Lecture 1 Flashcards
(20 cards)
Gerontology
Natural decline in bodily function and cog decline but stability and growth
Geriatrics
Severe cog decline, irreversible caused by organic brain damage
Worst stereotypes senile
No valid meaning
Cavanaugh (1998) mem lapses occur throughout life
7.1% 65+ have dementia so over 90% still stereotyped
Why ageing stereotypes so pervasive
Encounter when young so internalised by time old (levy 2008)
Perpetuated by anti ageing media
Few examples in availability schema as low contact with healthy older people
Chronological age
Poor indicator of capabilities as varying ways of normal changes
Ageing continuum
Patho healthy
Move back and forth along
Goal of research to help move towards healthy
Dychtwald 2006
2/3 of 65+ in history still alive today
Ageing research
Ageing lagged behind child development
Freud etc believed development stop after childhood
Number of ageing development theory - Eriksons stage - little evidence to support
Eriksons stages
Last stage
Older age (65+) integrity vs despair
-ego integrity - content, satisfaction with life despite imperfections, wisdom, acceptance of age and death
- positive resolution- life has meaning, consistency, coherence and purpose
- if not resolved despair and disappointment with life dwell on missed opportunities
Anti ageing products
Products and surgeries go against acceptance should promote healthy ageing
Uk by 2025
65+ will be more than under 25s for 1st time ever
World wide older pop increase by 800,000 per month
Why important to study ageing
If increase older need to ensure quality of life
Need to tackle stereotypes and their effect need to help with how to age healthier and take into account huge wants and needs
Huge political power
Longevity
Life expectancy - av when 1/2 born in certain year died - active vs dependent
Life span - max longevity upper limit
Life expectancy in Scot
North rather than central live longer
Edinburgh m= 77 f=81.9
Glasgow m=69 f=76
Country and ageing
Mere context with nature beneficial
Associated with decreased mental fatigue, restoration of attentional resources (kaplen and kaplen 1989) and increase life satisfaction (ulrich 1991)
Help other psychological processes such as reflection (korpela and hartig 1996)
Factors influencing life expectancy 1)
1) genetic factors
Live longer if mum did (hayflick 1998)
Infl how deal with disease
If mum lives to 80, 4 Year’s added to average longevity (woodruff-Pak 1988)
Bergeman (1997) link between genetic and disease
Factors influence life expectancy 2)
2) environmental
Lifestyle (smoking, exercise diet alcohol)
Toxins (in fish, pollutants, bacteria, chemicals in water)
Social class increase access to goods and services
Factors influencing life expectancy 3)
3) ethnicity
Av life expectancy differs between ethnicity’s
Black lower than Europeans (6.5 years for m , 5 years for f)
Ethnic minority’s increase risk for hazards eg murder and decreased access to services
But those who live longer live longer than Europeans
Until equal access can’t tell differences solely on race
Factors influencing life expectancy 4)
4) gender
F outlive m in all western countries (10 years Russia, 4 in Greece)
M rate of dying for top 15 causes significantly increase for m
M susceptible to infectious disease (stress) down to no X chromosome? Lifestyle?
Need more research
Maximum life span
Jeanne calment (1875-1997) took up fencing T 85 still cycled at 100
Super centarian
