Transcript Chapter 17 - Forensicconsultation.org

Chapter 17- part 1:
Late Adulthood
Module 8
Physical Development in
Late Adulthood
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
PHYSCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN
LATE ADULTHOOD
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
What is old age?
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
GERONTOLOGISTS
• Specialists who study aging
– Late adulthood as a period of
considerable diversity in which people
change
– Growth in some areas, decline in others
424
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
How is old age divided?
• Some researchers divide aging people into
three groups:
– Young old are healthy and active
– Old old have some health problems and
difficulties
– Oldest old are frail and need care
424
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Demographics of Aging
425
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Who are the oldest old?
• Fastest growing segment of the population
• People who are 85 or older
• Group's size has nearly doubled in the last 20
years
• Trend is occurring in every developed country
in the world
424
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Ageism
• Prejudice and discrimination directed at
older people is manifested in several ways
– Negative attitudes about older people,
especially about competence and
attractiveness
– Job discrimination
425
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Discrimination
• Identical behavior by an older person and
a younger person is interpreted differently
• People talk baby talk to persons in nursing
homes
• Most negative views are based on
misinformation
425
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Physical Transitions
• Primary Aging
Universal &
irreversable
changes- largely
genetic
• Secondary Aging
Changes in physical
and cognitive
functioning due to
habits, illness, and
other nongenetic or
biological reasons
427
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
You know you are aging
when…
• Grey and white hair; thinner
• Wrinkles
• Diminishing height
427
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Osteoporosis
• Bones become brittle, fragile, and thin, often
brought about by a lack of calcium in the diet
– 25 percent of women over 60 have osteoporosis
• Largely preventable with sufficient calcium
and exercise
428
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Double Standard
• Women, especially in Western cultures,
suffer from the double standard for
appearance
• Women who show signs of aging are
judged more harshly than are men
• Women are more likely to dye their hair
• Women are more likely to have plastic
surgery
427
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Changes in Internal Function
• Brain becomes smaller and lighter with
age
– Reduction of blood flow to the brain
– Space between the skull and the brain
doubles from age 20 to 70
– Number of neurons, or brain cells, declines
428
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
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All Systems Go…or Gone?
• 75-year-old's heart pumps less than threequarters of the blood it pumped during early
adulthood
• Efficiency of the respiratory system declines with
age
• Digestive system produces less digestive juice
and is less efficient in pushing food through the
system
428
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Peripheral Slowing Hypothesis
• Older adults’ reaction time slows
significantly
– Suggests that overall processing speed
declines in peripheral nervous system (spinal
cord and brain)
429
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Generalized Slowing
Hypothesis
• Processing in all parts of the nervous
system, including the brain, is less
efficient
– Older people have more accidents
– Decision process is slowed down
429
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Senses
• Old age brings a distinct declining in the
sense organs of the body
• Vision
– Lens becomes less transparent and the pupils
shrink
– Optic nerve becomes less efficient
– Distant objects become less acute
430
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
The Eyes Have It!
• Cataracts
– Cloudy or opaque areas of the lens of eye
that interfere with passing light, frequently
develop
– Cataracts can be surgically removed
Intraocular lens implants
430
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Glaucoma
• Pressure in the fluid of the eye Glaucoma can be
corrected with drugs or surgery
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
– Affects the macula
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Hearing
• 30 percent of adults between 65 and 74
have some hearing loss
• 50 percent of adults over 75 have hearing
loss
• High frequencies are the hardest to hear
430
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Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Hearing Aids
• Hearing aids would be helpful 75 percent of the
time
– Only 20 percent of people wear them
– Are imperfect and amplify all sounds so it is difficult to
discern conversations
• There is a stigma attached to wearing a hearing
aid
• Because they cannot hear, some people
withdraw from society because they feel left out
and lonely
431
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Taste and Smell
• Both senses become less discriminating in
old age
– Due to decline in taste buds on tongue
– Olfactory bulbs in the brain shrink and reduce
the ability to smell
• People eat less and get poor nutrition
• Older people may over-salt their food and develop
hypertension, or high blood pressure
431
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Review and Apply
431
REVIEW
• Older people are often the victims of ageism—
prejudice and discrimination against people based
on their age.
• Old age brings many physical transitions, internal
changes, and changes in sensory perception.
• Many of the changes associated with aging can
cause social and psychological difficulties for older
people.
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Review and Apply
APPLY
• Should older people be subject to strict
examinations to renew their drivers’ licenses?
Should such tests cover more than eyesight
(e.g. response time, mental abilities)? What
issues should be taken into consideration?
431
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS IN
LATE ADULTHOOD
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Physical Disorders
• Common physical disorders
– Leading causes of death are heart disease,
cancer, and stroke.
– Higher incidence of infectious disease
– Arthritis
– Hypertension
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
432
Psychological and Mental
Disorders
Common Psychological Disorders
•
•
•
Major depression
Drug-induced psychological disorders
Dementia
432
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Alzheimer’s Disease
•
Progressive brain disorder
•
Produces loss of memory and confusion
•
Incidence and projection
433
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Disease
• Develop gradually
• Start with forgetfulness
• Affect recent memories first and then older
memories fade.
• Causes total confusion, inability to speak
intelligibly or recognize closest family
members
• Loss of voluntary control of muscles
occurs
433
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
The Biology of Alzheimer’s
Disease
• Production of the protein beta amyloid
precursor protein goes awry
• Produces large clumps of cells that trigger
inflammation and deterioration of nerve
cell
• Brain shrinks
• Neuron death leads to shortage of various
neurotransmitters
433
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
What about a genetic link?
• Inherited disorder
• Nongenetic factors such as high blood
pressure or diet may increase
susceptibility
• Cross-cultural influences
433
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Treatment and Cure
• No cure
• Treatment deals only with the symptoms
• Drugs effective in only half of Alzheimer’s
patients
• Many end in nursing homes
434
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Becoming an Informed
Consumer of Development
Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Make patients feel secure
Provide labels for everyday objects
Keep clothing simple
Put bathing on a schedule
Prevent people with the disease from driving
Monitor the use of the telephone
Provide opportunities for exercise
Take care of caregiver!
434
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Relationship Between
Aging and Illness
• Certain diseases, such as cancer and
heart disease, have clear genetic
component
• Economic well-being also plays role
• Psychological factors play important role in
determining people’s susceptibility to
illness—and ultimately likelihood of death
434
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Chronic Illness
• Most older people have at least one
chronic, long-term condition
– Arthritis
• Inflammation of one or more joints, is common,
striking around half of older people
– Hypertension
• High blood pressure, striking about one-third of
older people
435
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Psychological Illness
• 15 to 25 percent of those over age 65
show some symptoms of psychological
malady
– Depression
– Dementia
435
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Can well-being improve?
• People can do specific things to enhance their
physical and psychological well-being and their
longevity – their active life spans -- during old
age
– Eat a proper diet
– Exercise
– Avoid threats to health, such as smoking
435
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Sex in Old Age: Use It or Lose It
• Related to physical and mental health and
previous sexual activity
• Evidence suggests that people are sexually
active well into their 80s and 90s
• Previous sexual activity increases the desire for
sex
435
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Approaches to Aging
• GENETIC PREPROGRAMMING
THEORIES OF AGING
• WEAR-AND-TEAR THEORIES OF
AGING
• LIFE EXPECTANCY
436
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Reconciling Theories of Aging
• Each is supported by some research
• Each seems to explain certain aspects of
aging
• Why the body begins to deteriorate and
die remains something of a mystery
436
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
How long will YOU live?
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Living to Age 100
437
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Diversity in Aging
• Lifespan averages
–
–
–
–
Caucasian in the U.S. is likely to live 76 years
African American is likely to live 71 years
Japanese is likely to live 79 years
Gambian is likely to live less than 45 years
• Gender averages
– Male born in the U.S. is most likely to live 73 years
– Female born in the U.S. is most likely to live 80 years
438
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Finding the Fountain of Youth
• Telomere therapy
• Unlocking longevity gene
• Reducing free radicals through
antioxidant drugs
• Reducing calories
• Bionic solution: Replacing worn-out
organs
437
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
Review and Apply
REVIEW
• Proper diet, exercise, and avoidance of health risks can
lead to prolonged wellness during old age, and sexuality
can continue throughout the life span in healthy adults.
• Whether death is caused by genetic programming or by
general physical wear and tear is an unresolved
question. Life expectancy, which has risen for centuries,
varies with gender, race, and ethnicity.
• New approaches to increasing life expectancy include
telomere therapy, reducing free radicals through
antioxidant drugs, restricting caloric intake, and replacing
worn-out organs.
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.
440
Review and Apply
APPLY
• In what ways is socioeconomic status
related to wellness in old age and to life
expectancy?
440
Discovering the Lifespan - Robert S. Feldman
Copyright © 2009 Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved.