Chapters 15 & 16 Flashcards
(44 cards)
what is ageism?
prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (disrespect, assumptions about ailments/ sickness, perceived as frail/incompetent)
T/F the majority of people 65+ have Alzheimers
false. only 11.9%
T/F as adults grow older, reaction time increases
True
T/F clinical depression occurs more frequently in older than younger people
False
T/F older adults have the highest suicide rate of any age group
False
T/F older people perspire less, so they are more likely to suffer from hypothermia
True
T/F Most old people lose interest in sexual relations
False
T/F all five senses tend to decline with age
True
T/F most older people are living in a nursing home
False
T/F older workers cannot work as effectively as younger workers
False
Life expectancy for women in the U.S
81.3 years
Life expectancy for men in the U.S
76.6 years
What is a centenarian?
someone who is 100+ years
Correlations of centenarians
longevity genes, effective coping with strep, more females than males, sense of humor/purpose, physically/socially active
Free radical theory of aging
occurs because normal cell metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules, which damage DNA and other cellular structures. Leads to disorders such as cancer and arthritis
Cellular clock theory of aging
each time a cell reproduces, telomeres (tip of chromosomes) become shorter; cells only reproduce 75-80x before the telomeres are not long enough to reproduce; healthy centenarians have longer telomeres
correlates of telomere length
longer in females, chronic stress, poor health habits, obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle
Mitochondrial theory of aging
mitochondria decay over time
may lead to cancer, arthritis, etc
hormonal stress theory of aging
with age, hormones raised by stress remain higher for longer periods of time
prolonged levels of stress related hormones increase risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension
What happens to the brain in late adulthood?
loses 5-10% of its weight between 60-90 yeas olld
volume decreases: shrinkage of neurons, fewer synapses, reduced length of axon, reduced branching of dendrites
decline in demyelination
prefrontal cortex shrinks
What happens to vision and hearing in adulthood?
Farsightedness increases, poorer night vision, visual field diminishes and depth perception declines
Gradual hearing loss (sooner for men)
Cataracts (lens inside become cloudy)
lens inside eye become cloudy
Taste, smell, and touch in late adulthood
declines over adult years (more noticeable around age 65-70), fewer taste bds, taste buds for sweet and salty decline more rapidly, decrease in number of odor receptors in nose, the skin is less sensitive to touch
Mental exercise in late adulthood
Certain mental exercises activities can benefit maintenance of cognitive skills and may reduce cognitive decline
