HDFS 1070 Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: Ageism, Plastic Surgery, Great Fear
23 Jan 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Later Adulthood & Very Old Age
Age is a poor guide for understanding the unique developmental issues of people as
they get older.
- don’t know where it begins and ends
- we’re living longer than ever before, dealing with a variety of health aging issues
- stage and age is differentiated by your health and stage of life, more psychological than
chronological
Health and Psychological outlook → more important
Growing Old in America
- different than other countries, in most countries elderly people are respected, U.S. →
looked upon as a burden and inconvenience, in America age segregates themselves,
don’t stay in your communities because in a way you’re not welcome, encourage elderly
to segregate themselves geographically and physically, don’t respect contribution they
make → referred to as ageism, making attributions of the elderly before you even know
them “Why are they here?”, result = young people lose out on meaningful contact with
old people and vice versa (old people have become invisible)
● Ageism in America: stereotypical and prejudicial outlook of elderly; discriminate,
group profiling; why the elderly age segregate themselves; both the aging and
younger people lose out from the loss of contact
● exists because of lack of meaningful contacts of people within this group
Individual Development Transitions
Behavioral Slowing & Frailty
● distinction between slowing and frailty
○ slowing- physiological changes that occur that result in the aging process
(eyesight gets worse), increase in rate of behavioral slowing in old age
■ psychological stressor
○ Frailty implies some level of Assistance with Daily Living (ADL)
■ may need help driving at night, can’t change windows → might require
assistance with feeding, medication
■ could lead to loss of identity
■ eventually everyone becomes frail, doesn’t always have to be same age
● Frailty as an Identity Disruption
○ I am old, not young
○ I am no long self-sufficient
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Age is a poor guide for understanding the unique developmental issues of people as they get older. Don"t know where it begins and ends. We"re living longer than ever before, dealing with a variety of health aging issues stage and age is differentiated by your health and stage of life, more psychological than chronological. Ageism in america: stereotypical and prejudicial outlook of elderly; discriminate, group profiling; why the elderly age segregate themselves; both the aging and younger people lose out from the loss of contact. Exists because of lack of meaningful contacts of people within this group. Slowing- physiological changes that occur that result in the aging process (eyesight gets worse), increase in rate of behavioral slowing in old age. Frailty implies some level of assistance with daily living (adl) May need help driving at night, can"t change windows might require assistance with feeding, medication. Eventually everyone becomes frail, doesn"t always have to be same age.
