Health Issues & Transitions Exam 1

Question 1

Gerontology

Answer 1

The study of aging & older adults
biological
psychological
social aging

Question 2

Gerontologist

Answer 2

Researcher / Practitioner in all disciplines

Question 3

Geriatrics

Answer 3

Focuses on health, disease, care and treatment of older adults.
how to prevent or manage disease

Question 4

Definitions of Aging

Answer 4

A series of biopshychosocial changes occurring with the passage of time, resulting in an altered structure and functioning of the organism and an altered relationship of man to his environment

Question 5

Ageism

Answer 5

Discrimination that accompanies old age and is based solely on age.

Coined by Robert Butler - 1st Director of the Institute of Aging

Question 6

Why Study Aging

Answer 6

More older adults living than ever before in history due to:

• decreased birth rates
• decreased death rates
  
  • b/c of improved sanitation, hygiene, & medical care

Elderly population uses 36% of all health care expenditures
Everyone will spend 25 yrs as an older adult

Question 7

Four Characteristics of Change Related to Normal Aging

Answer 7

Universal -
Intrinsic -
Progressive -
Deleterious -

Question 8

Categories of Old

Pre-elderly
Young-old
Middle-old

Answer 8

Pre - Elderly 55-64 years

Young - Old 65-74 years

Middle - Old 75-84 years

Question 9

Categories of Old

Frail-old
Oldest-old
Elite-old
Centenarians

Answer 9

Frail-Old 75+ (needing protective services) or 85+ (at risk)

Oldest-Old 85+

Elite-Old 95+

Centenarians 100+

Question 10

Antediluvian Theme

Answer 10

The belief that in the past people lived much longer

Question 11

Hyperborean Theme

Answer 11

The belief that in some remote part of the world, people live longer

Question 12

Geronticide

Answer 12

We / tribes kill the elderly

Question 13

Senecide

Answer 13

Deliberate destruction of self for the good of the group

Question 14

Gerontophobia

Answer 14

Due to 2 factors

1. Decrease in birth and death rates
2. Increase in life expectancy

Question 15

4 factors for lowering the elderly standing in society

Answer 15

1. Health technology - decreased infant mortality & maternal deaths & prolonged adult life due to public sanitation
2. Scientific technology - creates new jobs for young adults. Traditional jobs held by the elderly become obsolete
3. Youth going to cities for jobs - increases social distance from parents and the elder’s status decreases in the family
4. Literacy & education - both needed in modern times.

Question 16

Years of the Baby Boomers

Answer 16

1946 - 1964

Question 17

Life Expectancy

Answer 17

How long you are expected to live
Ex:
beginning of 20th century - 47.3yrs
Now men=77 women=79 (without disease not unusual to live until 120)

Question 18

Life Span

Answer 18

The age beyond which no one can live / the extreme limit of human longevity

Question 19

Social security

Answer 19

1935 - 1st time the government helped the elderly

Question 20

Medicare & Medicaid was introduced in what yr?

Answer 20

1965

Question 21

Older American’s Act

Answer 21

1965

Question 22

Pew Commission

Answer 22

Advocates for better educational preparation for health care professionals working with the elderly

Question 23

Multidisciplinary

Answer 23

Individuals who see the pt

Ex: PT, OT, nutritionist

Question 24

Interdisciplinary Team

Answer 24

A team where broad patient goals are shared by members of the entire team - talk about the pt together

Question 25

3 main tasks of gerontology research

Answer 25

1. Theoretical Task - confirming & extending the conceptual framework that explains the observed facts of aging
2. Methodological Task - developing suitable methods of research for examining the nature of aging
3. Applied Task - attempts to prevent or reduce adverse effects of aging

Question 26

Quantitative - research study

Answer 26

#
Analyses of electronic and print media have found the elderly people, especially older women, are greatly underrepresented related to their numbers in the population

Question 27

Qualitative - research study

Answer 27

Looking for a factor
Analyses have found that older adults are often portrayed negatively, for example, foolish, eccentric, and mentally impaired.

Question 28

Experimental - research study

Answer 28

Control group and non-control group

Question 29

BLS - research study

Answer 29

Major problem in the past bc no women in study & most sick people dropped out of the study = can’t relay on the study

Question 30

Cross-Sectional Study

Answer 30

Most common approach, but not the best
Compares # of subjects of different ages at one point in time on the same characteristics in order to determine age related differences

Question 31

Longitudinal Studies

Answer 31

Utilizes same person overtime

limits the cohort effect

Question 32

Correlation

Answer 32

A statistic that tells whether variables are related and, if they are, the direction of that relationship

Question 33

Senescence

Answer 33

General biological condition which predisposes the individual to die.
A condition of growing old, not a connotation of weakness.

Question 34

Cohort (effect)

Answer 34

Describes a group of people who were born at approximately the same time & share common experiences & life events that shape their lives.