Late Adulthood

1
Late Adulthood

• Variability in Late Adulthood
• Oldest old fasting growing group in Canada
• Use it or lose it
• Physical Changes
• Slowing
• Sensory loss
• Genetic limiting mechanisms
• Mental Health
• Dementia
• Depression
• Cognitive Changes
• Slowing loss of working-memory capacity
• Wisdom
• Maintenance of Expertise

2
Successful Aging

• Maintain a positive outlook
• Remain productive
• Exercise
• Remain engaged

3
Will you live to be 100?

• The myth of average life expectancy the
  problem of bi-modal distributions
• Expectation of life at birth
• 1900 48 1949 68 2000 78
• Expectation of life at age 65
• 1900 additional 12 years
• 1949 additional 13 years
• 2000 additional 18 years
• Oldest life-span on record 122 years

4
How can we improve life for the elderly?

• Psychotherapy elderly no longer ignored, but
  still underserved
• Cognitive therapy for depression/anxiety the
  role of irrational beliefs
• The importance of control
• Caring for an elderly parent who helps the
  helper?
• Expressive writing project

5
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen et
al.)

• What goals motivate behaviour?
• Attain information and knowledge for future use
• Preservation of emotional experience (remain
  happy, calm, etc.)
• There are age related changes in the trajectory
  of these goals, because time perspective changes
  with age (time remaining)

6
Carstensen (cont.)

• Younger people perceive a long future therefore,
  they strive to obtain information for future use
• Older people perceive a limited future
  therefore, they seek to optimize well-being
• Thus, older people more than younger people
  prefer to interact with close friends and family
  rather than make new friends