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LATE ADULTHOOD:
Emotional and social development
Social Responses To AgingSocial Responses To Aging
Research in major aspects of aging:– Behavior change that prevents damage and
maintains health– Psychological health of oldest old– Maximizing and maintaining productivity– Assessing mental health and treating mental
disorders
False StereotypesFalse Stereotypes
Old age last stage before death; no one wants to talk about mortality
Old age is undefined: Few rites of passage; not all are married, grandparents or retired
Many types of elders;”typical” older adult difficult to define
Positive and Negative AttitudesPositive and Negative Attitudes Factors for positive affect
– Social relationships– Reading and following news– Extroverted personality– Death of a close friend– Definite beliefs and disbeliefs– Living with other persons
Positive and Negative AttitudesPositive and Negative Attitudes
Factors for negative affect:– Neuroticism– Own major illness– Money problems– Living alone
Self-Concept and Personality Self-Concept and Personality DevelopmentDevelopment
Psychosocial Theories– Erikson’s Integrity versus Despair– Individuals recognize that they are reaching the
end of life. If they can take satisfaction in having led a successful life they will experience integrity
Psychosocial TheoriesPsychosocial Theories
Peck’s Psychosocial Tasks of Later Adulthood– Ego Differentiation Versus Work-Role
Preoccupation– Body Transcendence Versus Body
Preoccupation– Ego Transcendence Versus Ego Preoccupation
Psychosocial TheoriesPsychosocial Theories
Vaillant’s Theory of Emotional Health– Emotional health, a sense of resilience– Pragmatism and dependability– Being close to one’s siblings
A Trait Theory of AgingA Trait Theory of Aging
Major personality patterns or traits:(Neugarten, Havighurst, Tobin)– Integrated– Armor-defended– Passive-dependent– Disintegrated
Other Models of AgingOther Models of Aging Theories of psychological/sociological aging
– Disengagement Theory of Aging– Activity Theory of Aging– Role Exit Theory of Aging– Social Exchange Theory of Aging– Modernization Theory
Selective Optimization with Selective Optimization with CompensationCompensation
Life-span model endorsed by Paul and Margret Baltes.
Older people cope with aging through a strategy that involves focusing on the skills most needed, practicing those skills, and developing ways to compensate for other skills
The Third AgeThe Third Age
Includes emotional intelligence and wisdom: – “Expert knowledge about life in general and
good judgment and advice about how to conduct oneself in the face of complex, uncertain circumstances.”
Elderly will face increasingly difficult obstacles and become more vulnerable
The Fourth AgeThe Fourth Age
A Life-Span Model of A Life-Span Model of Developmental RegulationDevelopmental Regulation
Schulz and Heckhausen Control is the central theme for characterizing
human development Primary control: the external world Secondary control: the self
– Elderly able to engage and impact their environment for the longest time: the most successful
ImpactImpact
The Impact of Personal Control and Choice A Sense of Purpose “Some of the negative consequences of
aging may be retarded, reversed, or possibly prevented by returning to the aged the right to make decisions and a feeling of competence.” (Langer and Rodin)
Faith and Adjustment to AgingFaith and Adjustment to Aging
“Widows and widowers with an authentic sense of personal relationship with God cope better with the loss of their spouses than do their nonreligious peers or religious individuals who do not experience an active awareness of the presence of God in their lives.” (Rosick)
Familial Roles: Continuity and Familial Roles: Continuity and DiscontinuityDiscontinuity
Love and Marriage– Companionship, respect and the sharing of
common interests improve during later adulthood
Problems with retirement issues Marriage protects people from premature
death
Previous problems resolvedPrevious problems resolved
Widows and WidowersWidows and Widowers
More widows than widowers Elderly women higher risk to live in
poverty Most not able to afford adequate health care More likely to experience neglect and elder
abuse
Remarriage and SinglesRemarriage and Singles
Remarriage and the Elderly Half-million people over 65 remarry each
year in the U.S. Singles have more emotional and physical
pathology than marrieds Elderly singles without spouse or children:
poor social network
Lesbian and Gay ElderlyLesbian and Gay Elderly
Older gays and lesbians have reconstituted families in the form of friendship and support networks
Children or ChildlessnessChildren or Childlessness
Reciprocal intergenerational assistance 80% of elder care provided by family Elder value independence and privacy
– “Intimate distance”: living near but not with children
FamiliesFamilies
Grandparenting and Great-Grandparenting– Grandparents and grandchildren benefit from
each others’ company Siblings
– Closeness grows with age
Social and Cultural SupportSocial and Cultural Support
Friendships In terms of companionship, friends are
more important and satisfying to older people than their offspring
Only 16% of males over 65 are employed today. The right to work is viewed as an American
basic right Choice to ease to part-time employment rather
than full retirement should be an option Better health and higher socioeconomic status:
better adjustment to retirement
Retirement/EmploymentRetirement/Employment
Living ArrangementsLiving Arrangements
Living Alone at Home and Assisted-Living Services
Encourage independent living until health and cognitive problems make it impossible to remain at home safely
Living with Children and Adult Day Care Long-term care support to adults who live
in the community, providing health, and social services in a safe setting during any part of the day
Living ArrangementsLiving Arrangements
Institutional CareInstitutional Care 1.6 million elderly people in 22,000 nursing
homes Characteristics of institutionalized aged:
– Depression– Feelings of helplessness– Accelerated decline
Retirement Communities Adult Group Homes
Elder AbuseElder Abuse
Elder abuse and neglect are both acts of commission and omission that cause unnecessary suffering to older persons
Elder Abuse in the Long-Term Care Community– Patients and families can now file criminal
charges against caregivers and facilities
Elder AbuseElder Abuse Legal Definition of Abuse:
– Abuse: intentionally inflicting, or allowing someone else to inflict, bodily injury or pain
– Psychological abuse: verbal harassment, intimidation, denigration and isolation
– Neglect: Failure to provide goods, services or care necessary to maintain health
– Exploitation: Taking advantage of an older adult for monetary gain
Caregiver BurnoutCaregiver Burnout
Strategies:– Join support group– Continue activities you enjoy– Seek professional help– Get more information about burnout– Investigate adult day care options in
community
Policy Issues and AdvocacyPolicy Issues and Advocacy Policy Issues and Advocacy in an Aging
Society Supportive services include:
– Information, referral, outreach, case management, escort, transportation
– In-home services– Community services– Caregiver services
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