Health Sciences 2711A/B Lecture 1: Aging Trends + Terminology
20 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
ACCEPTABLE
TERMS:
• Older adults
• Elders
• Seniors
AVOID:
• Elderly
• Old
folks
• Geezers
DEFINING AGING:
• Aging begins LONG BEFORE physical signs become
obvious
• Indicators of aging:
CHRONOLOGIC
AL AGE = age
since BIRTH
▪ Used to
determine
eligibility for
programs
▪ Dominant as
legal definition
of when a
person
becomes
"older"
▪ PROXY for life
experience +
physical
functioning
FUNCTIONAL
CAPACITY =
observable
individual
attributes to
assign people
to age
categories
▪ Physical
appearanc
e
▪ Mobility
▪ Strength
▪ Mental
capacity
▪ Does NOT
always
match
LIFE STAGE (used
to classify people
into groups) =
broad age
categories loosely
based on ideas
about effects on
aging
▪ MIDDLE AGE =
most people
first become
aware that
physical aging
has noticeably
changed them
• Age
between
young
▪ Every
experience is
different
[cannot clump
age groups
together as
there is
VARIABILITY]
chronologi
cal age
▪ Analyzes
INDIVIDUA
L
ATTRIBUTE
S
adulthood
and later
adulthood
▪ LATER
ADULTHOOD =
declines in
physical
functioning
and energy
availability
begin (65+)
▪ OLD AGE =
begins around
late 70s-early
80s
• Characteriz
ed by
physical
frailty,
slower
mental
processes,
activity
restrictions
LIFE SPAN versus LIFE EXPECTANCY
• LIFE SPAN = theoretical limit on the LENGTH of life (115-
120 years)
o MAXIMUM we can live
• LIFE EXPECTANCY = average numbers of years a member
of an age category is expected to live given the base year
mortality rates
o Life we can live based off PARTICULAR AGE
CATEGORY
•
• Life expectancy FOR NEW BORN CHILD IS 82
• At 65, they might live an extra 20 years
• GREEN = highest life expectancy
• PURPLE = lowest
o 82 + 20.8 is important
o Know categories
YOUNG CHILDREN + OLDER ADULTS AS % OF GLOBAL
POPULATION:
• Almost 500 million world adults (2006)
o 1 billion older adults in 2030 projection
• AGING IS GOING UP, number of children going DOWN
• Seen both GLOBALLY and in CANADA
Document Summary
Avoid: elderly, old folks, geezers, aging begins long before physical signs become obvious. Al age = age since birth: used to determine eligibility for programs, dominant as legal definition of when a person becomes. "older: proxy for life experience + physical functioning. Capacity = observable individual attributes to assign people to age categories: physical appearanc e, mobility, strength, mental capacity. [cannot clump age groups together as there is. Adulthood = declines in physical functioning and energy availability begin (65+: old age = begins around late 70s-early. 80s: characteriz ed by physical frailty, slower mental processes, activity restrictions. Life span versus life expectancy: life span = theoretical limit on the length of life (115- 120 years: maximum we can live, life expectancy = average numbers of years a member of an age category is expected to live given the base year mortality rates, life we can live based off particular age.
