later life development

• Why is 65 the agreed upon "old age"

  Germany was first country to set up old aged pensions in the 1880's and common age of death 65-70
• Why do we have an aging population

  -Medical breakthroughs

  -Improvements in public health

  -Better nutrition

  -Better understanding of diseases

  -Preventative mechanisms

  -Protective factors with respect to illness

  -Less children being born
• What is gerontology


  The science of aging
• What is filial piety

  Duty and responsibility to older generation in Asian culture
• What is a super centenarian

  110+
• Limit of human life span

  120
• Categorizing ages


  65-75: Young old

  75-85: Old old

  85 + Oldest old
• Life expectancy


  Globally: Males 66, Females 71

  Australia: Males 81, Females 85

  USA: Males 77, Females 82
• Africa life expectancy difference compared to global:

  30 years less due to HIV
• Why do you have an enhanced life span >60

  -Children in developing world die <5

  -Congenital conditions, shorten lifespan.

  -High-risk occupations
• What age is the fastest growing age group

  75*
• Is aging a linear phenomenon ?

  No
• In Canadian Aboriginals what age is the fastest growing segment of the population

  >55
• In 2014, American Indian and Alaskan's made up 0.5% of the older population

  in the USA., how much projected by 2060


  Almost 1%.
• Indigenous global aging population statistics (including Aboriginal aussies)

  -6% of global population

  -5000 Groups over 70 countries

  0.7% Aboriginal Aussies 65+
• Statistics of 65+ Caucasian and Aboriginals

  4% Aboriginal and Torres strait 65+

  12% Caucasian 65+
• Sociodemographics


  Aussie VS USA

  
  

  57% married (55)

  26% widowed (28)

  12% separated (13)

  5% never married (4)
• Percentage of >60 living in community in developed countries

  92-95%

  (5-8% nursing home)
• What is a good predictor of voting patterns, religion and social interaction when older

  What you were like when younger.
• Cohen's stages of aging and the associated ages

  -Midlife evaluation phase: 40-60

  -Liberation phase: 60-70

  -Summing up phase: 70-80

  -Encore phase: 80-100
• Midlife evaluation phase


  Career change due to mastery
• Liberation phase


  Retirement
• Summing up phase and Encore phase


  Give back, produce, create, meaning, contribution, legacy
• Changes in brain development supporting Cohen's theory of aging stages

  Corpus collosum more interconnected
• Percentage of elderly with contact from family and friends

  -94% weekly

  -5% Infrequent

  -1% None
• What factors shape romantic relationships in later life

  -Maintaining independence

  -Economic factors

  -Family and friends

  -Health care concerns
• Benefits of adequate social support in older age

  -50% more likely to survive

  
  

  -Comparable to quitting smoking

  -Greater benefit than cease obesity and increased exercise
• Socio-economical selectivity


  -Active pruning of social networks

  -Energy and time put into meaningful relationships

  -Due to being time limited

  -Strategic
• Define personality traits


  Relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviours
• Does your personality change over time

  Yes personality traits change throughout life
• Best indicator of personality later in life is what


  Personality earlier in life
• Big five high and low scores for elderly

  -High scores: Agreeableness, Conscientiousness

  
  

  -Low: Extraversion, Neuroticism, Openness
• Which personality trait is associated with better mental health

  Agreeableness
• What age is extraversion commonly present

  Amongst centenarians
• Life satisfaction statistics


  77% all people

  83% 65-75

  73% 45-64
• 3 success factors for successful aging (Rowe and Kahn)

  -Avoid disease and disability

  -Cognitive and physical function

  -Social engagement with life
• Selection optimisation and compensation theory involves active choices to facilitate aging successfully, define:

  -Selection: Identifying, prioritising and achieving goals

  
  

  -Optimisation: Maximising performance to facilitate success

  
  

  -Compensation: Adapting to interference with goals
• Aging is best viewed from what perspective

  Life span perspective