Section 12 Late Adulthood Flashcards
What ages are young-old?
65-80 years old
What ages are old-old?
80+
How is the ecological approach applied to LA
Things like social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs become more important
How is the Bio-psycho-social approach applied to LA?
Good physical health, brain reserves, health behaviors, social support, and fiscal planning are greatly important
How much loner do women live than men?
5 years on average, because of the effects of testosterone on the cardiovascular system
What is the top reason for death?
Heart problems
What is primary aging?
Natural parts of aging that are inevitable (ex: gray hair, wrinkles, etc.)
What is secondary aging?
Age related declines due to environmental or external factors (ex:diet, smoking, fun exposure, etc)
What is senescence?
Cellular aging and degeneration
What are specific features of senescence?
Cell death, inflammation, genome instability (cancer), melanin exhaustion, shorter telomere length with age
What happens to sensorimotor abilities with age?
Brain and cerebellum loses neurons causing slower reaction times - you’re 50% slower than when in 20s
What is frailty?
Slowing, wasting, failure to heal, increased inflammation, insulin resistance which makes injury easier
What is Sarcopenia?
Loss of muscle mass due to old age
What is Osteoporosis?
Age-related disease of bone decreasing bone density
Who is more at risk for Osteoporosis?
Women due to sacrifice of bone density in pregnancy (baby gets calcium from mom)
What happens to neurons at old age?
Neuron connection lessens and fewer neurons cause cognitive decline
What is wisdom?
Expert knowledge and judgement about practical aspects of life, largely determined by personality
How does the circadian rhythm shift?
In LA people eat earlier and sleep earlier for longer
How does hunger and thirst signals change?
Impaired hypothalamus function causes fewer hunger and thirst signals, resulting in dehydration and lack of nutrients, risking health conditions
Why does motor movement ability change?
Decline in dopamine producers in the Substantia Nigra results motor challenges including tremor, palsy, and Parkinson’s
Why are elderly people more at risk to scams?
Impaired amygdala and insult activity result in positivity bias and inability to recognize signs of untrustworthiness
What is the difference between crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence?
Fluid is practical cognitive ability while crystallized is wisdom and experience centered
What are brain reserves and why are they important?
Reserved cognitive abilities from earlier in life that help with resiliency to cognitive decline (influenced by cardiovascular health)
How does memory change with age?
Recognition stays the same but recall ability suffers (tip of the tongue phenomenon)
What are cognitive mechanics?
Neurophysiological architecture of the brain aka the hardware
What are cognitive pragmatics?
Culture based programs of the mind (reading, writing, coping) aka the software
What is selective attention?
The ability for the brain to focus on specific, relevant parts of an experience while ignoring others
How can defected selective attention affect elderly people?
Noisy spaces or areas with a lot of distractions can make it hard to focus on what’s happening
What is explicit memory?
Intentional recollection of facts and experiences
What is episodic memory?
Remembering a specific event with importance on where and when it happened
What is semantic memory?
General knowledge including language and schemas about the world
What is implicit memory?
Automatic unconsciously preformed skills and routine procedures
What is working memory?
Ability to work with information without losing track of what we’re doing
What is prospective memory?
Remembering to do things in the future
What is source memory?
Remembering the source of where information was learned
What memory suffers most in LA?
- Working memory
- Prospective memory
- Source memory
All other types of memory also decline to an extent except for implicit memory
What is the stereotype threat and how does it affect elderly people?
Old people become invisible, receive much less support, less opportunity to maintain skills, and reduced self efficacy
How can someone regulate their loss of cognitive functioning?
Regular social engagement, physical fitness and mental exercise maintains cog health and delays dementia
Do brain training games work?
No, its more effective to learn languages, visit countries, and maintain cog reserves
How does speech change in old people?
Speech is slower, less articulate, hearing is impaired, and all systems in general slow down
What food lifestyle increases health and longevity?
Calorie restriction but with 100% nutrients and energy
What things effect quality of life the most?
Good health, good social environment, and good physical environment
What is objective socialization?
Having a low amount of social interactions
What is subjective loneliness?
Feeling disconnected, not necessarily dependent on objective socialization
What difference does having friends outside of family make?
It reduces depression and can even extend one’s lifespan
Why do older people become more religious after 50?
It provides community and religious beliefs often provide consolation
What is Erikson’s psychosocial stage?
Integrity vs. Despair:
- Having an integrated sense of self strong enough to withstand physical deterioration
- Being able to feel good about the life you’ve lived (reminiscence helps)
What is Delirium?
Short-term state of disorientation, memory/language confusion, and agitation that can potentially happen to anyone, but more common in the elderly
What causes Delirium?
Dysfunction of glands, pancreas, B1 deficiency, UTIs, infections of organs, and blood block at heart, or brain bleed,
How do you prevent and treat Delirium?
Treating or preventing underlying medical problem, regulating medication use, and proper coping strategies
What is Dementia?
Chronic neurocognitive disease that affects memory and personality, slowly worsens, and is irreversible. Often caused by Alzheimers disease but can be caused by Lewy bodies or vascular dementia
What causes Dementia?
Usually caused by Alzheimer’s disease, excessive Lewy bodies, or vascular (stroke) dementia
What are rates of dementia for young-old to old-old?
65-80 yrs old are <10%
80 yrs old is 20%
90 yrs old is 40%
What happens in the brain during dementia?
Brain shrinkage caused by neuron death, loss of connectivity by protein build up (Lewy body), loss of blood supply (vascular), and inflammation
How do symptoms differ between initial and later stages of Dementia?
Initial stages include changes in memory, mood regulation, delusions, and less accurate perception of things
Later stages is the worsening of these symptoms until basic living skills are no longer possible independently
Symptoms often progress suddenly and rapidly
What is Medicare?
Entitlement program for all seniors, must be at end of life to receive hospice
What is Medicaid?
For low income seniors, pays for nursing care but only when all other resources are gone
What is hospice?
Provides comfortable and painless care 6 months til end of life
What is ADA?
American Disabilities Act, prevents discrimination against those with disabilities
What is universal design?
Accommodates wheelchairs, reduced mobility, and reduces hand use
What is the grieving process?
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (but in actuality, order varies)
What is active euthanasia?
Assisted suicide from physician, only allowed in Canada and some areas in U.S.
What is passive euthanasia?
Withholding treatment to allow death
