Late Adulthood Flashcards
(105 cards)
1
Q
Graying of the world
A
65+ is the fastest growing generation, significant impacts on society
2
Q
Lifespan
A
Greatest age reached by any member of a given population
3
Q
Life expectancy
A
Average number of years that members of a population live
Females tend to live longer
4
Q
Healthy life expectancy
A
Average number of years of full health any human individual is expected to have
5
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy- Gene expression
A
Differences in sex chromosomes
Females can express the “better” x genes
6
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Immune system
A
Male’s immunity decreases faster with age
7
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Hormones
A
Estrogen has a protective effect on circulatory systems
8
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Brain development
A
Frontal lobes develop slower in males, worse decision making when they are young
9
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Workplace
A
Men more often work in dangerous occupations
10
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Health behaviour
A
Men are less likely to have health insurance, less likely to see a doctor
11
Q
Gender differences in life expectancy-Religiosity
A
Women tend to be more religious, associated with healthier behaviours
12
Q
Young-old
A
65-74 years
Positive life aspects, “golden years:
Similar to midlife for cognition
13
Q
Old-old
A
75-84 years
More physical impairments
Chronic diseases increase
14
Q
Oldest-old
A
85-99 years
Serious chronic ailments common
15
Q
Centenarian
A
100+ years
Tend to have been healthier than peers as they aged
More likely to experience rapid terminal decline
16
Q
Programmed theories of aging
A
Aging due to a biological timetable, changes in gene expression
17
Q
Damage/Error theories of aging
A
Environmental factors cause cumulative damage
18
Q
Gene theory of aging
A
Some genes may promote longevity while other limit longevity
19
Q
DNA theory of aging
A
DNA may accumulate damage over time
Can’t be repaired, causes cells to deteriorate
20
Q
Cellular clock theory of aging
A
Biological aging is due to the fact that normal cells cannot divide indefinitely
21
Q
Telomere
A
Sequence of DNA that protects the rest of the chromosome
Gets shorter with each replication
22
Q
Cellular Senescence- cellular clock theory
A
DNA stops replicating, turns itself off
Is not dead, can still interact with other cells which causes a risk for diseases
23
Q
Apoptosis- cellular clock theory
A
Cells stop replicating by dying
24
Q
Division- cellular clock theory
A
Cells continue to divide but become abnormal (cancer)
25
Free-radical theory of aging
Aging occurs due to cells' normal metabolism producing free radicals- unstable oxygen molecules
Creates instability and has a snowball effect on the body
26
Mitochondrial theory of aging
Aging due to the decay of the mitochondria
Decay due to the damage and loss of micronutrients
Damage caused by free radicals
27
Metabolic stress theory of aging
Metabolic stress may create biological stress which influence the innate and adaptive immune systems
More susceptible to disease
28
Hormonal stress theory of aging
Aging in the body's hormone system may lower resistance to stress, increase likelihood of disease
Cortisol levels elevated for longer
29
Integrity vs Despair
Integrity: finding meaning in life, accepting accomplishments and shortcomings
Despair: bitterness and resentment in relationships and life events
Successful completion leads to wisdom
30
Differentiation vs role occupation
Redefine worth in terms of something other than work roles
| Pursue other valued activities
31
Body transcendence vs body preoccupation
Coping with declining physical health which is a threat to identity and satisfaction
32
Ego transcendence vs ego preoccupation
Recognizing that death is inevitable while still realizing contributions to the future
33
3 Criteria of successful aging
Relative avoidance of disease, disability, risk factors
Maintenance of physical and cognitive functioning
Active engagement in productive activities
34
Selective optimization with compensation theory
Successful aging linked with selection (selecting domains to perform), optimization (maintaining performance in these areas through practice), and compensation (finding alternatives when tasks require functioning above their performance potential)
35
Changes in weight
Men gain weight until age 55 then lose weight
| Women gain weight until 65 then lose weight
36
Cataracts
Clouding of lens due to clumping of proteins
37
Macular degeneration
Loss of clarity in centre visual field due to degeneration of the macula
38
Dry macular degeneration
Tiny pieces of protein form beneath the retina
39
Wet macular degeneration
Abnormal development of blood vessels, more rapid loss of vision
40
Glaucoma
Loss of peripheral vision due to a build up of fluid damaging the optic nerve
Can lose sight in advanced stages
41
Hearing loss
Less frequencies detected
Greater intensity needed
Degeneration of cochlea
Function of inner ear declines
42
Pain sensations
Presence of pain increases with age, but less sensitive to pain
Decreased sensitivity can conceal illness/injury
Coping effectively with pain is important
43
Brain development in late adulthood
Weight and volume decrease but neurons can continue to form
Less myelin- slower conduction
Decreases in lateralization- use both hemispheres, compensatory
44
Scaffolding theory of aging and cognition
Brain adapts to neural atrophy by building alternative connections
Plasticity
45
Parkinson's disease
Characterized by motor tremors, loss of balance, rigidity, difficulty moving
Deterioration of substantial nigra, loss of dopamine
Risk factor for developing it is being knocked unconscious
46
Insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
47
Sleep apnea
Pauses in breathing during sleep
| Reduced oxygen
48
Restless leg syndrome
Tingling, crawling feeling in legs that is worse at night
49
Period limb movement disorder
Jerking and kicking legs during sleep
50
REM sleep behaviour disorder
Muscles able to move during REM sleep, acting out dreams
51
Sexuality in late adulthood
Many find greater satisfaction in sex lives: women have less sexual concerns, fewer distractions, no risk of pregnancy
Chronic illnesses can affect sexual functioning especially in men
52
Chronic illnesses
Illnesses that are ongoing, usually incurable, require continued medical attention, affect daily life
Increase with age due to the decline of multiple organ systems
53
Importance of exercise and nutrition for health
Minimize physiological changes
Optimize body composition
Prevention of chronic diseases
Improvement of treatment efficacy
54
Most common causes of disability in late adulthood
Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions
55
Osteoporosis
Disease that thins and weakens bones to the point that they become fragile and break easily
Common hip, spine, wrist fractures
Hunched posture
56
Chronic Obstructive pulmonary disease
Progressive lung disease in which airways become damages which makes it difficult to breath
More common in women- smaller lungs, estrogen
No cure
Smoking is the leading cause
57
Shingles
Disease that affects your nerves and results in pain, sensitivity, and a rash
Same virus as chicken pox
58
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Ongoing pain left after the rash from shingles subsides
Greater risk with age
Medicine to help with pain then usually goes away
59
3 major systems of working memory
Phonological loop: auditory stimuli
Visuospatial sketchpad: visual stimuli
Central executive: allocating resources and monitoring cognitive strategies, most negatively impacted by age
60
Episodic vs semantic memory in aging
Episodic memory shows greater declines: need to remember 2 types of information (the event and the time)
61
Prospective memory
Remembering things you need to do in the future
| Good in old-age if they have little to do in the meantime
62
Time-based prospective memory
Remember to do something at a future time
| Shows more age-related decline
63
Event-based prospective memory
Remember to do something when an event occurs
64
Processing theory of attention/problem solving
As the nervous system slows with age the ability to process information declines
When speed is not imperative older adults perform well
65
Inhibition theory of attention/problem solving
Older adults have difficulty with inhibitory functioning (ability to focus on certain info)
66
Pragmatics of intelligence
Cultural exposure to facts and procedures, similar to crystallized intelligence
Improvement can be seen into old age
67
Mechanics of intelligence
Intelligence dependent on brain functioning, similar to fluid intelligence
Declines with old age, strong influence of biology
68
Wisdom
Ability to use the accumulated knowledge about practical matters that allows for sound judgement and decision making
Age combined with experience and personality (living longer does not always bring wisdom)
69
Major neurocognitive disorder
Significant cognitive decline, interferes with independent functioning
70
Minor neurocognitive disorder
Modest cognitive decline, does not interfere with independent functioning
71
Vascular neurocognitive disorder
Blockage of cerebral blood vessels
Personality is less affected
But very abrupt and shorter course to death
72
Neurocognitive disorder with Lewy bodies
Lewy bodies form in neurons and affect chemicals in the brain
Difficulties in thinking, movement, behaviour, mood
73
Alzheimer's disease
Most common neurocognitive disorder
| Gradual onset, hippocampus usually first affected (memory loss)
74
Causes of Alzheimer's
Death of neurons
Breakdown of connections between neurons
Extensive formations of plaques and tau
75
Alzheimer's- Plaques
Abnormal formations of protein pieces, occurs first
Blocks cell communication
Inflammatory response in immune system
76
Alzheimer's tau
Caused by failing immune system from plaques
| Protein that helps maintain the brain's transport system forms tangles, disrupts the transport system
77
Retirement
A process, not a one-time event
| More older adults are working, economic reasons
78
Remote pre-retirement
Fantasize about what they want to do in retirement
79
Immediate pre-retirement
Plans for retirement are established
80
Honeymoon retirement
Travelling, participating in lots of activites
81
Disenchantment stage of retirement
Experience emotional letdown of retirement
82
Reorientation stage of retirement
Attempt to adjust to retirement
| Form a regular routine
83
Ageism
Prejudice based on age, negative stereotypes
84
Self-fulfilling prophecy of ageism
Belief in one's ability results in actions that make the beliefs come true
Believing a stereotype, making it come true
85
Stereotype threat of ageism
Stereotypes impair performance because individuals worry that they will confirm stereotypes
86
Consequences of attributing health problems to age
Higher death rate, partake in less preventative measures
87
Living arrangements in late adulthood
Number living alone has declined
Women more likely to live with family
Men more likely to live alone
88
Physical elder abuse
Physical abuse resulting in injury, pain, impairment
89
Sexual elder abuse
Nonconsensual sexual contact
90
Psychological and emotional elder abuse
Most common
Infliction of distress through verbal or nonverbal acts
Can be internalized
91
Financial abuse and exploitation of elders
2nd most common
| Improper use of an elder's finances, property, assets
92
Neglect and abandonment of elders
Intentional or unintentional refusal or failure to fulfill caregiving duties
93
Greatest risk factor for elder abuse
Cognitive impairment
94
Substance abuse in late adulthood
Have become a serious health concern, especially prescription drugs
Interactions of medications and alcohol
95
Risk factors of substance abuse in late adulthood
Social isolation, leads to depression
| Medical conditions
96
Why is diagnosing older adults with substance use disorder difficult?
Older adults are not looking for a high, usually become dependent by accident
Misdiagnosis of cognitive impairment
Stigma and shame about use so they don't seek help
97
Generativity in late adulthood
Many older adults spend time volunteering
| Active as grandparents/great-grandparents
98
Benefits of volunteering in late adulthood
Helps with generativity
| Tend to be healthier and greater overall well-being
99
Social networks in late adulthood
Less close relationships decrease
| Close relationships stay stable
100
Convoy model of social relations
Social connections that individuals accumulate differ in levels of closeness and are held together by exchanges of social support
Coworkers, acquaintances are in the periphery and less stable
101
Socioemotional selective theory
Changes in motivation for actively seeking social contact with others
Focus more on emotional aspects of relationships
Restrict social life to prioritize emotionally close relationships
102
Loneliness
Discrepancy between the social contact an individual has and the contacts an individual wants
Being alone does not always result in loneliness
103
Consequences of loneliness for older adults
Increase in dementia, stroke, heart disease
Increased stress, anxiety
Less healthy behaviours
104
Widowhood
Loneliness is the biggest challenge, support from children is important
Health risks
105
Widowhood mortality effect
Higher risk of death after death of a spouse
