1. LATE ADULTHOOD: Physical and cognitive development

2. Aging: Myth and Reality n Ageism: stereotyping and judging a group of people solely on the basis of their age. n Gerontology: the study of aging and the special problems associated with it. n Geropsychology: the study of the behavior and needs of the elderly.

3. Older Adults: Who are They? n Future Growth: United States –In 1990: 35,808 people were 100 years old; in 1998: 66,000 –Projection: 60 million people living beyond 70 years by the year 2050.

4. n Increased dependency ratio n Increased demand for resources n Emergence of older people as a political force and social movement Effects

6. Myths n Most persons age 65 and over live in hospitals, nursing homes n The elderly are incapacitated and in bed because of illness n Most elderly people are “prisoners of fear” by virtue or their fear of crime

7. Myths n Most people over 65 are in serious financial straits n Most grown children live away from their elderly parents and abandon them

9. Gender n Women Live Longer Than Men n The ratio of women to men is 4 to 1 in people over 65

10. Health n Nutrition and Health Risks n Osteoporosis: a condition associated with a slow, insidious loss of calcium that results in porous bones n Drug Dosages and Absorption Effects n Health problems result from overmedication and mixing medications

11. Mental Health n Mental Health and Depression n Depressed elderly often do not seek treatment.

12. Biological Aging n Biological aging: changes that occur in the structure and functioning of the human organism over time. n Primary aging: time-related changes; a continuous process that begins at conception and ceases at death.

13. Physical Changes n Hair grows thinner and turns gray n Skin changes n Fat and muscle bulk decrease n Wrinkling n Collagen: a substance that constitutes a very high percentage of the total protein in the body, appears to be implicated in the aging process

14. Vision and Hearing n Retinal detachment: a serious condition in which the retinal layer at the back of the eyeball begins to “peel away.” n Hearing loss –Loss of memory ability linked with loss of hearing

15. n A condition in which body temperature falls more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit and persists for a number of hours. Hypothermia

16. Sleep Changes n Sleep patterns change n Sleep apnea: a disorder in which the person occasionally stops breathing during sleep

17. Sexuality n Many factors may influence a decline in sexual activity as individuals age.

18. Biological Theories of Aging n Genetic Preprogramming n Aging Effects of Hormones n Accumulation of Copying Errors n Error in DNA n Autoimmune Mechanisms n Accumulation of Metabolic Wastes n Stochastic Processes n Longevity Assurance Theory

20. Cognitive Functioning n The Varied Courses of Different Cognitive Abilities n Perceptual speed decreases n Depends on whether the elderly use their abilities

21. Cognitive Decline n Factors that reduce risk of cognitive decline in old age: –Good health: no chronic diseases –Environmental circumstances : education, interests, income and family –Stimulating lifestyle –Flexible and adaptable personality –Marriage to spouse with high cognitive capabilities

23. Death Drop n Overestimating the Effects of Aging n Death drop: a marked intellectual decline, or the terminal decline phenomenon, occurs just a short time before a person dies

24. Memory and Aging n Characteristics of older learners: –Preference for a slower pace –More errors of omission due to cautiousness –More disrupted by emotional arousal –Less attentive –Less willing to deal with irrelevant material –Less likely to use imagery

25. Information Processing n Phases in Information Processing n When information is remembered, three things occur –Encoding –Storage –Retrieval

26. Memory Failure n Decay Theory: forgetting is due to deterioration of the memory traces in the brain. n Interference theory: retrieval of a cue becomes less effective as more and newer items come in to be classed or categorized in terms of it.

27. Learning and Aging n Older learners benefit when given more time to learn something. n Older learners are more reluctant to venture a response. n Medications can diminish mental functions.

28. Senility n Senility: progressive mental deterioration, memory loss, and disorientation regarding time and place n Multiinfarcts: “little strokes” that destroy a small area of brain tissue –20-25% of all senility results from these

29. Alzheimer’s Disease n Alzheimer’s Disease: a progressive, degenerative disorder that involves deterioration of brain cells. –50% of all senility results from Alzheimer’s Disease.

30. Alzheimer’s Disease n Phases of Alzheimer’s –Forgetfulness –Confusion –Dementia

31. Moral Development n James Fowler’s Stages of Faith –Primal –Intuitive-Projective –Mythic-Literal –Synthetic-Conventional –Individuative-Reflective –Conjunctive Faith and the Interindividual Self –Universalizing Faith