Late Adulthood (age 60 80)
During this closing period in the life span of human beings, people tend to "move away" from previous more desirable periods often known as "usefulness".
Age sixty is usually considered the dividing line between middle and old age. It is the time where you are considered an "elderly"- meaning somewhat old or advanced beyond middle age.
Period of decline comes partly from physical and partly psychological factors. The physical cause of decline is a change in the body cells due to the effects of the aging process. The psychological cause of decline has something to do with unfavorable attitudes towards oneself, other people, work and life in general.
Senility ("senile") a more or less
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Head region
Mouth changes shape
Tooth loss
Wrinkles
Eyes seem dull and lusterless
Double chin
Cheeks become pendulous, wrinkled and baggy
Skin becomes dry with dark spots, moles and warty
.
Hair becomes gray or white and lessens
Trunk Region
Shoulders stoop and seem smaller
Abdomen bulges and droops
Hips become flabbier and broader
Woman's breasts sag and droop
Limbs
The upper arm becomes flabby and heavy
Lower arms seem to shrink
Hands and feet become scrawny and veins begin to appear
Nails become thick and brittle
Internal Changes
Bones become brittle and are subject to fractures and breaks
Regulation of body temperature is impaired (too cold, too hot)
Sensory changes all the sense organs function less efficiently
Motor Ability Changes most old people move more slowly and are less coordinated. These changes include a decrease in strength and energy, stiff joints
.etc
Change in Mental Abilities
Learning - the elderly have difficulty in learning new skills taking them longer time to learn the skill and also coming up with less satisfactory results in the particular skill than a younger person.
Memory - Old people tend to have poor recent memories but better remote memories. This may be due partly to the fact that they are not always strongly motivated to remember things,
The impact of aging said to have a great effect on the capacity of learning of the adult. (Falasca, 2011). There are several eye problems become common as they age, cognitive ability, hearing impairments and perception may not be sufficient enough to understand and grasp all the information or it could be compromised (Falasca,
In middle adulthood there are many changes that occur physically, psychologically, and socially as explained in the above passages. Yet, some say that this is the best time of their life, they experience enhanced self-confidence, great sex lives, career success, and enhanced brain functions. Middle age adults are better equipped to make better life choices and decisions and not worry so much about the negative parts of life. Their problem solving skills are greater which allows them to reason more creatively. They are able to enjoy sex freely without the worries of getting pregnant and they feel more confident with their partners. In general they are happier about life and look forward to enjoying the rest of their lives.
the most part. These years in a persons life have often been referred to as emerging adulthood.
“Though the age boundaries are not set in stone, we will consider middle adulthood as the developmental period that begins at approximately 40 to 45 years of age and extends to about 60 to 65 years of age” (Santrock, 2013, p. 485). I interviewed two individuals for this paper. Each person was asked the same fifteen questions (Appendix). I interviewed a male and a female who fell in the midrange of middle adulthood.
The journey through late adulthood can be experienced in different ways. One particular movie entitled “The Bucket List” exhibits an astounding portrayal of late adulthood. In fact, there are many accounts that the movie entails about late-adulthood. This includes the illustration of Erickson’s late adulthood stage – “Ego Integrity vs. Despair,” wisdom, marriage, friendship, parent-child relationship, and death and dying in late adulthood.
Elderly people physically slow down and have lower energy levels. There are changes in the body systems and organs that can usually result in all types of
A topic I learned more of this semester in regards to the older population was dementia. Some loss in memory function is an inevitable consequence of aging, and as one ages, it takes more time to process information and retrieve memories. However, "Dementia is a general term that refers to progressive, degenerative brain dysfunction, including deterioration in memory, concentration, language skills, visuospatial skills, and reasoning, that interferes with a person's daily functioning" (Mauk, 2014, p. 377). This loss of mental skills affects the ability to function over time, causing problems with memory and how one thinks, impacting these individual's overall quality of life.
For this paper, I had the privilege of interviewing one of my friend’s grandmother. Her name is Jamie Hansen and she is a healthy and active 68-year-old grandmother. In the beginning of the phone call, I asked some basic background knowledge questions such as how many grandkids she has and if she was a widower or not. I found out that she and her husband are happily married and that she has six grandchildren. As I got to know her more I started asking questions that pertained to the interview aspect of social theories. I figured out that Mrs. Hansen’s responses led to an application of the continuity and socioemotional selective theories.
There are also cognitive changes during middle adulthood. There is a mixed pattern of positive and negative changes in cognitive abilities. Processing speed starts to decrease during this time period however crystallized thought does not decline until older age (pg. 456). Working memory begins to decline however semantic memory continues to increase as we learning throughout our older years (ph 456). Usually most memory decline is during older age and can be attributed to Alzheimer’s disease of dementia.
Middle adulthood begins at the age of 40 - 60. This is a time when you can’t believe where the time went. It seems like just yesterday you were graduating from college, got married, and had children. Your children are now approaching young adulthood, pushing you into the next stage of life, middle adulthood. You look in the mirror and all the signs of middle age are starting to set in. You notice wrinkles, gray hair, flabby skin and you’re having trouble reading the menu. You begin to reassess you life. Are you happy with what you have accomplished in life so far? Do you have good family
As people grow older, they develop dental problems which lead to nutritional intake issues. Cognitive function declines affecting memory, decision making, conversing, and problem solving. In addition, falls can occur with mental status disturbances. Lack of social interaction, depression, and anxiety also crop up in the elderly. Sleep patterns are altered by restless legs, snoring, and disrupted breathing sequences. At times, pain can be constant from arthritis, osteoarthritis, or other medical issues (Tabloski, 2014).
As an older individual there are many physical changes that occurs during this stage of life. Older individuals live independently and maintain close relationships with family and friends. Most individual’s personalities remain relatively stable throughout their lives. Depression is less prevalent than depression in younger adults. Becoming older can cause hearing impairment. 37 percent of women and 48 percent of men over the age of 75 have impaired hearing. Also there is a decline in vision. It will start to become difficult to read small print, seeing in sim light, or even finding objects. Some aging adults may even need
During this stage of life one establishes their place in the workplace, makes a commitment in a relationship, start families of their own and can now see the bigger picture of life. We continue the cycle of life by raising our children, working in our community and being involved in activities and organizations. When one fails this stage they become depressed and feel like their unproductive within their society.
Middle-aged adults experience change in many different areas of their life at this time, they will find that not only their health is changing, but their appearance, their family, their thinking, and their emotions are changes as well. When discussing people that fall into the middle adulthood age of life, the term “midlife crisis” is often used, but according to an article titled Middle Adulthood Developmental Psychology, “most people during middle adulthood are satisfied and pleased with their lives”, ("Physical Changes," 2008-2013, expression 1). This article also states that the age range for middle adulthood is approximately age thirty-five to sixty-four. Midlife crisis is a when an individual views themselves and are unhappy with
There are many physical needs for the elderly that have to be taken care of.