Older Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development

16

Older Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development

Chapter 16

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Older Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development

• Aging Today • Physical Aspects of Aging

• Causes of Aging • Cognitive Changes in Advanced Age

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Aging Today • Ageism and Stereotypes – Cultural context influences how people experience growing old

– In the United States, ageism—negative stereotypes of older adults —is common – In Asian nations, older people are honored—a tradition referred to as filial piety

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Video Clip A cartoon that jokes about ageist stereotypes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF9ikOfNzxw

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Percentage of U.S. Population 65 Years of Age and Older

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Four Decades of Later Life • Percentage of population over age 65 is increasing • By 2030, one out of every five persons in the United States will be 65 or older • Categories of older adulthood: – Young old: 60 to 69

– Middle-age-old: 70 to 79 (septuagenarians) – Old-old: 80 to 89 (octogenarians) – Very old-old: 90 to 99 Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

U.S. Population Age 85 and Over and Age 95 and Over

Source: From Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2009, by the U.S. Census Bureau, 2009b. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

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Preventing Strokes and Falls

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Major Issues Commonly Faced by Older Adults

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Aging in Perspective • There is wide diversity in the people belonging to each age group of older adults • Most older adults adapt to age-related difficulties • Physical aspects of aging are challenges to be met

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Physical Aspects of Aging • Most physical changes are the result of pathological aging—the cumulative effects of aging from earlier events and lifestyle choice • Changing Body – Appearance: noticeable in skin (wrinkles, warts, broken blood vessels, age spots) – Muscle, Bones, and Mobility • Muscles become weaker

• Bone mass declines – osteoporosis • Vestibular system declines with age, often leading to falls

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Changing Body (continued) • Internal organs – Most organ systems decline in function – immune system, heart, and respiratory system – Bodily reserves decline with age

• Sleep Problems – Half of those over 65 have sleep problems • Older adults often sleep less, and have less time in deep sleep • Sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia may develop Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sleep Patterns Typical of Older Adults

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Changing Body: The Senses • Become less sensitive

• Sense of taste may decline, leading to use of more salt in food which, in turn, may lead to hypertension • Hearing and visual impairments common – cataract – glaucoma – visual acuity decreases

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Changing Body: Brain and Nervous System • Brain declines in weight • Lateralization of functions decline

• Central nervous system slows • Neurological deficiencies may develop – Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease

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Changing Body: Brain and Nervous System • Dementia may develop and involves: – Impaired learning and memory

– Deterioration of language and motor functions – Inability to recognize familiar people and objects – Frequent confusion and personality changes

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Health, Disease, and Nutrition • Chronic health problems, most common: – Hypertension – Arthritis – Heart disease – Sensory impairments – Type 2 Diabetes – Obesity – Atherosclerosis (related to excess fats in diets)

– Misuse of medications leads to drug interactions or changes in metabolism

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Video Clip Registered nurse and patient describe the experience of living with Type 2 Diabetes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ03eq3CHmM

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People 65 and Over Who Reported Having Selected Chronic Conditions

SOURCE: From Older Americans: Key indicators of well-being, 2008, by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2008. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

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People in United States Age 65 and Over Who Are Obese

SOURCE: From Older Americans: Key indicators of well-being, 2008, by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, 2008. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office; and “Health risks indicator” Number 25 and Table 25. Retrieved October 31, 2005, from http://www.agingstats.gov/chartbook2004/healthrisks.html

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U.S. Life Expectancies by Gender and Ethnicity, 1900–2005

SOURCE: From Health, United States, 2007, with Chartbook, by the National Center for Health Statistics, 2007. Hyattsville, MD: Author.

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The Causes of Aging • Theories of Aging – Senescence: normal, biological processes associated with aging, excluding disease – Stochastic theories: aging is the result of wear and tear based on assaults from internal and external environments – Biological clock: the pace of aging is genetically programmed – At present, aging theories are not well understood, though we know more about age-related diseases like cancer, viruses, and neurological degeneration

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Video Clip 60 Minutes news excerpts explains research on how red wine can prevent disease and slow the aging process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TGKOQeTrc

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Cognitive Changes in Advanced Age • Speed of cognition – cognitive processing speed declines; slower on memory tasks; problem solving takes longer

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Cognitive Changes in Advanced Age • Memory affected by aging – sensory memory declines – speed of working memory decreases – may take longer to organize, rehearse, and encode information – long-term memory may decline

– Overall, age-related declines in memory are gradual and nonconsequential, unless disease processes are involved Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Memory affected by Aging (continued) • Decline in memory likely associated with slowing of nervous system and shrinkage of frontal lobes of brain • Brain seems to compensate for declining size – Older individuals show increase neural activity compared to younger adults

– Schaie’s Seattle Longitudinal Study has tracked six cognitive factors across the lifespan

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Six Cognitive Abilities Included in the Seattle Longitudinal Study

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Age-related changes in Six Cognitive Abilities: Cross- Sectional Data

SOURCE: From “Developmental influences on adult cognitive development: The Seattle Longitudinal Study,” by K. W. Schaie, 2005 (Figure 3, p. 103). Copyright © 2005 by Oxford University Press, New York. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press, Inc.

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Age-related changes in Six Cognitive Abilities: Longitudinal Data

SOURCE: From “Developmental influences on adult cognitive development: The Seattle Longitudinal Study,” by K. W. Schaie, 2005 (Figure 4, p. 127). Copyright © 2005 by Oxford University Press, New York. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press.

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Cognitive Changes • Wisdom – expert knowledge system that involves excellent judgment and advice on critical and practical life issues – Requires superior levels of knowledge, judgment, and advice – Based on depth and breadth of knowledge – Combines mind and virtue – Easily recognized by most people – Not all older adults are wise, but fewer younger adults are

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Cognitive Decline • Dementia – chronic confusion, forgetfulness, and accompanying personality change – serious and life-altering

• General causes of cognitive decline – poor general health, nonstimulating environment, taking many prescription drugs

• Specific causes of cognitive decline – strokes – atherosclerosis – Alzheimer’s disease Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Video Clip Boy describes book he wrote to help other kids understand Alzheimer’s Disease by describing his experiences with his grandmother: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAyB-MdzXsg

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Video Clip Artists depicts the experience of Alzheimer’s Disease through self portraits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1xPyrHDYbM

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Video Clip Scenes from the film Grace showing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease as Grace struggles to remember the words of the song Jesus Loves Me.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbYEK7O14E

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Video Clip Accessible description of how Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wv9jrk-gXc

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General Factors Linked to Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

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CT Scan of Stroke Patient

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10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

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10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease (continued)

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Neural Tangles and Plaques of Alzheimer’s Disease

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Compensating for an Aging Mind • Most adults effectively compensate for agerelated cognitive declines • Higher education and overall activity level are linked with less cognitive decline

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Summary • Older adults experience a life much more full and rich than younger people often imagine, in spite of stereotypes about aging • How people grow old is heavily dependent on their culture • The percentage of the population over age 65 is increasing rapidly • Old age can be divided into three periods: young-old, middle-aged-old, and old-old

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Summary • Physically, the cumulative effects of aging result from earlier life events more than advancing age • The body undergoes declines in most major systems

• The senses become less sensitive, the brain deteriorates in certain aspects, and chroniclong-term conditions become more apparent • Older adults have slower metabolism and obesity becomes common

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Summary • The main theories of aging are senescence, the stochastic theory, and the biological clock theory • Mental skills remain intact as we age, but the speed of cognition and reaction time slows • Aging affects the memory processes, but dementia is not a normal part of aging • Dementia results from poor general health, side effects of medication, strokes, and Alzheimer’s disease • Most adults effectively compensate for age-related cognitive decline

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