Adulthood and AgingAdulthood and Aging

Module 6, Chapter 2Module 6, Chapter 2

Before we start…Before we start…

Brief review of development and Brief review of development and adolescence.adolescence.

Fill out the “Thinking about Fill out the “Thinking about death” handout.death” handout.

Answer the essential question:Answer the essential question: Would you like to live to be 100? Would you like to live to be 100?

Why or why not?Why or why not?

So… what are you doing after So… what are you doing after you graduate?you graduate? College…College…

What will your major be?What will your major be? Work force…Work force…

What type of job will you do?What type of job will you do?

Leaving adolescence = making Leaving adolescence = making decisionsdecisions Where will you live?Where will you live? Will you marry?Will you marry? Will you have kids?Will you have kids?

Social ClockSocial Clock

Societies Societies shared shared judgment about judgment about the “best” timing the “best” timing of certain life of certain life events.events.

Stressful Stressful transitions, so transitions, so many!many!

Differs for Differs for cultures.cultures.

Examples:Examples: Drivers’ licenseDrivers’ license MarriageMarriage Others?Others?

Emerging AdulthoodEmerging Adulthood

Easing slowly into adulthood.Easing slowly into adulthood. Married, but live at home.Married, but live at home. Go home to do laundry.Go home to do laundry. Get financial help into their 30’s.Get financial help into their 30’s.

Any others?Any others?

Physical Changes:Physical Changes: Peak – mid Peak – mid

twentiestwenties 36-64 years – 36-64 years –

noticeable noticeable changeschanges More cautious More cautious

with physical with physical behavior.behavior.

Aging Aging gracefully?gracefully? Plastic surgeryPlastic surgery Dying hairDying hair

MenopauseMenopause Menstrual cycle Menstrual cycle

endsends B/t 45-55B/t 45-55

Hot flashes?Hot flashes? Decreased Decreased

levels of levels of estrogenestrogen

Depression?Depression? Relief or regret?Relief or regret? No male No male

equivalentequivalent

Midlife crisis?Midlife crisis?

Later Adulthood Physical ChangesLater Adulthood Physical Changes

Sensory lossesSensory losses Sight, smell, hearing slowly decline.Sight, smell, hearing slowly decline.

Muscle strength and stamina Muscle strength and stamina decrease.decrease.

Bodies require longer recovery time.Bodies require longer recovery time. Immune systems weaken.Immune systems weaken. At 65 you have developed antibodies to At 65 you have developed antibodies to

viruses you have had… so less viruses you have had… so less susceptible to common colds!susceptible to common colds!

Longer reaction time, remembering Longer reaction time, remembering names, and puzzles.names, and puzzles. Brain atrophy, especially in memory Brain atrophy, especially in memory

areas.areas. Must exercise the brain just like your body!

Disease Related to Aging: Disease Related to Aging: Alzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s Disease Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan 3% of the world 3% of the world

population has this population has this by 75 years of age.by 75 years of age.

Progressive and Progressive and irreversible brain irreversible brain disorder disorder characterized by characterized by gradual gradual deterioration of deterioration of memory, memory, reasoning, reasoning, language, and language, and physical physical functioning.functioning.

Deteriorating cells Deteriorating cells have the chemical have the chemical acetylcholine…acetylcholine… Deals with thinking Deals with thinking

and memory.and memory. Drugs can slow it Drugs can slow it

down, but down, but there is there is no cure.no cure.

Blood tests…Blood tests… Would you do it?Would you do it?

Disease Related to Aging:Disease Related to Aging:Senile DementiaSenile Dementia

Another mental disintegration.Another mental disintegration. Caused by:Caused by:

Alcohol, tumors, strokes, or Alcohol, tumors, strokes, or anything else related to loss of anything else related to loss of brain cells.brain cells.

Likelihood of developing this Likelihood of developing this increases with age.increases with age.

Can you teach an old dog Can you teach an old dog new tricks?new tricks?

Remember, we are generalizing!Remember, we are generalizing!

Memory:Memory: Adolescents have the best recall Adolescents have the best recall

memory.memory. Recognition – stable from 20-60.Recognition – stable from 20-60. Habitual tasks harder for elderly to Habitual tasks harder for elderly to

remember.remember.

Can you teach an old dog Can you teach an old dog new tricks? (Continued)new tricks? (Continued)

Fluid intelligence:Fluid intelligence: Ability to reason Ability to reason

speedily and speedily and abstractly.abstractly.

Used to solve novel Used to solve novel logic problems.logic problems.

Decreases during Decreases during late adulthood.late adulthood.

Nonverbal Nonverbal intelligence (playing intelligence (playing games, puzzle, games, puzzle, quilting, etc.)quilting, etc.)

Mathematicians/Mathematicians/scientists do best scientists do best work in 20’s or work in 20’s or 30’s.30’s.

Crystallized Crystallized intelligence:intelligence: Accumulated Accumulated

knowledge and knowledge and verbal skills.verbal skills.

Increases with age.Increases with age. Verbal intelligence Verbal intelligence

(crossword, (crossword, convos).convos).

Novelists/Novelists/philosophers do philosophers do best work in 40’s, best work in 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and so 50’s, 60’s and so on.on.

Social Changes & TransitionsSocial Changes & Transitions

Life events & commitment are Life events & commitment are behind the biggest transitions.behind the biggest transitions.

Erik Erikson (psychosocial Erik Erikson (psychosocial development) believes we are development) believes we are healthy if we are generative, healthy if we are generative, meaning focus on supporting meaning focus on supporting future generations, and capable of future generations, and capable of intimacy.intimacy.

Sigmund Freud (psychoanalysis) Sigmund Freud (psychoanalysis) said healthy adults can work and said healthy adults can work and love.love.

Freud: WorkFreud: Work

11stst career = career = big decision!big decision!

Post collegePost college employment is employment is often unrelated to college often unrelated to college major.major.

What matters?What matters? Pay, title, or quality of experience?Pay, title, or quality of experience?

Freud: LoveFreud: Love

Love lasts when:Love lasts when: Intimate self-disclosureIntimate self-disclosure Shared emotional and material supportShared emotional and material support Similar interests and values.Similar interests and values.

90% population – married at least 90% population – married at least once.once. Married people report happiness more Married people report happiness more

than single.than single. Divorce rate – just above 50%Divorce rate – just above 50% 10 studies say living together isn’t the 10 studies say living together isn’t the

answer.answer. Kids can bring happiness, but also Kids can bring happiness, but also

commitment.commitment. Empty-nest syndromeEmpty-nest syndrome

Ageism: like racism?Ageism: like racism?

What stereotypes do we have What stereotypes do we have about older people?about older people?

Is this prejudice unfounded?Is this prejudice unfounded?

A lifetime of well-beingA lifetime of well-being

Just as happy with themselves in older Just as happy with themselves in older age, as in younger; just as satisfied.age, as in younger; just as satisfied. According to studies.According to studies.

Tend to mellow with age.Tend to mellow with age. Less extreme emotions, more enduring Less extreme emotions, more enduring

ones.ones. Translation… less drama!Translation… less drama!

Most regrets focus on what the person Most regrets focus on what the person did not do, as opposed to mistakes did not do, as opposed to mistakes made while perusing a goal.made while perusing a goal. Message here?Message here?

Dying and DeathDying and Death

Death is a part of Death is a part of life, whether it is life, whether it is your own or a your own or a loved one.loved one. Grief differs for Grief differs for

everyone.everyone. Different cultures:Different cultures:

New status with New status with death.death.

No crying!No crying! Must cry outward Must cry outward

to grieve properly.to grieve properly.

Oregon physician Oregon physician assisted suicide assisted suicide law.law.

Hospice care:Hospice care: Receive comforting Receive comforting

medical attention, medical attention, sometimes in own sometimes in own home, but avoid home, but avoid death-defying death-defying interventions.interventions.

ComfortComfort Dying with dignityDying with dignity

Mourning:Mourning: What lessons can What lessons can

we learn?we learn?

The Dash:The Dash:

I read of a man who stood to I read of a man who stood to speakspeak

He referred to the dates on her He referred to the dates on her tombstonetombstone

from the beginning to the end.from the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date He noted that first came the date of birthof birth

and spoke the following date with and spoke the following date with tears,tears,

but he said what mattered most of but he said what mattered most of allall

was the dash between those was the dash between those years.years.

For that dash represents all the For that dash represents all the timetime

that she spent alive on earththat she spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved And now only those who loved herher

know what that little line is worth.know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we For it matters not, how much we own;own;

the cars...the house...the cash,the cars...the house...the cash,

What matters is how we live and What matters is how we live and lovelove

and how we spend our dash.and how we spend our dash.

So when your eulogy's being readSo when your eulogy's being read

with your life's actions to rehashwith your life's actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things Would you be proud of the things they saythey say

about how you spent your dash?about how you spent your dash?