Late Adulthood

• Primary Aging

  • aging is an unavoidable consequence of getting older
  • gradual, inevitable process of bodily deterioration
  • it is governed by biology
• Secondary Aging

  • results from disease, abuse, and disuse
  • factors WITHIN a persons control
  • result of nurture, the environmental insults that accrue over the course of a lifetime
• Three groups of older adults

  • young old are people ages 65 to 74, who are usually active, vital, and vigorous
  • old old are people ages 75 to 84
  • oldest old people that age 85 and above, frail and infirm, have difficulty managing activities of daily living (ADLs)
• activities of daily living (ADLs)

  • activities that SUPPORT SURVIVAL such as eating, dressing, bathing, and getting around the house
• 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
• Ageism refers to Prejudice or discrimination against a person (most commonly an older person) based on age.
• 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

  • biological aging results from a genetically determined developmental timetable
  • appears to be stronger over time, especially after the age of 60
  • says that aging in typical people involves many gene variants
• Hayflick limit proposed that human cells will divide in the laboratory no more than 50 times
• Epigenesis (under GPT)

  • Aging also may be influenced by specific genes “switching off,”
  • do not involve changes in the underlying genetic code; rather, they involve changes in how genes are expressed
• Shortening of Telomeres (under GPT)

  • result in accelerated aging and risk of early death
  • Once cells can no longer replicate as they run out of telomeres, the body loses its ability to repair damaged tissue and thus begins to age.
• Variable-Rate Theories (aka Error Theories)

  • aging is the result of random processes that vary from person to person
  • involve damage due to chance errors in, or environmental assaults on, biological systems
• Rate-of-living Theory (under VRT)

  • postulates that there is a balance between metabolism, or energy use, and life span
  • faster a body’s metabolism, the shorter its lifespan, and vice versa
• Reserve Capacity is the backup capacity that helps body systems function to their utmost limits in times of stress. Reserve levels tend to drop with age
• Cataracts is a cloudy or opaque areas in the lens of the eye, are common in older adults and eventually cause blurred vision
• Age-related Macular Degeneration is a Condition in which the center of the retina (macula) gradually loses its ability to discern fine details; leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in older adults
• Glaucoma is a irreversible damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure in the eye

  • leading cause of blindness WORLDWIDE
• Visual declines in late adulthood

  • cataract
  • age-related macular degeneration
  • glaucoma
• Falls is the most common cause of fractures in late adulthood
• Functional fitness training refers to exercises or activities that improve daily activity. It is most relevant to ELDERLY ADULTS, who may have increasing difficulty in performing the activities of daily living necessary for independence
• Warning signs of Stroke: remember FAST

  • Face Drooping (Does one side of the face droop or is it numb?)
  • Arm Weakness (Is one arm weak or numb?)
  • Speech Difficulty (Is speech slurred?)
  • Time to call 911 (If someone shows any of these symptoms)
• Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation of the gums caused by the bacteria in plaque. It can result in tender or bleeding gums and eventual tooth loss
• Parkinson’s disease, the second most common disorder in late adulthood involving progressive neurological degeneration, is characterized by tremor, stiffness, slowed movement, and unstable posture
• multi-infarct dementia (MD) is caused by a series of small strokes and account for at least 8 out of 10 cases of dementia, all irreversible
• Dementia is not inevitable, a variety of factors protect people from developing dementia:

  • Personality Traits: conscientiousness and neuroticism
  • Cognitive characteristics and education
  • Challenging jobs and bilingualism even among illiterates
• Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common and most feared terminal illnesses among aging persons. It gradually robs patients of intelligence, awareness, and even the ability to control their bodily functions—and finally kills them
• Accumulation of an abnormal protein called beta amyloid peptide appears to be the main culprit contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease
• The brain of a person with AD contains excessive amounts of neurofibrillary tangles (twisted masses of dead neurons) and large waxy clumps of amyloid plaque (non functioning tissue formed by beta amyloid in the spaces between neurons)
• Gene variant involved in AD that has been found to stimulate the formation of amyloid plaques

  SORL1
• Gene variant involved in AD which puts women in greater risk

  APOE
• Gene variants involved in Alzheimer's disease

  • APOE
  • Cathepsin D
  • SORL1
• Cognitive Reserve Hypothesized fund of energy that may enable a deteriorating brain to continue to function normally