OLD AGEPRESENTATION BY:

GROUP 2 & 31D-PHARMACY

LATE ADULTHOOD

years that encompass age 65 and beyond.

Other developmental psychologists further divide later adulthood into :

A. young‐old (ages 65–85)  B. old‐old (ages 85 and beyond) stages.

Gerontology, - or the study of old age and aging. 

Gerontologists - are particularly interested in confronting ageism

Ageism, - or prejudice and discrimination against older adults.

- inevitably means physical decline

Haylick's Cellular-Clock Theory

explains that cellular division is related to age

there is less division happening in middle and late adulthood.

basis for calculating life span across species, placing us humans in a "deadline" at 120 years of age.

One possible reason why cellular division slows down as we age is because of the progressive reduction of Telomeres that serve as plugs that protect the tips or the ends of the chromosomes in the body.

One promising thought of the theory is the possibility of artificially altering cellular activity in order to raise life span

Knight's Free Radical Theory

explains that free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that freely float in the body, damage DNA and other cellular structures. His theory showed how proper nutrition and exercise contribute to increasing life expectancy in humans.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Weight decline

adults begin to lose weight as muscle tissue in the body die. 

Due lower activity level and lower food consumption

Bone tissue loss

Declining estrogen production in menopausal women during middle-age could probably explain why 2/3 of women in old age have osteoporosis.

Stopped Dendritic Growth

dendrites (or the communication antennae of our brain cells) grow at significantly lower rate than normal, and then stop growing at the 90s.

Chronic Diseases

arthritishypertension Alzheimer's Disease.

SKIN

Less elasticMore lined and wrinkledFingernail growth slowsOil glands produce less oil (dryer skin)

HAIR

Hair gradually thin on scalp, pubic area and armpits

Hair pigment cell decline in numberGray hair growth increases

Height

By age 80, it's common to have lost as much as 2 in. (5 cm) in height. This is often related to normal changes in posture and compression of joints, spinal bones, and spinal discs.

Hearing

changes in the ear make high-frequency sounds harder to hear

Changes in tone and speech less clear

Vision

night vision and visual sharpness to decline. glare increasingly interferes with clear vision

. 

Sleep

Changes in sleep and circadian rhythm occur as you age.

sleep less at night, and you may not sleep as deeply as you did when you were younger.

you'll wake up during the night and/or wake up earlier in the morning. 

Cognitive Development

Cognitive development- there is a general loss cognitively as people move closer to the end of life. But there are still techniques of compensation available.

Selective optimization with compensation is one means of making best use of their cognitive skills. They narrow their goals, select personally valued activities so as to optimize or maximize returns from their energy. They find means to compensate for losses

Memory

Older adults are taking in information more slowly, they use strategies lesscan’t inhibit irrelevant information and retrieve

important information from long-term memory memory failure increases. Slower processing speed means there will be

less retained from current activitiesThey also forget context, which helps us recall

information. Recognition memory does not decline as much as free recall.

Deliberate vs. automatic memory Implicit memory is memory without

conscious awareness. This memory is more intact than deliberate memory, trying to recall information.

Associative memory Associative memory deficit is a problem

creating and retrieving links between pieces of information. This is more common for elders.

Remote memory is very long-term recall. It is not any clearer than recent recall for seniors, even though the myth is that seniors remember the past better than recent events.

Autobiographical memory is memory for your own personally experienced events. Seniors best recall their adolescent and early adulthood experiences better than later life experiences.

Prospective memory is remembering to do planned activities in the future. There is more forgetfulness and absentmindedness as people age. They tend to do better on event-based memory tasks than time-based tasks.

Language processing

Two aspects of language processing:

finding the right words planning what to say and how to say it.

Their speech will have more pronouns, unclear references, they will speak more slowly, pause more often, have trouble finding the right words.

There will be more hesitations, false starts, sentence fragments, word repetitions as they age.

They tend to simplify their grammatical structures, so they can better retrieve the words they want.

Problem solving

declines in late adulthood so married people tend to collaborate more in problem-solving.

They will be better at solving problems they think are under their control.

They will make more rapid decisions in areas of health, as that is an area they feel they have learned a lot about.

Wisdom

Includes practical knowledge, ability to reflect on and apply that knowledge, emotional maturity, listening skills, and creativity in a way that helps others.

This does increase with age. It occurs as people deal with more difficulties in life and find various means to adapt to change.

Those with wisdom tend to have better education and are physically healthier. It requires insight into the human condition and often follows that people with this ability are found in high positions in business and politics and religion.

Factors related to Cognitive change

Mentally active people are likely to maintain their cognitive abilities into advanced old age. Retirement can bring about changes in cognitive abilities depending on how those years are used.

Terminal decline is a steady, marked decrease in cognitive functioning prior to death.

 

Cognitive interventions

Lifelong learningTypes of programs include

Elderhostel, which encourages older adults to live on college campuses and take courses from experts, as well as travel the world. Many universities offer classes at low or no cost for seniors.

Benefits of continuing education include learning new information, understanding new ideas, making new friends, and developing a broader perspective on the world. This may serve to shake up their stereotypes and value diversity in a new way.

Emotional Development

Erikson’s theory of Ego Identity vs. Despair

describes the emotional and social development of late adulthood.  This theory involves coming to terms with one’s life.  Those who people who believe they have had a positive impact on the world through their contributions feel a sense of integrity. Those who feel they have not measured up to standards, either personal or societal, develop a sense of despair.

Individuals in late adulthood have accumulated a lifetime of self-knowledge, which allows them to be more secure of themselves and their identity than at younger ages.

Family and friends play a significant role in life satisfaction by providing companionship, as well as sharing activities.  Staying connected to other people promotes successful aging and people do better if they continue to engage with life and maintain close relationships.

• Adjustment to retirement is a major step in late adulthood.  Adjusting to retirement can be easy and have no adverse effect on life satisfaction.  Conversely, retirement can also be stressful, depending on income, activity level, and social network.

People tend to go through five distinct stages upon dealing with

death and dying called ….

“STAGES OF GRIEF”

Denial

believe there must be some mistake. They pretend death isn't happening, perhaps live life as if nothing is wrong, or even tell people things are fine. Underneath this facade, however, is a great deal of fear and other emotions. 

Anger

After people start to realize death is imminent, they become angry. They believe life is unfair and usually blame others for the state of being they are experiencing.

Bargaining

Once anger subsides, fear sets in again. Now, however, people plead with life or a higher power to give them more time, to let them accomplish just one more goal, or for some other request.

Depression

The realization that death is near sets in, and people become extremely sad. They may isolate themselves, contemplate suicide, or otherwise refuse to live life. Motivation is gone and the will to live disappears.

Acceptance

The realization that all forms of life, including the self, occurs, and people accept that life is ending. They make peace with others around them, and they make the most of the time they have remaining. 

MilestonesOld Age

Milestones:oresolve the conflict of integrity vs. despair

o opens up opportunities for younger people

o knowledgeable about a lot of things

o life of quality

o maturation in mind and thought o Retirement

o being a grandparent

Questions:

1. What is the study of old age and aging?2. Give three examples of physical

developments during old age.3. What is a steady, marked decrease in

cognitive functioning prior to death?4. Which stage of grief shows belief that

life is unfair and usually blame others for the state of being they are experiencing? 

Write A if it refers to Cellular-Clock Theory, and B if Free Radical Theory

1. explains that cellular division is related to age

2. One promising thought of the theory is the possibility of artificially altering cellular activity in order to raise life span

3. explains that free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that freely float in the body, damage DNA and other cellular structures. His theory showed how proper nutrition and exercise contribute to increasing life expectancy in humans.

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