Ageism
prejudice or discrimination based on age
Primary aging
Gradual, inevitable process of bodily deterioration throughout the life span (you cant do anything about it its just gonna happen)
Secondary Aging
Aging processes that result from disease and bodily abuse and disuse and are often preventable (this in within a person control)
Young old
65-74 yrs who are active, vital, and vigorous
Old Old
75-84yrs
Oldest old
85 and Above -- more likely to be frail and infirm and to have difficulty managing activities of daily life (ADLs)
Functional age
Measure of a person's ability to function effectively in his or her physical and social environment in comparison with others of the same chronological age
Gerontology
Study of the aged and the process of aging
Geriatrics
Branch of medicine concerned with processes of aging and medical conditions associated with old age
Life expectancy
Age to which a person in a particular cohort is statistically likely to live (given his or her current age and health status), on the basis of the average longevity of a population
--likelihood of length of life based on age and health status
Longevity
Length of an individuals life (actual length)
Life span
the longest period that members of a species can live
Senescence
Period of the life span marked by declines in physical functioning usually associated with aging; begins at different ages for different people
Genetic-programming theories
Theories that explain biological aging as resulting from a genetically determined developmental time table
Evolutionary theory of aging
Aging is an evolved trait enabling members of a species to live only long enough to reproduce
(its a genetic-programming theory)
Variable-rate
theories that explain biological aging as a result of processes that vary from person to person and are influenced by both the internal and the external environment; sometimes called error theories
Metabolism
conversion of food and oxygen into energy
Wear-and-tear theory
cells and tissues have vital parts that wear out
(variable-rate theory)
Free radicals
Unstable , highly reactive atoms or molecules, formed during metabolism, which can cause internal bodily damage
Autoimmunity
Tendency of an aging body to mistake its own tissues for foreign invaders and to attack and destroy them
Cataracts
a result of free radicals
old ppl get them result of aging
:cloudy or opaque areas in the lens of the eye, which cause blurred vision
Age-related macular degeneration
condition in which the center of the retina gradually loses its ability to discern fine details; leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in older adults
Glaucoma
irreversible damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure in the eye
Insomnia
sleeplessness, can be a symptom of, or if untreated, a forerunner of depression
Activities of daily living (ADLs)
essential activities that support survival, such as eating, dressing, bathing, and getting around the house
Periodontitis
gum disease- often attributed to infrequent dental care--can have serious implications for nutrition and can cause tooth loss
Dementia
deterioration in cognitive and behavioral functioning due to physiological causes
Alzheimer's disease (AD)
Progressive,irreversible, degenerative brain disorder characterized by cognitive deterioration and loss of control of bodily functions, leading to death
Parkinson's disease
Progressive, irreversible degenerative neurological disorder, characterized by Tremor, stiffness, slowed movement and unstable posture
Multi-infarct dementia (MD)
series of small strokes
Neurofibrillary tangles
twisted masses of protein fibers found in brains of persons with Alzheimer disease
Amyloid Plaque
waxy chunks of insoluble tissue found in brains of persons with Alzheimer's disease
Cognitive reserve
hypothesized fund of energy that may enable a deteriorating brain to continue to function normally -ongoing cognitive activity helps build this
Classic aging pattern
Use Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(WAIS) to test older adults--- Classic aging pattern: is that scores on the performance subtests decline far more rapidly with age than scores on the verbal subtests
Sensory memory
initial, brief, temporary storage of sensory information
Working memory
short term storage of information being actively processed
Rehearsal
repetition in order to remember
tasks that only require rehearsal don't decline as much with age
Reorganization
basically what it says... if some one is given the word "elephant, Bandaid, and newspaper" and asked to reorganize them according to size...
that takes a lot more thinking and it calls for elaboration(see elaboration)
Elaboration
with the previous example in order to reorganize the objects a person must recall all of the information they have on the objects
Episodic memory
Long-term memory of specific experiences or events, linked to time and place
Semantic Memory
Long-term memory of general factual knowledge social customs and langauge
Procedural Memory
Long-term memory of motor skills, habits, and ways of doing things, which can be recalled without conscious effort; sometimes called implicit memory
Hippocampus
small centrally located structure deep in the temporal lobe, seems critical to the ability to store new information in episodic memory
Frontal lobes
are active in both encoding and retrieval of episodic memories--- dysfunctional frontal lobes may cause "false memories" remembering things that never occured
Prefrontal Cortex
Early decline in the prefrontal cortex may underline such common problems as inability to concentrate or pay attention and difficulty in performing a task with several steps
Metamemory
*
CANNOT FIND ANYWHERE
*
Understanding processes of memory
Trancendence
detachment from preoccupation with the self
....has to do with wisdom like wisdom leads to this transcendence... and bullshit like that...
How is today's older population changing?
-Bigger pop. of old people.
-Now we are trying to combat ageism by growing visibility of active, healthy older adults--- reports of aging achievers appear in the media
-Can't control primary ageing but we can control secondary ageing
How has life expectancy changed? What does research suggest about possibilities for extending the life span?
Life expectancy over time has continued to go up.
-Live longer in developed countries
-women live longer than men
-there's a year gap that fluctuates based on factors such
as child birth deaths and men smoking and such
Extending the life span:
-CALORIC RE
What theories have been advanced for causes of aging?
Genetic-programming theories
:Theories that explain biological aging as resulting from a genetically determined developmental time table
Variable-rate Theories
: theories that explain biological aging as a result of processes that vary from person to pers
What are the different types of Genetic Programming Theories?
-Evolutionary theory of aging**: Aging is an evolved trait enabling members of a species to live only long enough to reproduce
(its a genetic-programming theory)
-Immunological theory: a programmed decline in immune system functions leads to increase vuln
What are the different types of Variable-Rate Theories?
-Wear-and-tear theory*: Cells and tissues have vital parts that wear out
-Free-radical theory: accumulated damage from oxygen radicals causes cells and eventually organs to stop functioning
-Rate-of-living theory: the greater an organisms rate of metaboli
How are the changes in life expectancy influencing our society?
There's a humongous population of people about to enter "old age":
-not enough people working to support the social security of these old people so the younger people working may not get their social security
- our society is not prepared for this amount
What physical changes occur during old age? How do these changes vary among individuals?
Most body systems function well, heart more susceptible to disease. Reserve capacity declines.
Brain-loss of volume and weight, slowing of responses
Vision/hearing loss can be corrected
Irreversible damage may result from age-related macular degeneration
What factors influence health at that time?
Factors that influence health:
-smoking (BAD)
-heavy drinking (BAD)
-exercise (GOOD)
-having a good diet (GOOD)
Loss of teeth effects nutrition
What mental and behavioral disorders do some older people experience?
Most are in good mental health.
~Depression: a lot of old people are depressed; usually coupled with other diseases or health conditions
~Dementia: deterioration in cognitive and behavioral functioning due to physiological causes
~Alzheimer's disease (AD)
What health problems are common in late adulthood?
~Cataracts: cloudy or opaque areas in the lens of the eye, which cause blurred vision
~Age-related macular degeneration: condition in which the center of the retina gradually loses its ability to discern fine details; leading cause of irreversible visual
What gains and losses in cognitive abilities tend to occur in late adulthood? Are there ways to improve older people's cognitive performance?
Use Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale(WAIS) to test older adults--- Classic aging pattern: do better on verbal part than performance part.
~Cognitive functioning is variable. Some decrease and some improve. Engagement hypothesis tries to explain this
~bet
What are the types of memory in old people?
Memory:
Short term memory:
-Working memory: short term storage being actively processes -- Shrinks in capacity with age**
-Rehersal tasks: little decline
- reorganization and elaboration tasks: decline
Long term memory:
-Episodic Memory: memory of specifi
What has current research found regarding living longer and living better, particularly among the oldest old?
VIDEO:
-coffee
-moderate alcohol
-social interaction and activities
-not smoking
-maintain or gain weight as get older
-high blood pressure= decreased chance of dementia
-exercise
What educational opportunities can older adults pursue? In what ways are these pursuits beneficial?
I think this has to do with old people taking singing and art classes to keep their mind active. It makes them live longer.