Development Across the Lifespan: Late Adulthood

Development across the lifespan: Late Adulthood

Physical Development

v  Late adulthood begins at age ______

v  Skin looses ______– causes wrinkles and folds

v  Senses become less sharp – ______and sight difficulties

v  Bones become more brittle

•  Easier to break

•  Shrinking

v  Immune system is less effective

v  Regular ______& a healthy ______will help counteract some of these effects

•  Walking and water aerobics are best choices (less stress on joints)

Life expectancy

v  In 1900, ______people lived to 65. Today, ______people live to 65+

v  The average woman ______the average man by 7 years

•  Men more likely to die from heart disease, ______crime, accident, AIDS, suicide & cancer

v  Men tend to live “better”. Women are usually ______, living in poverty with health problems.

v  Life expectancy for a white person: 77, black: 72 (as of 2001)

•  More likely to live in a lower socio-economic level, to ______, to have high fat diets, less likely to exercise or have regular health care

Death

v  Hospice – program where the ______and their families can get the physical and ______support that they need to help them cope

v  In a hospital, ______determine a patient’s care. In a hospice, patients are allowed to make more ______(diets, activities, medicine)

v  Euthanasia – helping or allowing someone to choose to ______

•  Proponents: Coma for a long time or suffering from a terminal illness

•  ______: New medicine & therapies are discovered daily, pain is temporary/death is permanent

•  Illegal in most states

Cognitive development

v  ______is ageless. Pablo Picasso painted into his 90s

v  Memory ability does ______with age, however, it is not as great as people assume.

v  Dementia – serious loss of cognitive functioning

•  Major losses in ______

•  Speech problems or unable to perform simple tasks

v  Alzheimer’s Disease – ______that causes progressive mental deterioration

•  Gradual deterioration in memory, language and problem solving

•  Eventually become helpless: unable to walk & need help with eating & simple tasks

Sexuality

v  Ageism – form of ______against old people

•  Mentality of “they can’t do it because they are older”

v  87% of 65 year olds are sexually active, 30% of people 80+ years old are sexually active

v  Being ______active is completely healthy, boosts self-esteem

v  Physically it takes longer for men to get an erection, women tend to have less intense orgasms

Activity

Ø  Visually Impaired Station: What were the challenges of being visually impaired? What impact would this have on your daily life?

Ø  Hearing Loss Station: How difficult was it to focus on the airplane and hear your classmate? What impact could this have on your daily life?

Ø  Arthritis: What do you think would be the most difficult task to accomplish? Imagine trying to write a check, sign your name on documents, and even write a grocery list

Ø  Joint Stiffness: Was it difficult to maneuver around the room? What impact could this have on your daily life?

The Last Lecture

v  Dying with Dignity is very important to individuals who have accepted their death. Do you think this video is an example of dying with dignity?

v  If you knew that you were going to pass, what would be your “last lecture”?

•  What would be important advice you would give your peers?