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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ageism
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Categorizing people solely on the basis of their age. This prevents them from being seen as individuals.
Declining due to: 1. Recent advances in technology 2. Data from demography |
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Demography
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Study of the populations
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Gerontology
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The study of old age. This is one of the fastest growing special field in the social sciences.
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Gariatrics
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The medical specialty devoted to aging. Most doctors in geriatrics see patients who are ill and infirm, which leads many geriatricians to consider aging as an illness.
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Dependency Ratio
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The ratio of self-sufficient, productive adults to dependents--children and the elderly. It's calculated by comparing the number of dependents with the number of self-supporting independent people, those who are between age 15 and 65. There are only 2 independent adults for every dependent person.
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Primary Aging
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The universal and irreversible physical changes that occur to living creatures as they grow older. Those occur with senescence.
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Secondary aging
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The specific physical illnesses or conditions that are more common in aging but are caused by health habits, genes and other influences that varies from person to person. This is the consequence of particular diseases.
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Eye Diseases of Aging
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Only about 10% of elderly see well, but most visual losses that occur with primary aging are not serious. About 5% of those aged 65 to 80 and about 40% of those over age 80 have more serious vision problems including: cataracts, glaucoma, and senile macular degeneration.
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Glaucoma
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A disease of the eye that can destroy vision if left untreated. It involves hardening of the eyeball due to a fluid buildup in the eye. Not very common and only 1% of those in their 70's and 10% by age 90. It can damage the optic nerve, causing sudden and total blindness.
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Cataracts
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A common eye disease among the elderly involving thickening of the lens; it can cause distorted vision if left untreated. As early as age 50, about 10% of adults have such clouding, with 3% experiencing partial loss of vision. By age 70, 30% have some visual loss because of cataracts.
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Senile Macular Degeneration
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A disease of the eye involving deterioration of the retina. It affects one in 25 people in late adulthood, and 1 in 6 over age 80. The primary symptom is partial vision such as reading with some of the letters missing. There is no cure!
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Progeria
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A genetic disease; have normal infancy, by age 5 years stop growing and begin to age with wrinkles, even baldness; intellect and memories are intact; continue to develop premature aging and die by teens.
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Compression of Morbidity
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A limiting of the time a person spends ill or infirm, accomplished by postponing illness and, once morbidity occurs, reducing the amount of time that remains before death occurs. (The reduction of the number of days and months a person is seriously ill, disabled of pain.)
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Theories of Aging:
Wear-and-Tear |
A theory of aging that states that the human body wears out because of the passage of time and exposure to environmental stressors. This is the oldest theory of aging.
Three factors that support this theory: 1. Women who have never been pregnant tend to live longer than other women because they have not worn out their bodies as much as mothers usually do. 2. People who are overweight tend to sicken and die at younger ages because they need to spend more energy maintaining their bodies. 3. One breakthrough of modern medical technology is replacement of worn out body parts-transplanted organs, artificial knees and hips, and implanted dentures. |
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Theories of Aging:
Maximum Life Theory |
This states that life span is genetically programmed into species. For humans that age is approximately 120.
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Theories of Aging:
Epigenetic Theory |
These rely on genetic explanations, one is selective adaptation, this states that the old and young people can die but the middle aged people are healthiest so they can bear children. Once this is accomplished, then illnesses start: heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. This says we all age and die in order to make room for the younger ones.
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Theories of Aging:
Cellular Theory |
States that aging results from cellular accidents which happen during cellular reproduction. These accidents can add up to cause the body to decline. Another cellular theory looks at free radicals. Oxygen free radicals can damage DNA molecules and this adds up to aging.
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Average Life Expectancy
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The number of years the average person lives. In humans this age has tended to increase over time, primarily because fewer children die in infancy.
Factors which affect this: Historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Today in the US average age for male is 74 and females 80. |
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Maximum Life Expectancy
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The oldest age to which member of a species can live, under ideal circumstances. (approximately 120)
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Atioxidants
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Compounds that nullify the effects of oxygen free radicals by forming a bond with their unattached oxygen electron. These include: vitamins A,C, and E, and the mineral selenium.
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Oxygen Free Radicals
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Atoms that, as a result of metabolic processes, have an unpaired electron. They produce errors in cell maintenance and repair that over time, may cause cancer, diabetes, and arteriosclerosis. These can damage DNA molecules and this adds up to aging.
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Body Immune System and How it Works
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Helps defend the body from outside attacks such as viruses and inside attacks such as cancer.
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True or False: Females don't have stronger immune systems than Males.
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False They do. This helps to explain the differences between males and females in sickness and in death.
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T Cells
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Manufactured in the thymus gland; attack infected cells.
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B Cells
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Manufactured in the bone marrow; creates antibodies that attack bacteria and viruses.
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True or False: With age T and B cells increase with power and production as do the systems that regulate them.
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False both T and B cells decline with age and so do the systems that regulate them.
Because the immune system is reduced by age, illness is more common and serious. |
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Centenarians
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People who are 100 years and older.
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Characteristics about Centenarians
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1. Moderate diets (fresh veggies and little meat or fat)
2. Hard work that continues through life 3. Strong ties to family and environment 4. Daily exercise and relaxation 5. Live in rural mountainous environment |
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Dying and a Good Death
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Swift, painless, dignified, and occurs at home with close friends and family.
This is difficult today because of modern medicine. |
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Hospice Care
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1. Alternative to hospital care
2. minimize suffering and makes the last days of life full of love and meaning. 3. !st hospice opened in 1950's, London, Sessile Sanders |
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Hospice Continues to:
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1. Provide skilled medical care
2. Don't defy death 3. Respect patients dignity 4. Accepts adults and children now |
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Palliative Care
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Relieves pain and suffering but doesn't treat or cure.
-Double effect happens -when...medicine for pain -two things occur...relieves pain and hastens death *They are more likely to give medicine for pain because...realized people were in pain. Destroys vitality quicker than many infections. |
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Assisted Suicide
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Someone provides means for a person to end their life. Doctor prescribes medication. (only state allowed, 1994)
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Passive Euthanasia
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Person is allowed to die naturally with no medicine assisstance
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Active Euthanasia
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Acts intentionally to end someone's life when they are suffering. ILLEGAL!
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Cultural Variations on dying
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Influenced views based on religion or culture
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Cultural variation on dying:
Muslim |
Death affirms faith in Allah, caring for the dying is a holy reminder of mortality.
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Cultural variation on dying:
Buddhist |
They see diseases and death as a part of life. (Can't help it but how you handle it is a test)
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Cultural variations on dying:
Native American |
Death is an affirmation of nature and community.
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Cultural variations on dying:
Christian |
Death is the beginning of eternity in heaven/hell and we act accordingly.
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Cultural variations on dying:
African and Asian |
Hear adults take on important new status in death.
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Cultural variations on dying:
Hindu |
The immediate family must help the dying let go of ties to the world and prepare for the next world.
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Cultural variations on dying:
Jewish |
No emphasis of death because hope for life is never extinguished.
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Kubler-Ross' 5 Stages of Death:
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1.Denial
2.Anger 3.Bargaining 4.Depression 5.Acceptance |
