Foundations 13, 31, 32

• Wisdom: having good judgement based on accumulated knowledge
• Elder Hostel programs provide opportunities for older adults to learn and and sometimes travel
• Schaies stage of cognitive development for older adults is called the reintegrative stage
• The speed of thinking for an older adult may slow down but their thinking process remains intact
• Discovering the interests of older people can provide clues of ways to stimulate and maintain their cognitive abilities
• Eriksons stage of development for older adults is called ego integrity vs despair

  ego integrity: state of being complete
• Older person happy about life: ego integrity

  older person unhappy about the ways life has turned out: despair
• Resolution to ego integrity can occur if you help the person find enough areas of satisfaction to outnumber the regret
• Life span: maximum years one is capable of living 115-130 years
• Longevity: length of life
• By 2040 the average life span in the U.S is predicted to be 79.8 years
• The optimistic happy person generally lives longer
• A major contributor to longer life Is that people are healthier throughout their lives now than they were 100 years ago
• Centenarians: people 100 years old or older
• 20% of the population live with multiple generations in the same home (grandparents, grandchildren)
• Gerontologists: specialists in the study of aging people
• Biologic theories: theories based on cellular function and body physiology
• Psychosocial theories: theories related to socialization and life satisfaction
• Biologic clock: body cells are programmed to function for a specific length of time and then break down and die
• Free-radical theory: cells are damaged by toxins and ions break off from ion pairs resulting in free radicals. (Use of vitamins and lotions is supposed to help counteract)
• Wear-and-tear theory: body cells and organs eventually wear out like machinery
• Immune system failure theory: system loses the ability to protect the body from disease
• Autoimmune theory: the body no longer recognizes itself and begins to attack itself as in some types of arthritis
• Disengagement theory: older people and society withdraw from each other
• Activity theory: people who remain active will continue to enjoy life and live longer
• Continuity theory: individuals continue to live and develop in unique ways and their personality does not change.
• Demographic: statistics about populations
• People are becoming healthier, better educated, and actively involved in their own healthcare therefore living longer
• Young old: 65-74

  middle old: 75-84

  very old: 85 and beyond
• Box 13.1 typical changes of aging

  • cardiovascular- stroke, hypertension, MI
  • respiratory- Rexpiratory failure, shortness of breath
  • musculoskeletal- osteoporosis
  • integumentary- pressure injuries
  • urologic- urinary incontinence
  • neurologic- fall risk, decreased sensory perceptions
  • endocrine- diabetic response, hyperthyroidism
  • gastrointestinal- constipation, malnutrition, anemia
  • reproductive- menopause, infertility, decreased libido
• Short term memory loss: recent events

  long term memory: remembering their younger life
• Sometimes underlying conditions can be treated and memory problems will resolve
• Making lists or notes on a calendar is an example of a memory aid
• Most people over 75 have at least one chronic health problem
• behaviors To delay physical aging:

  • healthy diet
  • physical activity
  • regular physical exams
  • quitting smoking
  • limited alcohol use
• Pain is subjective
• Types of pain:

  • acute
  • chronic
  • nociceptive
  • neuropathic
  • phantom
• Observable indications of pain:

  • Moaning
  • crying
  • irritability
  • inability to sleep
  • grimacing
  • frowning
• Pain is the “5th” vital sign
• Two states of sleep:

  1. NREM
  2. REM