Title: Life
1Chapter 14
- Lifes Transitions The Aging Process
2LIFES TRANSITIONS
3Old People Are Useless!
4AGING The process of growing old IT WILL
HAPPEN to YOU !!!!
- In 1975 Þ 350 million people over 60 years
- In 2050 Þ 1.1 billion over 60 years
- PERCEPTION
- HOW YOU VIEW
- PEOPLE OLDER
- THAN YOU
-
5Studying Aging
- Connotations
- A negative psychological shift. Western
cultural views are different from others - GERONTOLOGY
- The study of aging.
- GERONTOLOGIST
- One who studies aging.
6Old People Should Retire So That Younger People
Can Work?
7Why study the effects of aging? (5 reasons)
- biology of aging (genetic and environmental
factors associated with aging) - shift in survival and life expectancy has itself
driven the inquiry about the social implications - medical science documents the diseases of old age
and attempts to moderate their effects
8Aging
- health care costs of an older society
- psychologists attempting to understand the
negative attitudes toward the elderly
9Old People Are Slow And Get In My Way!
10Old People Arent Beautiful!
11The Changing Face of the Nation
- Baby Boomers approaching retirement.
- Elderly are living longer - combination of
modern medicine and lifestyle related factors
age 115 years
12Changing Face of the Nation
- higher quality of life - therefore older people
are a major social, political and economic factor
in society. - Changing demographics also reflected in fact
that not as many children are being born in first
world countries.
13I Will Never Get That Old!
14TYPES OF AGING
- BIOLOGICAL
- physical changes with time
- relative age condition of organs / body systems
- arthritis / osteoporosis / accelerate aging
process
15PSYCHOLOGICAL
- adaptive capacity
- coping abilities intelligence
- individual capabilities
- self-efficacy
- biological
- social changes
16SOCIAL
- habits and roles relative to societys
expectations - people sharing common interests
- changes in person's familial, occupational and
social roles (retirement, loss of income, etc.)
17GETTING OLDER
18Legal
- chronological age
- driving
- drinking ( not together !)
- voting
- old age security
- Canada Pension Plan
19Functional
- how people compare at similar ages..
- health
- capacity
- activity
- interests
- mobility
20THE AGING PROCESS a function of three
factors
- True aging (also called primary
- aging)
- unavoidable result of chronology that affects all
species sooner or later - Disease processes (secondary aging)
- aging due to diseases, such as trauma, illness,
stress, etc. lifestyle can be classified in this
factor (smoking)
21THE AGING PROCESS a function of three factors
- Disuse phenomena
- (secondary aging)
- aging due to the lack of activity (Sedentary
Lifestyle)
22THEORIES ON AGING
- Biological
- the wear and tear theory Its Not the
Years.., Its the Mileage - the human body simply wears out
- some activities may predispose this condition
(running)
23THEORIES ON AGING
- the cellular theory limited number of cells /
capacity to reproduce / once exhausted body
begins to deteriorate / varies from individual to
individual - the autoimmune theory declining immune system /
loses control attacking body
24THEORIES ON AGING
- the genetic mutation theory the older you are
the more mutant cells develop/ function
differently than intended / dysfunction of body
organs systems
25Physical Changes
- The Skin
- (30s)thinner loses elasticity /(40s) lines on
the face / - (50s) crows feet /(60s) loses colour sags /
(70s) age spots etc. - Bones and Joints
- constantly changing accumulating and losing
minerals (modeling) - 30 and 40s net loss of minerals could lead
to osteoporosis
26Physical Changes
- OSTEOPOROSIS
- loss of bone material / bone mass
- post-menopausal women
- fractures common
- very debilitating
- risk factors calcium, lack of exercise, lack of
estrogen therapy post-menopause
27Physical Changes
- The Head
- features of the head enlarge ( nose, ears, head -
skull thickens) - Brain shrinks
- The Urinary Tract
- urinary incontinence
- individual
- treatable - drug therapy
28Physical Changes
- Heart and Lungs
- Resting Heart Rate stays about the same
throughout life - stroke volume decreases
- heart muscle deterioration
- Vital Capacity decreases
- (max. inhalation exhalation)
- exercise slows these changes
29Eyesight
- 30 years of age lens harden
- 40 years of age lens yellow and looses
transparency - Cataracts (clouding of the lens) / focus on
retina / blurred vision / blindness possible - glaucoma ( increased pressure within the
eyeball) - hardening of the eyeball , impaired vision,
eventual blindness
30Hearing and Taste
- Hearing
- range diminishes / normal and conversational
retained - Taste
- age 30 each papilla has 245 taste buds -
diminishes over time - age 70 88 remaining
- Smell and Touch
- pain and tactile sensors decline
- sense of smell also declines / may lead to
malnutrition ( food lacks appeal)
31Getting Around and body Comfort
- Mobility
- 50 of older Canadians Report some disability
related to mobility or agility - Body Comfort
- loss of body fat / thinning of epithelium /
diminished glandular function - body temperature
- hypothermia / heat stroke / heat exhaustion
32Mental Changes
- Intelligence
- unchanged - except for illness
- continue to learn and develop (time?)
- compensate with practical knowledge
- Memory
- short-term can be memory - affected
- long-term unchanged
33Coping with Change
- Flexibility vs. Rigidity
- LIFE diverse joys, sorrows, and obstacles
developed coping methods - Depression
- most adults continue to lead healthy, fulfilling
lives - however, depression is the most common
34Confusion and Frustration
- Senility
- over-generalization
- misinterpreted as senility memory failure /
judgment error / disorientation / erratic
behaviours.. (any age!)
35Alzheimers Disease and other Dementias
- Dementias progressive
- brain impairments that
- interfere with memory
- and intellectual
- functioning
36ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
- The disease most dreaded by the elderly is
- dementia loss of mental functions in an alert
- individual, characterized by group of symptoms
- memory loss
- loss of language functions
- inability to think abstractly
- inability to care for oneself
- personality change
- emotional instability
- loss of sense of time
37ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
- three quarters (75) dementias caused by
Alzheimer's disease - chronic, degenerative
dementing illness / cause unknown - no known cure to stop the progression
- 6 of people over 65 years have Alzheimer's
disease - Alzheimer's disease 4th leading cause of death -
older adults - lt seventy conditions can cause dementia
38Types of Dementia
- Degenerative Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
Huntington's. - Vascular dementia cerebral embolisms, blood
clots, and infarctions. - Traumatic dementia head injuries.
- Lesions tumors, hematomas, and cancers.
- Toxic dementia alcohol, poisons.
- Others epilepsy, post-traumatic stress
disorders, and heat stroke.
39THEORIES OF AGING
- Brain size longevity
- Biological clock determines how long we live.
- Disposable soma Allocation of resources -
optimal is as little as possible to body repair,
and more to other functions. - Wear and tear Accumulated damage leads to
breakdown - like a machine!
40Genes and Aging
- Genetic theories Loss of genetic info. over time
loss of protein to rebuild. - Immunological Breakdown of immune system.
- Others Error accumulation, cell loss, nutritive,
environment, and brain chemistry.
41AGEISM
- discrimination
- stereotyping - generalization of characteristics
- / - without knowing the individual - concept of young or old
- healthy or unhealthy
- value youth, devalue old age
- western culture vs. other cultures respect wisdom
of elderly
42DEATH AND DYING
- THANATOLOGY the study of death and dying.
- PSYCHOLOGY fascination yet denial in western
society. - people not prepared!
- DEATH - a process, not a point in time
43KUBLER ROSS STAGES OF DYING (5)
- Dying person may experience several intense
emotions. - DENIAL
- "No, not me!"
- patient rejects the news
- initial positive defense mechanism but can become
a problem if reinforced by family and friends,
leading to poor coping.
44ANGER
- ANGER
- "Why me?"
- resentment and rage over impending death
- may be directed outwards at loved ones.
45BARGAINING
- acknowledgement but...
- try to bargain with
- GOD
- in this stage e.g
- Exchange recovery
- promise to be a better
- person
46DEPRESSION
- gradual realization of
- consequences
- difficult time - persons needs to be watched and
supported - a period of grieving
- must be allowed to work through this stage
- trying to cheer up isnt an asset now!
47ACCEPTANCE
- Im scared but, I'm ready."
- These stages may overlap and repeat.
48DEFINITION OF DEATH
- Spiritual death
- death of meaningful life
- including responsiveness to others, with activity
of the brain and consciousness - ALSO Unreceptive and unresponsive to painful
stimuli - CPR - No movement for an hour
- No breathing for 3 minutes
- No reflexes
- Pupils fixed and dilated - flat EEG
- LIFE SIGNS..
49DEFINITION OF DEATH
- Traditional legal definition
- failure of heart and lungs functional death.
- Modern medicine
- brain death absence of electrical impulse
activity in the brain (EEG). - Cellular death
- Cells die- e.g., heart, brain, muscle
50CIRCUMSTANCES OF DEATH
- Death at/or before 50 years of age or younger
emotional trauma unexpected - Religious belief less fear
- Pain and physical distress.
- Immediately prior to death there is often an
increased in vitality - People often "hold on" for a specific life event
or person
51EUTHANASIA Mercy killing.
- INDIRECT INVOLUNTARY
- (PASSIVE) -
- remove life support
- DIRECT VOLUNTARY
- administer fatal drug as condition
- worsens
- DIRECT INVOLUNTARY-
- drug once a patient is in a coma.
- ILLEGAL / ETHICAL ISSUES
52LIVING WILL
- A statement requesting removal from life support
systems. if the chance for survival is
limited. - Not accepted in all provinces, e.g. Saskatchewan
53DEATH OF A LOVED ONE
- STAGES OF GRIEF
- Bereavement the experience of loss
- Grief intense emotional suffering
- Mourning social response e.g.
- wearing black, funerals, etc.
54Stages and Experiences when coping with loss.
- Physical Exhaustion, feeling weighed down -
stress. - nutrition, rest, exercise crying very
important - Emotional ask or accept help
- Ask for what you need! Being alone or with
friends and family - Talk to others with similar experiences - take
the time - Sadness and crying natural - share feelings.
55Stages and Experiences when coping with loss.
- Intellectual Avoid making major life decisions
at this time. - Process includes anger, resentment, and negative
emotions. - Work through the feelings - don't avoid or deny
them - Spiritual surviving loss and finding meaning to
continue, look inside yourself, your faith, and
your life!
56FUNERALS
- A number of considerations cost, embalming,
burial, and cremation. - Rites of passage - A process - saying goodbye
very important for closure - found in most
cultures
57SOME IMPORTANT TERMS
- 1. SIDS Sudden infant death syndrome - babies 1
to 3 months. - 2. STILLBIRTH Infant is born dead.
- 3. PERINATAL DEATH Death occurs within hours or
days of birth.
58HELPING SOMEONE FACE DEATH
- Hospices
- concept rather than a place
- provides health care
- support
- free of pain
- death with dignity