continuity theory
people tend to cope with daily life in later adulthood by applying familiar strategies based on past experience to maintain and preserve both internal and external structures
internal continuity
-refers to a remembered INNER past like temperament, experiences, emotions, and skills
-enables you to see that how you are now is connected with your past
external continuity
-refers to remembered physical and social environments, role relationships, and activities
-people feel external continuity from being in a familiar environment or with familiar people for a long time
continuity facts
-there is considerable evidence that people in late life typically continue to engage in similar activities as they did earlier in adulthood
-within broad continuity of activities, people also strike out in new directions because of emerging personal inte
competence
the upper limit of a person's ability to function in five domains
-physical health
-sensory-perceptual skills
-motor skills
-cognitive skills
-ego strength
environmental press
the physical, interpersonal, or social demands that environments put on people
-physical: having to walk up 3 flights of stairs to one's apartment
-interpersonal: adjusting one's behavior patterns toward different types of people
-social: dealing with law
adaptation level
when press level is AVERAGE for a particular level of competence
zone of maximum performance potential
when press level is SLIGHTLY HIGHER, tending to improve performance
zone of maximum comfort
when press level is SLIGHTLY LOWER, people are able to live happily without worrying about environmental demands
proactivity
when people choose new behaviors to meet new desires or needs and exert control over their lives
docility
when people allow the situation to dictate their options, having little control over their lives
integrity vs. despair (Erikson)
the process by which people try to make sense of their lives
life review
the process by which people reflect on the events and experiences of their lifetimes
subjective well-being
an evaluation of one's life that is associated with positive feelings; assessed by measures of life satisfaction, happiness, and self-esteem
gender differences (well-being and social cognition)
differences increase with age, most likely due to older women are particularly disadvantaged compared to older men due to chronic illness and the effects on the ability to care for oneself, everyday competence, quality of social network, socioeconomic sta
spirituality in later life
older adults in many countries use their religious faith and spirituality more often than family or friends
spiritual support
type of coping strategy that includes seeking pastoral care, participation in organized and nonorganized religious activities, and expressing faith in a God who cares for people
spirituality and health
-older adults who are more involved with and committed to their faith have better physical and mental health than older adults who are not religious
-spirituality also helps improve psychological wellbeing and in patients following cardiac surgery
cultural differences in spirituality
-African Americans tend to identify with their race and religion much more strongly than European Americans
-African Americans show a stronger attachment to God, rely on religion in times of stress and are more intensely involved in religious activities
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living in retirement
-retirement means different things in people in different ethnic groups
-can be difficult to define since it involves the loss of occupational identity
bridge jobs
-the job one holds between one's exit from the career job and final retirement
- ___ have been shown to be strongly related to retirement satisfaction and to overall life satisfaction
why do people retire?
-by choice
-when they feel financially secure
-force to retire because of health problems or loss of a job
gender differences in retirement
-most research follows men
-women may enter the workforce after they have stayed home and raised children and in general have more discontinuous histories
retirement
-20%+ of people 65 or older are still in the workforce
-retirement is best viewed as a transition involving sudden ("crisp") or gradual ("blurred") withdrawal from full-time employment
-only (less than or equal to) 50% of men fit the crisp pattern and man
adjusting to retirement
-people report feeling very good about being retired if they have financial security, health, a supportive network of relatives and friends, and an internally driven sense of motivation
-many retired people do volunteer work or join senior center or clubs
retirement statistics
-couples most likely to report being satisfied with retirement, individually and jointly, are retired husbands and wives who reported that their husbands did not influence their retirement decision
-well being typically increases for men during the first
social convoy
suggests how a group of people journey with us throughout our lives, providing support in good and bad times
friends and family in late life
-family and friends are essential aspects of all adults' lives
-social support is especially important in the African American community
late-life friendships
-older adults have the same need for friends as do people in younger generations
-patterns of friendship among older adults mirror those in young adulthood
-older women have more numerous and more intimate friendships than older men
socioemotional selectivity
social contact is motivated by many goals, including information seeking, self concept, and emotional regulation
intimate sibling relationships
high levels of closeness, involvement, and contact. low levels of envy and resentment
congenial sibling relationships
high levels of closeness and involvement, average levels of contact, and low levels of envy and resentment
loyal sibling relationships
average levels of closeness, involvement, and contact, and low levels of envy and resentment
apathetic sibling relationship
low levels on all dimensions
hostile sibling relationship
high levels of involvement and resentment and low levels on other dimensions
marriage
-many older couples exhibit selective memory regarding the occurrence of negative events and perceptions of their partners
-reduced potential for marital conflict and greater potential for pleasure
-more likely to be similar in terms of mental and physica
benefits of being married in late-life
-marriage helps people deal better with chronic illness, functional problems, and disabilities
-division of household chores becomes more equal after the husband retires
-long-term gay and lesbian partnerships do not differ in quality from long-term heter
caring for a partner
-can be both extremely stressful and highly rewarding
-spousal caregivers report a loss of companionship and intimacy over the course of caregiving but also more rewards than adult child caregivers
-marital satisfaction affects the caregivers' reports of
widowhood
-for most people, the death of a partner follows a period of caregiving
-one of the most traumatic events they will ever experience
-more than half of all women over age 65 are widows
-only 15% of men are widowers
-widows tend to receive more help than wi
great-grandparenthood
-with many people living to very old age, especially women, more people are experiencing great-grandparenthood
-age at first marriage and age at parenthood at a young age increase the likelihood of becoming a great grandparent
-less involved with children
3 aspects of great-grandparenthood
1) provides a sense of personal and family renewal: renews their own excitement for life and reaffirming the continuance of their lineage
2) great-grandchildren provide new diversions in great-grandparents lives: new people for GGP to share their experien
frail older adults
older adults who have physical disabilities, are very ill, and may have cognitive or psychological disorders
activities of daily living (ADLs)
basic self-care task, ex: eating, bathing, walking, dressing
instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)
actions that require some intellectual competence and planning
ethnic groups need for assistance
25% African Americans
21% Latin Americans
19% Asian Americans
15% European Americans
assisted living facilities
supportive living arrangement for people who need assistance with ADLs or IADLs but who are not so impaired physically or cognitively that they need 24-hour care
intermediate care
consists of 24-hour care but not at an intense level
skilled nursing care
consists of 24-hour care that requires constant monitoring
who lives in nursing homes?
-over age 85
-female
-European Americans
-recently admitted to a hospital
-lives in retirement housing rather than being homeowner
-unmarried or lives alone
-has no children or siblings nearby
-has cognitive impairments
-has problems with IADLs
characteristics of a good nursing home
applying the competence-environmental press model: find the optimal level of environmental support for people who have low levels of competence
quality of life for residents
whether residents are well groomed, the food is tasty, and rooms contain comfortable furniture
quality of care
whether staff responds quickly to calls and whether staff and family are involved in care decisions
safety
whether there is enough staff and whether hallways are free of clutter
person-centered planning
approach based on promoting residents' well-being through increasing their perceived level of personal control and treating them with respect
major decreases in the need for certain medications
patronizing speech
slower speech, exaggerated intonation, higher pitch, increased volume, repetitions, closed-ended questions, and simplified vocabulary and grammar
infantilization
involves the use of a person's first name when it is not appropriated, terms of endearment, simplified expressions, short imperatives, assumptions that the resident has no memory, and manipulation to get compliance
how to make nursing home visits more pleasant
-concentrate on the older adult's expertise and wisdom: ask for advice on a life problem that he or she knows a lot about, such as dealing with friends
-allow the older person to exert control over the visit: where to go
-listen attentively, be sympatheti
types of elder abuse and neglect
-physical abuse
-sexual abuse
-emotional or psychological abuse
-neglect
-self-neglect
-abandonment
-financial or material exploitation
self-neglect
behaviors of an older person that threatens his or her own health or safety
abandonment
desertion of an older adult by an individual who had physical custody/assumed responsibility of the older adult
financial or material exploitation
illegal or improper use of an older adult's funds property, or assets
elder abuse and neglect statistics
-between 1 and 2 million people over age 65 experience abuse
-only 1 in every 6 cases come to the attention of authorities
-people over age 80 are abused two to three times more often than people under age 80
-family members are the abusers in 2/3 of case
causes of elder abuse and neglect
-can occur when caregivers who are under great stress take out their frustrations on the person requiring care
-intrapersonal problems of the caregiver (substance abuse or mental disorder)
-interpersonal problems of the caregiver (family or marital confli
financial security
the economic well-being of the majority of older adults has never been better than it is currently
-Ex. in the 1950s, 35% of older adults were below the federal poverty line compared to only about 9.4% in 2006
-older adults are the most politically active
social security
represents the primary source of financial support after retirement for most U.S. citizens
medicare
is the principal health insurance program for adults in the U.S. over age 65