Ageism
When you categorize people solely on their chronological age. This prevents people from being seen as individuals.
Ageism is declining due to
advances in gerontology and data of demography
Gerontology
is the study of old age
Fastest growing age group
people over 100
American Demographics
used to be a triangle divided in thirds and now is a square divided into thirds (the shape of the pyramid varies worldwide0
Dependency Ratio
two independent(self-supporting) adults to one independent person(child or elderly)
Gerontologists distinguish between
young-old, old-old, and oldest-old and are all based on age, health, and well being
Young-Old
60-75yrs and 80% of US population is in this category
Old-Old
75-85yrs and 20% of US population is in this category
Oldest-Old
85+yrs and 10% of US population is in this category
Increases with age
Vitamin and mineral needs
Decreases with age
Calorie intake
Primary aging
Irreversible changes also called universal changes
Secondary aging
changes cause by certain illnesses or condition. Consequences of particular chronic disease
Skin
becomes drier, thinner, less elastic, more wrinkled, and age spots appear
Hair
becomes thinner and grayer
Men
experience male pattern baldness
Lose height
because the vertebrae settles
Body shape changes
because fat is redistributed
Body weight
may weigh less because muscle mass is reduced
Both sexes have less
muscle strength in their legs
Vitality in old age
can be predicted by how well a person is able to move the lower body
After age 60
Falls are the leading cause of death
Social isolation
is the most troubling aspect for the healthy elderly
Cataracts
thickening of the lens which causes cloudy vision
Glaucoma
hardening of the eyeball due to fluid buildup within the eye. Cannot be reversed or stopped by can be slowed down
Senile Macular Degeneration is
deterioration of the retina. It is the leading cause of legal blindness of the elderly
In 65 to 80 year olds
5% have eye diseases
In those over 80
40% have eye diseases
Presbycusis
Age related hearing loss. 40% of those 65+ have this
Tinnitus
buzzing or ringing in the ears. People who have this may also develop depression and demoralization
Sensory impairments are dealt with by
technology, specialist care and or personal determination
During late Adulthood
all major body systems become slower and less efficient therefore it is more common to experience heart disease, strokes, pulmonary disease, and cancer. ( it takes longer to recover and death is more likely)
Common among elderly
Insomnia
Compression of Morbidity
limiting the time a person spends being ill and want to postpone onset of illnesses and therefore increase quality of life
Wear and tear theory
body parts wear out with use and exposure to disease. This theory is of limited value because some body parts wear out and some improve.
Factors that influence wear and tear
disease, drugs, poor diet, environmental hazards, and stressors
Maximum Life span theory
life span is genetically programmed into species. For human it is 120 years max
Average life expectancy
the number of years the average newborn is expected to live
Factors which effect this
historical, cultural, and socio economic factors
Average life expectancy:
Ancient times 20 years. During the 1990's 50 years
In today's world
75yrs men and 80yrs women
Selective Adaptation
States that young children who die, older people who die, but yet middle people are healthiest, because they have to bare children and keep them alive. (child bearing group) Once this is accomplished age related illnesses kick in, like, diabetes, heart di
We all
age and die in order to make room for the younger ones
Cellular theories of aging
this states that aging results from cellular accidents which happen during cell reproduction which can add up to cause the body to decline.
Free radical theory
scramble DNA molecules, to nullify the effects of this take antioxidants and vitamins such as A, C, and E and mineral selenium
Genetic Clock
This idea believes that genes predetermine the moment of death therefore genes automatically stop the growth process at a pre-set time, and begin the aging process
Progeria
Extremely fast aging. Only 1 in 8 million have it. It starts as a normal infancy and by age 5 they stop growing and look like an old person. They develop premature aging and die by their teen years
Immune system
helps defend the body from outside attacks and inside attacks
B-Cells
create antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses and are manufactured in bone-marrow
T-Cells
are manufactured in the thymus gland and they attack infected cells. With age T and B cells decline in power and production, as do the systems that keep them going
Women tend
to be stronger and have a more efficient immune systems
Characteristics of long lived people (Centenarians)
Moderate diet, mostly fresh fruit, and little meat. Strong ties to family and environment, daily exercise and relaxation, they lived in a rural mountainous environment which had less population and greater heart and lung health.