Development Through the Lifespan Chapter 17 Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Functional Age Young-Old Old-Old Appear physically young for their actual age Old-Old Appear physically frail and show signs of decline

Active Lifespan Around the World

Life Expectancy Crossover

Aging and the Nervous System Loss of brain weight accelerates after 60 Neurons lost in visual, auditory and motor areas, cerebellum (balance) Autonomic nervous system less efficient Brain can compensate New fibers New connections Use more parts of brain

Visual Impairments and Aging Lower visual acuity Poor dim light vision Cataracts Macular degeneration

Hearing Impairments and Aging

Aging Systems of the Body Cardiovascular Heartbeat less forceful; slower heart rate, blood flow Vital lung capacity cut by half Immune Effectiveness declines More autoimmune disorders Sleep More difficulties Sleep apnea, insomnia

Physical Appearance and Mobility Skin thinner, rougher wrinkled, spotted Ears, nose, teeth and hair change Lose height and weight after 60 Muscle strength declines 10–20% by 60–70 30–50% by 70–80 Bone strength drops Less flexibility

Factors in Good Health and Aging Optimism SES Ethnicity Sex Nutrition Exercise

Sexuality in Late Adulthood Most have sex Married couples: regular, enjoyable sex Singles: 70% men, 50% of women have sex Continue patterns from earlier years “Good sex in the past, good sex in the future” Enjoy activities other than intercourse Men sometimes stop all activities if erection problems

Primary and Secondary Aging Genetically influenced declines Affect all members of species Even happen if health is good Secondary Declines due to heredity and environment Effects individualized Illnesses and disabilities Arthritis Diabetes Mental disabilities

Leading Causes of Death in Late Adulthood

Mental Disabilities in Late Adulthood Dementia - thought and behavior impairments that disrupt everyday life Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s disease Cerebrovascular dementia Strokes Misdiagnosis and reversible dementia Depression Medication side effects

Long-Term Care in Late Adulthood More with advanced age Severe disorders Loss of support network Varies by SES, ethnic group Alternatives Home care by family Home care professionals Assisted living

Selective Optimization with Compensation Choose personally valued activities, avoid others Optimize Devote diminishing resources to valued activities Compensate Find creative ways to overcome limitations

Associative Memory Declines in Late Adulthood Difficulty creating or retrieving links between pieces of information Using memory cues, enhancing meaningfulness of information help

Remote and Prospective Memory Remote Memory Very long-term recall Autobiographical memory Prospective Memory Remembering to engage in planned actions Use reminders, repetition to help

Language Processing in Late Adulthood Comprehension changes very little Problems retrieving specific words Use more pronouns Pauses in speech Problems planning what to say Hesitations, false starts, repetition, sentence fragments, disorganized statements

Wisdom Depth and breadth of practical knowledge Reflect on knowledge Apply knowledge to improve life Listening and evaluating Advice

Factors Related to Cognitive Change Previous cognitive activity Health Retirement Distance to death Terminal decline Cognitive interventions Memory, problem-solving training

Lifelong Learning Educational participation increasing Many benefits Elderhostel College courses Many benefits New facts, ideas New friends Broader world perspective Improved self-image