Social Responses to Aging  Research in major aspects of aging: – Behavior change that prevents damage and maintains health – Psychological health of oldest old – Maximizing and maintaining productivity – Assessing mental health and treating mental disorders LATE ADULTHOOD: Emotional and social development

Old age last stage before death; no one wants to talk about mortality Old age is undefined: Few rites of passage; not all are married, grandparents or retired Many types of elders: “typical” older adult difficult to define False Stereotypes

Positive Attitudes Factors for creating positive affect/attitude – Social relationships – Reading and following news – Extroverted personality – Death of a close friend – Definite beliefs and disbeliefs – Living with other persons Negative Attitudes Factors for creating a negative affect/attitude: – Neuroticism – Own major illness – Money problems – Living alone

Self-Concept & Personality Development Psychosocial Theories: Erikson’s Integrity versus Despair – Individuals recognize that they are reaching the end of life. If they can take satisfaction in having led a successful life they will experience integrity – Relative to the general population, elderly report high life satisfaction than younger adults

Peck’s Psychosocial Tasks of Later Adulthood – Ego Differentiation Vs. Work-Role Preoccupation – Body Transcendence Vs. Body Preoccupation – Ego Transcendence Vs. Ego Preoccupation (depressed, preoccupied with death) Vaillant’s Theory of Emotional Health – Emotional health, a sense of resilience – Pragmatism and dependability – Being close to one’s siblings

A Trait Theory of Aging Major personality patterns or traits:(Neugarten, Havighurst, Tobin) – Integrated – Armor-defended – Passive-dependent – Disintegrated Other Models of Aging Theories of psychological/sociological aging – Disengagement Theory of Aging – Activity Theory of Aging – Role Exit Theory of Aging: loss of core roles (spouse + occupation) – Social Exchange Theory of Aging – Modernization Theory

Selective Optimization with Compensation Life-span model endorsed by Paul and Margret Baltes. Older people cope with aging through a strategy that involves focusing on the skills most needed, practicing those skills, and developing ways to compensate for other skills

The Third Age Includes emotional intelligence and wisdom: –“Expert knowledge about life in general and good judgment and advice about how to conduct oneself in the face of complex, uncertain circumstances.” The Fourth Age Elderly will face increasingly difficult obstacles and become more vulnerable

A Life-Span Model of Developmental Regulation Schulz and Heckhausen Control is the central theme for characterizing human development Primary control: the external world Secondary control: the self Elderly able to engage and impact their environment for the longest time: the most successful

Impact The Impact of Personal Control and Choice A Sense of Purpose “Some of the negative consequences of aging may be retarded, reversed, or possibly prevented by returning to the aged the right to make decisions and a feeling of competence.” (Langer and Rodin) Faith and Adjustment to Aging “Widows and widowers with an authentic sense of personal relationship with God cope better with the loss of their spouses than do their nonreligious peers or religious individuals who do not experience an active awareness of the presence of God in their lives.” (Rosick)

Familial Roles: Continuity and Discontinuity Love and Marriage Companionship, respect and the sharing of common interests improve during later adulthood Previous problems resolved Problems with retirement issues: Degree of income or savings $ = largest influence on satisfaction Marriage protects people from premature death

Widows and Widowers More widows than widowers Elderly women higher risk to live in poverty Most not able to afford adequate health care More likely to experience neglect and elder abuse Remarriage and Singles Remarriage and the Elderly Half-million people over 65 remarry each year in the U.S. Singles have more emotional and physical pathology than marrieds Elderly singles without spouse or children: poor social network

Lesbian and Gay Elderly Older gays and lesbians have reconstituted families in the form of friendship and support networks Connections with Children Reciprocal intergenerational assistance 80% of elder care provided by family Elder value independence and privacy – “Intimate distance”: living near but not with children Families Grandparenting and Great- Grandparenting –Grandparents and grandchildren benefit from each other’s company (mutual rewards) Siblings –Closeness grows with age

Social and Cultural Support Friendships In terms of companionship, friends are more important and satisfying to older people than their offspring Loneliness: feeling excluded – Vs. Solitude: sense of solace & choice Retirement/Employment Only 16% of males over 65 are employed today. The right to work is viewed as an American basic right Choice to ease to part-time employment rather than full retirement should be an option Better health and higher socioeconomic status: better adjustment to retirement

Living Arrangements Living Alone at Home and Assisted Living Services Encourage independent living until health and cognitive problems make it impossible to remain at home safely Living with Children and Adult Day Care Long-term care support to adults who live in the community, providing health and social services in a safe setting during any part of the day

Institutional Care 1.6 million elderly people in 22,000 nursing homes Characteristics of institutionalized aged: – Depression – Feelings of helplessness – Accelerated decline Retirement Communities Adult Group Homes

Elder Abuse Elder abuse and neglect are both acts of commission and omission that cause unnecessary suffering to older persons Elder Abuse in the Long-Term Care Community – Patients and families can now file criminal charges against caregivers and facilities Elder Abuse Legal Definition of Abuse: – Abuse: intentionally inflicting, or allowing someone else to inflict, bodily injury or pain – Psychological abuse: verbal harassment, intimidation, denigration and isolation – Neglect: Failure to provide goods, services or care necessary to maintain health – Exploitation: Taking advantage of an older adult for monetary gain

Caregiver Burnout Strategies: –Join support group –Continue activities you enjoy –Seek professional help –Get more information about burnout –Investigate adult day care options in community