Adulthood Old Age Ch 5 Physical Changes n

Adulthood & Old Age (Ch 5)

Physical Changes n n 20’s = maximum efficiency Late 30’s & 40’s = reduction in activity & ability (decrease in strength, lung cap. , eyesight) 50’s & 60’s = further decreases & gradual bone loss 70’s + = further decrease in strength, bone density, heart and lung output

Menopause in women 45 -50 n Marriage: why some divorce… n No physiological reason for reduced sexual activity with advanced age n Leading causes of death: n Heart disease, cancer, & cirrhosis of the liver n

Cognitive abilities Average mental peak in the 40’s n Those involved in the humanities avg peak was in the 60’s n IQ tests penalized for lack of speed n Knowledge & vocabulary continue to grow n

Social & Personality Development

Daniel Levinson… Identified important transition areas for men n 1 - Entering the Adult World n Novice adult, conflict of past & present n 2 – Age-Thirty Crisis (28 -30) n Reexamining life choices, change needed n

3 – Settling Down (36 -40) n “becoming one’s own man” (BOOM) n 4 – Midlife Transition (40 -45) n Questions past and future n Erikson’s generativity v stagnation n 5 – Middle Adulthood (late 40’s) n Satisfactory solutions to crises creates stability or stagnation & unhappiness n

Female Development Mostly focused on mid-life n “Empty Nest” syndrome n Unhappiness n New sense of freedom, interests, & activities n Midlife Depression n Sense of loss, personal worthlessness n Can be triggered by Menopause n

Old Age

Attitudes towards aging… Ageism: prejudice towards the old n Misconceptions n Inflexible, senile, … n Most based on decremental model of aging n Progressive physical and mental decline is inevitable n Chronological age = “old” n

Health Physical & mental abilities decline approx. 1% per year n Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis n Causes of death: heart disease, cancer, strokes n Lower $$ - don’t take care of themselves or seek care n Stereotypes lead to misdiagnoses n

Life changes… Retirement, widowers, loss of friends n Continue to learn & develop skills n Sexual activity dependent upon past, not age n Poor health, death of spouse, past behavior n

Adjusting to old age… Self image associated with control & independence (negative) n Assertive personalities trend more positive n AARP (Amer. Assoc of Retired Persons) n Lobbyist for elderly n Rights, current issues, and community benefits n

Mental Functioning John Horn’s 2 types of intelligence n Crystallized intelligence n Ability to use accumulated knowledge & learning in appropriate situations n Fluid intelligence n Ability to solve abstract relational problems & generate new hypotheses n

n Senile Dementia n n Characterized by memory loss, forgetfulness, disorientation of time and place, impaired attention, altered personality, decline in ability to think Alzheimer’s Disease n n Form of senile dementia, 4 th leading cause of death Poor judgment, irritability, social withdrawal

Dying & Death

Thanatology study of death and dying n Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ 5 stages of dying n Denial n Anger n Bargaining n Depression n Acceptance n

n Hospice care n Location where terminally ill people go to die n Drugs used to ease pain and discomfort n Also done through homecare for elderly and terminally ill