Chapter 14

Question 1

Ageism

Answer 1

a prejudice whereby people are judged based on their age

Question 2

Elderspeak

Answer 2

a condescending way of speaking to older adults that resembles baby talk, with simple and short sentences, exaggerated emphasis, repetition, and a slower rate and higher pitch than used in normal speech

Question 3

Why does elderspeak reduce communication?

Answer 3

o Slower rate of speaking decreases the elder’s comprehension
o Shouting increases the elder’s anxiety and stress
o Simple words decrease language precision

Question 4

Demographic shift

Answer 4

A shift in the proportions of the populations of various ages.

Question 5

Young-old

Answer 5

60-75, well integrated into families and communities

Question 6

Old-old

Answer 6

75-85, suffer from physical, mental, or social deficits.

Question 7

Oldest-old

Answer 7

85+, dependant on others for almost everything

Question 8

Wear and tear

Answer 8

a view of aging as a process by which the human body wears out because of the passage of time and exposure to environmental stressors

Question 9

Genetic clock

Answer 9

a purported mechanism in the DNA of cells that regulates the aging process by triggering hormonal changes and controlling cellular reproduction and repair

Question 10

Cellular aging

Answer 10

the ways in which molecules and cells are affected by age; many theories aim to explain why aging causes cells to deteriorate; over time, the body is unable to repair every cellular error and imperfections appear/increase

Question 11

Hayflick limit

Answer 11

the number of times a human cell is capable of dividing into two new cells; the limit for most humans cells is about 50 divisions, an indication that the life span is limited by our genetic program

Question 12

Calorie restriction

Answer 12

The practice of limiting dietary energy intake (while consuming sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients) for the purpose of improving health and slowing down the aging process

Question 13

Ecological validity

Answer 13

The idea that cognition should be measured in settings that are as realistic as possible and that the abilities measured should be those needed in real life.

Question 14

Primary aging

Answer 14

The universal and irreversible physical changes that occurs in all living creatures as they grow older.

Question 15

Secondary aging

Answer 15

The specific physical illnesses or conditions that become more common with aging but are caused by health habits, genes, and other influences that vary person to person.

Question 16

Compression of morbidity

Answer 16

A shortening of the time a person spends ill or infirm, accomplished by postponing illness

Question 17

Osteoporosis

Answer 17

Fragile bones that result from primary aging, which makes bones more porous, especially if a person is at genetic risk

Question 18

Neurocognitive disorder (NCD)

Answer 18

Impairment of intellectual functioning caused by organic brain damage or disease. NCD may be diagnosed as major or mild, depending on the severity of symptoms. It becomes more common with age, but it is abnormal and pathological even in the very old.

Question 19

Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 19

the most common cause of dementia, characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory and personality, increased aggression and anxiety, and a decreased interest in others and previous interests

Question 20

Plaques

Answer 20

Clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid, found in brain tissues surrounding the neurons; a normal brain contains some beta-amyloid protein, but in brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease these plaques proliferate, especially in the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for memory.

Question 21

Tangles

Answer 21

Twisted masses of threads made of a protein called tau within the neurons of the brain; a normal brain contains some tau, but in brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease these tangles proliferate, especially in the hippocampus, a brain structure crucial for memory

Question 22

Vascular Neurocognitive Disorder

Answer 22

A form of neurocognitive disorder characterized by sporadic and progressive loss of intellectual functioning caused by repeated infarcts, or temporary obstructions of blood vessels, which prevent sufficient blood from reaching the brain

Question 23

Frontal lobe disorder

Answer 23

Deterioration of the amygdala and frontal lobes that may be the cause of 15 percent of all neurocognitive disorders.

Question 24

Parkinson’s diseas

Answer 24

A chronic, progressive disease that is characterized by muscle tremor and rigidity and sometimes cognitive impairment; caused by reduced dopamine production in the brain

Question 25

Lewy bodies

Answer 25

Deposits of a particular kind of protein in the brain that interfere with communication between neurons; Lewy bodies cause neurocognitive disorders.

Question 26

Polypharmacy

Answer 26

A situation in which elderly people are prescribed several medications. The various side effects and interactions of those medications can result in symptoms of neurocognitive disorder.

Question 27

Self-actualization

Answer 27

the final stage of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, characterized by aesthetic, creative, philosophical, and spiritual understanding

Question 28

Life-review

Answer 28

An examination of one’s own role in the history of human life, engagement in by many elderly people.

Question 29

Maximum life span

Answer 29

The oldest possible age that members of a species can live under ideal circumstances. For humans, that age is approximately 122 years.