off of certain genes and shortening of telomeres
programmed longevity
biological clock that act through hormones to control the rate of ageing
endocrine theory
complex rate of ageing is largely controlled by the immune system
immunological theory
5 Damage or Error Theories
Wear and Tear Theory – Rate of Living Theory – Cross-Linking Theory – Free Radicals Theory – Somatic DNA Damage Theory
A Bio-Psycho-Social Process
Ageing
At this age, there is no more growth and developmental milestones- these are all declining
Burning issues
Old age is a period of physical changes that
occur despite measures adopted by the
individual to stop them.
biological changes
less flexibility of response less ability to problem solve less ability to learn new material decreasing speed of performance but creativity and achievement continue on in
psychological changes
normal as opposed to Alzheimer’s diseases
Age-associated Memory Impairment (AAMI)
2 social changes
losses and needs
One major characteristic of old age is that it is a
period of loss. Losses of all kinds are suffered in
a scale which the other age periods do not
experience.
Losses
How they are met can determine how
the elderly will cope.
Needs
nutrition, warmth and comfort,
shelter and clothing
Physical needs
respect, security, company or
affiliation, self-determination or independence
Psychological needs
At old age the next stage would be
death
objectives that an individual has to master at that particular age group in order to proceed to the next stage of life
developmental task
Erickson’s Eight Ages of Man
Trust vs. Mistrust – Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt – Initiative vs. Guilt – Industry vs. Inferiority – Identity vs. Role Confusion – Intimacy vs. Isolation – Generativity vs. Stagnation –Ego Integrity vs. Despair
8th stage of psychosocial development in old age
Ego Integrity vs. Despair
if this stage is resolved______:
conflict of stage________
Ego Integrity
Despair
9th Stage:
Gerotranscendence
– (v) go beyond the range or limits;
surpass
Transcend
– (n) existence or experience
beyond the normal or physical level
Transcendence
Major Challenges
Dealing with physiological decline • Being able to accept losses • Fighting ageism and faulty stereotypes • Adapting to changing familial and social structure – The Grandparent as Parent – Empty Nest Syndrome • Overcoming disengagement, neglect, and abuse
refer to the
“pessimism” regarding treatment of even the
healthier and more vigorous older person.
ageism
Sources of faulty stereotypes of the elderly
folklore and fairy tales
› mass media
› jokes
› errors in scientific studies
according to freud reasons why >50 years old were not good candidates for psychoanalysis
extensive amount of material to be dealt with
› long time required
› inelasticity of the mental processes
› ineducability of the older patient
Though unfavorable social attitudes tend to be
fairly universal, they appear to be stronger in
more urban, more industrialized, and more
ego-centric societies.
Faulty Stereotypes
concept of successful ageing
the norm, rather than the exception and although
ageing brings about physical changes this does not
mean that ageing is equivalent to disease.
Main components of successful ageing(ASH)
Autonomy
Support
Health
refers to the ability of the
individual to control aspects in his life which
includes being able to map out the direction
that his life is going to take and being able to
live with a minimum of dependence on others.
autonommy
pertains to the presence of social
networks of family and friends with whom the
individual can interact and obtain support.
Support
mental and physical health are also
important as these delimit incapacities and
enable the individual
Health
biggest achievements of older adults
successful ageing
characterized by feelings of loneliness, sadness or depression
despair
sense of wholeness; characterized by happiness, joy and life satisfaction
ego integrity
