What You’ll Learn

1. What You’ll Learn 1. Describe the physical, mental, and social changes that occur in middle and late adulthood. 2. Identify ten habits that promote healthful aging. 3. Discuss factors and resources to consider if you are a caregiver. 4. Discuss death and issues surrounding death; such as life-support systems, living wills, and hospice care.

2. Key Terms • living will • coma • chronological age • biological age • gerontology • dementia • caregiver • hospice • terminal illness • legal death

3. Aging • Chronological ageis the number of years a person has lived. • Biological ageis a measure of how well a person’s body systems are functioning. • Social age is a measure of the activity level engaged in on a regular basis. • Gerontology is the study of aging. • A gerontologist is a person who specializes in the study of aging.

4. What to Know About Aging • The cardiovascular system • As a person ages, the heart may become less efficient and blood may not circulate well. • Blood vessels may lose elasticity and become clogged, causing increased blood pressure. • To lessen changes, older people should maintain a desirable weight, exercise regularly, and follow a low-fat diet.

5. What to Know About Aging • The nervous system • Reaction time slows and short-term memory may change, but intelligence stays the same. • Degeneration of nerve cells may cause Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that causes muscle tremors, stiffness, and weakness. • To lessen changes, older people should exercise their bodies and minds regularly.

6. What to Know About Aging • The immune system • Older people have less resistance to infectious diseases and are more likely to develop chronic diseases. • A chronic disease is an illness that develops and lasts over a long period of time. • To lessen changes, older people should have regular physical exams, follow a healthful diet, and get flu shots regularly.

7. What to Know About Aging • The respiratory system • Lungs become less elastic and may not be able to hold the normal volume of air. • Older people may have an increased risk of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and flu. • Chronic bronchitis is a recurring inflammation of the bronchial tubes. • Emphysema is a condition in which alveoli lose their ability to function.

8. What to Know About Aging • The respiratory system • To lessen changes, older people should use caution in severe weather, avoid secondhand smoke, exercise regularly, and not smoke.

9. What to Know About Aging • The skeletal system • Bones become less dense, and when broken, take longer to heal. • Many older people develop arthritis, a painful inflammation of the joints. • Osteoporosis, which is more prevalent in females, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue. • To lessen changes, older people should maintain a desirable weight, exercise regularly, and choose foods with calcium.

10. What to Know About Aging • The muscular system • Muscle mass and strength decrease and the percentage of body fat increases. • To lessen changes, older people should exercise regularly and lift objects correctly.

11. What to Know About Aging • The endocrine system • There may be changes in the secretions of hormones. • Some people may develop diabetes mellitus. • Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body produces little or no insulin, or cannot use the insulin it does produce. • To lessen changes, older people should maintain a desirable weight and have regular blood tests.

12. What to Know About Aging • The digestive system • Metabolism slows, and weight may increase. • Fewer nutrients are absorbed from foods. • Some older people may lose their appetites, eat less, and become malnourished. • To lessen changes, older people should maintain a desirable weight, follow a balanced diet, limit alcohol consumption, and eat smaller meals more often.

13. What to Know About Aging • The integumentary system • Skin becomes drier and may wrinkle, age spots may appear, and hair thins and grays. • Extended exposure to sunlight earlier in life may affect how skin ages. • To lessen changes, older people should wear sunblock and a hat and use lotion to prevent dry skin.

14. What to Know About Aging • The urinary system • The size of the bladder may decrease causing more frequent urination. • Kidneys also may produce less urine. • To lessen changes, older people should drink at least eight glasses of water each day.

15. What to Know About Aging • The reproductive system • Male testosterone levels decline with age. • Menopause is a decrease in estrogen and the cessation of the menstrual cycle. • Some females choose hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is synthetic estrogen and/or progestin given to reduce the symptoms of menopause and decrease osteoporosis.

16. What to Know About Aging Mental Changes in Middle and Late Adulthood • As people age, they may lose some short-term memory. • Dementia is a general decline in all areas of mental functioning. • Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease in which protein plaque and tangles form in the brain reducing nerve cell connections, nerve cells degenerate, and the brain shrinks in size.

17. What to Know About Aging Mental Changes in Middle and Late Adulthood • Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease vary, but there are usually three stages. • In the first stage, people are forgetful, lose interest, and feel anxious and depressed. • In the second stage, people are disconnected and restless and have increased memory loss, especially for recent events. • In the third stage, people become very disoriented, confused, and completely dependent on others.

18. What to Know About Aging Social Changes in Middle and Late Adulthood • Most older people who stay active socially have better mental and physical health. • Some older people suffer from depression. • Major depression is long-lasting feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or helplessness.

20. Healthful Aging • If you want to age in a healthful way consider the words of essayist Joseph Addison: “The three grand essentials to happiness in life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”

21. How to Promote Healthful Aging • Early and middle adulthood    • You need something worthwhile and satisfying to do to stay healthy. • In early and middle adulthood, you may be engaged as a parent, or in a career.

22. How to Promote Healthful Aging • Late adulthood    • During late adulthood, you may enjoy satisfying hobbies and volunteer work. • You will have better health if you stay involved with family and friends.

23. How to Promote Healthful Aging • Something to hope for   • You need something to hope for in order to stay healthy because it gives you a reason to take care of yourself. • Elderly people benefit from having something to look forward to, such as the birth of a grandchild or the graduation of a grandchild.

24. How to Promote Healthful Aging Ten Habits That Promote Healthful Aging Make these habits part of your life: • Eat a healthful, balanced breakfast each day. • Follow the Dietary Guidelines. • Do not smoke or use other tobacco products. • Get plenty of rest and sleep. • Have regular physical examinations. • Exercise regularly. • Balance work with play. • Choose activities to keep your mind alert. • Develop healthful relationships with family members and friends. • Practice stress-management skills.

25. Being a Caregiver • As people age, most older people turn to family members and friends for assistance and support. • A caregiver is a person who provides care for a person who needs assistance.

26. What to Know About Being a Caregiver • Resources for caregivers are: • Senior centers  Senior centers are facilities where older people can be involved in classes and social activities. • Transportation assistance  Some community agencies and senior centers provide transportation. • Friendly visitors  Friendly visitors or companions volunteer to regularly visit older people who are alone.

27. What to Know About Being a Caregiver • Resources for caregivers are: • Telephone reassurance programsTelephone reassurance programs are staffed by volunteers who regularly call older people who are alone. • Home-delivered meals  Organizations, such as Meals-on-Wheels, deliver food to older people.

28. What to Know About Being a Caregiver • Resources for caregivers are: • Gatekeeper programs  People who work for the postal service or a public utilities company may be trained to notice changes that might affect the needs of the elderly and to report these changes. • Home health-care organizationsThese organizations offer a variety of services, including nursing care, medical treatment, and therapy in the home.

29. What to Know About Being a Caregiver • Resources for caregivers are: • Personal emergency response devicesThese mechanical devices help older people call for help if they are not able to reach or dial the telephone. • Adult day care programs  These programs provide health care, social activities, meals, therapy, and transportation.

30. What to Know About Being a Caregiver • Resources for caregivers are: • Respite care  Respite care is care provided by someone to relieve a caregiver of caregiving responsibilities. • Nursing homes or convalescent centersThese facilities provide 24-hour care. Medical care is provided at nursing homes. • Hospice care  Special care for people who are dying and for their families is available in a hospice.

31. What to Know About Being a Caregiver Considerations for Caregivers Six factors to consider when you are a caregiver for a family member: • the type of care the family member needs • the type of care the family member will accept • the cost of the type of care needed • the insurance coverage and financial resources of the family member • the type of care you can provide • the type of care provided by resources in the community

32. Death and Dying • Death is the permanent cessation of all vital organs. • Life-support systems can prolong life by keeping the heart and lungs functioning. • A life-support system is mechanical or other means to support life.

33. What to Know About Death and Dying • Hospices • A hospice is a facility for people who are dying and their families. • To be eligible to use a hospice, a person must have a terminal illness and be expected to die in less than six months • A terminal illness is an illness that will result in death. • Hospices can provide support at a hospital, another facility, or in someone’s home.

34. What to Know About Death and Dying • Death • Life-support systems brought about a need to define death in legal terms. • Legal death is brain death or the irreversible stopping of circulatory and respiratory functions. • Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brain stem.

35. What to Know About Death and Dying • Living wills • A living will is a document that tells what treatment a person wants in the event that he or she no longer can make decisions. • A regular will tells how a person wants his or her possessions to be distributed. • A living will would come into effect, for example, if a person in a coma cannot make his or her own decisions. • A coma is a state of unconsciousness.

36. What to Know About Death and Dying • Living wills • In a living will, a person also may make a request for medical nonintervention. • A request for medical nonintervention is a person’s refusal of specific life-support systems when there is no reasonable expectation of recovering or regaining a meaningful life.

38. Study Guide 1. Match the following terms and definitions. ___ gerontology ___ emphysema ___ dementia ___ hospice ___ coma ___ living will A. the study of aging B. a general decline in all areas of mental functioning C. a document that tells what treatment a person wants in the event that he or she can no longer make decisions D. a state of unconsciousness E. a condition in which alveoli lose their ability to function F. a facility for people who are dying and their families A E B F D C

39. Study Guide 2. Match each stage of Alzheimer’s disease with its symptoms. ___ Stage 1 ___ Stage 2 ___ Stage 3 A. People become very disoriented, confused, and completely dependent on others. B. People are forgetful, lose interest, and feel anxious and depressed. C. People are disconnected and restless and have increasedmemory loss, especially of recent events. B C A

40. Study Guide 3. What are the symptoms of menopause? During menopause, some females experience hot flashes, depression, insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and short-term memory loss.

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