1. Physical and Cognitive Development in Late Adulthood
Chapter 17

2. Functional Age
Actual competence and performance may not match chronological age because some 80 year old appear younger than 65 year olds and vice versa
No single biological measure can predict rate of aging

3. Life Expectancy Life expectancy is increasing in U.S. because of
steady decline in infant mortality
decrease in adult death rates
Life expectancy varies with SES, ethnicity and nationality. As education and income increases so does the length of life
Women have 2 to 7 more years in life than men
In the USA, a white child is likely to live 3 to 6 years more than an African American child
In developing countries with widespread poverty, malnutrition, and disease, the life expectancy is around 55 years compared with the industrialized world.

4. Variations in Healthy Life Expectancy
Japan ranks first:
low rates of obesity, heart disease
favorable health-care policies
U.S. lags behind:
lifestyle factors
health-care policies
In developing nations, reduced by
poverty, malnutrition, disease
armed conflict

5. Maximum Lifespan oldest verified age: 122 years
Species-specific biological limit:
oldest verified age: 122 years
Some scientists believe upper limit not yet reached:
question: Should maximum lifespan be increased?
goal is quality, not quantity, of life

6. Factors Contributing to Long Life
Heredity
Environment and lifestyle:
healthy diet, normal weight
exercise
low substance use
optimistic
toughminded, independent
social support
community involvement
learning

7. Quality of Life Activities of Daily Living (ADLs):
basic self-care tasks
bathing, dressing, eating
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs):
conducting business of daily life
require some cognitive competence
shopping, food preparation, housekeeping, paying bills

8. Aging and the Nervous System
Loss of brain weight accelerates in sixties
Neurons lost, especially in
prefrontal cortex (executive function)
corpus callosum
cerebellum (balance)
glial cells
Autonomic nervous system less efficient
How the brain compensates:
new fibers, neurons
new connections
use more parts of brain

9. Visual Impairments and Aging
Lower visual acuity
Poor dark adaptation, sensitivity to glare
Decreased color, depth perception
Cataracts
Macular degeneration

10. Aging Systems of the Body
Cardiovascular/respiratory systems:
heartbeat less forceful; slower heart rate, blood flow
less oxygen delivered to tissues
vital lung capacity reduced by half
Immune system:
effectiveness declines
more infectious, autoimmune diseases
stress-related susceptibility
Healthy diet, exercise help protect immune response

11. Sleep and Aging consistent bedtime, waking time regular exercise
Total sleep needs remain constant
Sleep timing changes: earlier bedtime, earlier wakening
Sleep difficulties:
insomnia
nighttime waking
Fostering restful sleep:
consistent bedtime, waking time
regular exercise
using bedroom only for sleep

12. Physical Appearance and Mobility
Skin thinner, wrinkled, spotted
Ears, nose, teeth, and hair change
Lose height and weight after age 60
Muscle strength declines
Bone strength drops
Flexibility decreases

13. Adapting to Physical Changes of Aging
Subjective age vs. physical age
Effective coping strategies:
prevention and compensation
sense of personal control
problem-centered coping
Assistive technology and “smart- home” design
Person–environment fit

14. Stereotypes of Aging Assumption that deterioration is inevitable:
leads to prejudice, discrimination
influenced by culture
Stereotype threat:
increases physiological response to stress
reduces functioning
Aging a source of pride in some cultures

15. Factors in Good Health and Aging
Self-efficacy
Optimism
SES
Ethnicity
Sex
Nutrition
Exercise

16. Nutrition in Late Adulthood
Need extra nutrients to
protect bones, immune system
prevent free radicals
Problems with eating:
appetite, taste changes
chewing, digestive changes
shopping, cooking
Diet high in nutrients fosters physical, cognitive health

17. Exercise in Late Adulthood
Even sedentary older adults show gains with endurance training
Benefits:
physical
cognitive
self-esteem
Importance of instilling sense of control

18. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Sex remains important:
decline in frequency; fewer male partners for women
healthy couples: continued regular, enjoyable sex
Continue patterns of earlier years
Factors reducing sexual activity:
tobacco, alcohol, prescription drugs may interfere
men with erection problems may stop all sexual interaction

19. Primary and Secondary Aging
Primary Aging (Biological Aging)
Genetically influenced declines
Affects all members of species
Occurs even when health is good
Secondary Aging
Declines due to heredity and environment
Effects individualized: major contributor to frailty
Illnesses and disabilities:
arthritis
diabetes
unintentional injuries
mental disabilities

20. Leading Causes of Death in Late Adulthood

21. Arthritis Osteoarthritis
Deteriorating cartilage in frequently used joints
Common, related to wear and tear
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Autoimmune response
Involves whole body
Inflammation of connective tissue
Cartilage tissue grows:
deformed joints
loss of mobility

22. Adult-Onset Diabetes heredity inactivity, abdominal fat
Too little insulin or cells insensitive to insulin
Incidence rises with age as a result of
heredity
inactivity, abdominal fat
Risk of long-term damage to
circulatory system
eyes, kidneys, nerves
brain
Treatment: diet, exercise, weight loss

23. Accidents in Late Adulthood
Motor vehicle
Vision problems, slower reactions
Falls
Vision, balance, strength problems
Risk of hip fracture
Limits mobility, social contact

24. ALZ.ORG
h?v=ROTZxvil66A&feature=yout u.be
As you read the facts: Pick 1 or 2 that strike you as particularly surprising.

25. Short Clip “My Name is Lisa”
h?v=ZiRHyzjb5SI
As you watch the short film think about the
intersections of development occurring here.
As an adolescence
As a person in Middle Adulthood with Early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

26. Mental Disabilities in Late Adulthood
Dementia: impairments of thought and behavior that disrupt everyday life:
Alzheimer’s disease
cerebrovascular dementia: result of strokes
Misdiagnosed or reversible dementia:
depression
medication side effects

27. Alzheimer’s Disease Incidence Higher with age: nearly 45% over age 85
Symptoms
Forgetting, disorientation, personality change, depression, motor problems, delusions, speech problems, infections
Brain Changes
Neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques in cerebral cortex, synapse deterioration
Risk Factors
Genetic predisposition
High-fat diet
Lifestyle factors
Protective Factors
Education, active lifestyle
Mediterranean diet
Active social life

28. Help for Caregivers of Elders with Dementia
Knowledge about disease, available resources
Coping strategies
Caregiving skills
Respite
Intervention programs

29. Long-Term Care in Late Adulthood
More common with advanced age:
severe disorders
loss of support network
Varies by SES, ethnic group
Alternatives:
home care by family
assisted living
home-helper systems

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

31. Deliberate vs. Automatic Memory
Episodic memory lapses:
slower cognitive processing
poor attention to context
Recall declines:
harder to remember source of information
temporal memory suffers
Automatic
Recognition easier than recall:
environmental supports
Implicit memory better than explicit memory:
depends on familiarity, not conscious awareness

32. Associative Memory Deficit in Late Adulthood
Difficulty in creating or retrieving links between pieces of information
Helpful strategies:
memory cues
elaboration

33. Remote and Prospective Memory
Very long-term recall
Autobiographical memory for both remote and recent events
Reminiscence bump for events of adolescence, early adulthood
Prospective
Remembering to engage in planned actions
Event-based easier than time- based
Risk of repetition of actions
Reminders can help

34. Language Processing in Late Adulthood
Little change in comprehension
Losses in
retrieval of words from long-term memory (tip-of-the-tongue state)
ability to plan what to say and how to say it
Compensatory techniques:
speak more slowly, using more sentences, but shorter ones

35. Problem Solving in Late Adulthood
Real vs. hypothetical problems:
family relationships
managing activities of daily living
Extend adaptive strategies of middle adulthood:
use experience to decide quickly when able
consult family members and others
collaborate to generate strategies

36. Wisdom Breadth and depth of practical knowledge
Ability to reflect on, apply knowledge to improve life
Ability to listen, evaluate others’ concerns
Transmission of useful knowledge, reflections to younger people

37. What Contributes to Wisdom?
Life experience:
human-service training and practice
leadership positions
Age:
no guarantee of wisdom
helpful when combined with life experience
History of overcoming adversity
Education, physical health

38. Factors Related to Cognitive Change
Modest genetic contribution
Mentally active life: education, stimulating leisure, community participation, flexibility
Health status
Retirement: both positive and negative effects
Distance to death: terminal decline
Cognitive interventions: ADEPT: Adult Development and Enrichment Project,
ACTIVE Advance Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly

39. Lifelong Learning Road Scholar Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
Increased participation in continuing education:
Road Scholar
Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes
community senior centers
Benefits:
new ideas, skills, friends
broader world perspective
improved self-image
rise in use of computers and Internet