LATE ADULTHOOD:

Emotional and social development

Social Responses To AgingSocial Responses To Aging

Research in major aspects of aging:– Behavior change that prevents damage and

maintains health– Psychological health of oldest old– Maximizing and maintaining productivity– Assessing mental health and treating mental

disorders

False StereotypesFalse Stereotypes

Old age last stage before death; no one wants to talk about mortality

Old age is undefined: Few rites of passage; not all are married, grandparents or retired

Many types of elders;”typical” older adult difficult to define

Positive and Negative AttitudesPositive and Negative Attitudes Factors for positive affect

– Social relationships– Reading and following news– Extroverted personality– Death of a close friend– Definite beliefs and disbeliefs– Living with other persons

Positive and Negative AttitudesPositive and Negative Attitudes

Factors for negative affect:– Neuroticism– Own major illness– Money problems– Living alone

Self-Concept and Personality Self-Concept and Personality DevelopmentDevelopment

Psychosocial Theories– Erikson’s Integrity versus Despair– Individuals recognize that they are reaching the

end of life. If they can take satisfaction in having led a successful life they will experience integrity

Psychosocial TheoriesPsychosocial Theories

Peck’s Psychosocial Tasks of Later Adulthood– Ego Differentiation Versus Work-Role

Preoccupation– Body Transcendence Versus Body

Preoccupation– Ego Transcendence Versus Ego Preoccupation

Psychosocial TheoriesPsychosocial Theories

Vaillant’s Theory of Emotional Health– Emotional health, a sense of resilience– Pragmatism and dependability– Being close to one’s siblings

A Trait Theory of AgingA Trait Theory of Aging

Major personality patterns or traits:(Neugarten, Havighurst, Tobin)– Integrated– Armor-defended– Passive-dependent– Disintegrated

Other Models of AgingOther Models of Aging Theories of psychological/sociological aging

– Disengagement Theory of Aging– Activity Theory of Aging– Role Exit Theory of Aging– Social Exchange Theory of Aging– Modernization Theory

Selective Optimization with Selective Optimization with CompensationCompensation

Life-span model endorsed by Paul and Margret Baltes.

Older people cope with aging through a strategy that involves focusing on the skills most needed, practicing those skills, and developing ways to compensate for other skills

The Third AgeThe Third Age

Includes emotional intelligence and wisdom: – “Expert knowledge about life in general and

good judgment and advice about how to conduct oneself in the face of complex, uncertain circumstances.”

Elderly will face increasingly difficult obstacles and become more vulnerable

The Fourth AgeThe Fourth Age

A Life-Span Model of A Life-Span Model of Developmental RegulationDevelopmental Regulation

Schulz and Heckhausen Control is the central theme for characterizing

human development Primary control: the external world Secondary control: the self

– Elderly able to engage and impact their environment for the longest time: the most successful

ImpactImpact

The Impact of Personal Control and Choice A Sense of Purpose “Some of the negative consequences of

aging may be retarded, reversed, or possibly prevented by returning to the aged the right to make decisions and a feeling of competence.” (Langer and Rodin)

Faith and Adjustment to AgingFaith and Adjustment to Aging

“Widows and widowers with an authentic sense of personal relationship with God cope better with the loss of their spouses than do their nonreligious peers or religious individuals who do not experience an active awareness of the presence of God in their lives.” (Rosick)

Familial Roles: Continuity and Familial Roles: Continuity and DiscontinuityDiscontinuity

Love and Marriage– Companionship, respect and the sharing of

common interests improve during later adulthood

Problems with retirement issues Marriage protects people from premature

death

Previous problems resolvedPrevious problems resolved

Widows and WidowersWidows and Widowers

More widows than widowers Elderly women higher risk to live in

poverty Most not able to afford adequate health care More likely to experience neglect and elder

abuse

Remarriage and SinglesRemarriage and Singles

Remarriage and the Elderly Half-million people over 65 remarry each

year in the U.S. Singles have more emotional and physical

pathology than marrieds Elderly singles without spouse or children:

poor social network

Lesbian and Gay ElderlyLesbian and Gay Elderly

Older gays and lesbians have reconstituted families in the form of friendship and support networks

Children or ChildlessnessChildren or Childlessness

Reciprocal intergenerational assistance 80% of elder care provided by family Elder value independence and privacy

– “Intimate distance”: living near but not with children

FamiliesFamilies

Grandparenting and Great-Grandparenting– Grandparents and grandchildren benefit from

each others’ company Siblings

– Closeness grows with age

Social and Cultural SupportSocial and Cultural Support

Friendships In terms of companionship, friends are

more important and satisfying to older people than their offspring

Only 16% of males over 65 are employed today. The right to work is viewed as an American

basic right Choice to ease to part-time employment rather

than full retirement should be an option Better health and higher socioeconomic status:

better adjustment to retirement

Retirement/EmploymentRetirement/Employment

Living ArrangementsLiving Arrangements

Living Alone at Home and Assisted-Living Services

Encourage independent living until health and cognitive problems make it impossible to remain at home safely

Living with Children and Adult Day Care Long-term care support to adults who live

in the community, providing health, and social services in a safe setting during any part of the day

Living ArrangementsLiving Arrangements

Institutional CareInstitutional Care 1.6 million elderly people in 22,000 nursing

homes Characteristics of institutionalized aged:

– Depression– Feelings of helplessness– Accelerated decline

Retirement Communities Adult Group Homes

Elder AbuseElder Abuse

Elder abuse and neglect are both acts of commission and omission that cause unnecessary suffering to older persons

Elder Abuse in the Long-Term Care Community– Patients and families can now file criminal

charges against caregivers and facilities

Elder AbuseElder Abuse Legal Definition of Abuse:

– Abuse: intentionally inflicting, or allowing someone else to inflict, bodily injury or pain

– Psychological abuse: verbal harassment, intimidation, denigration and isolation

– Neglect: Failure to provide goods, services or care necessary to maintain health

– Exploitation: Taking advantage of an older adult for monetary gain

Caregiver BurnoutCaregiver Burnout

Strategies:– Join support group– Continue activities you enjoy– Seek professional help– Get more information about burnout– Investigate adult day care options in

community

Policy Issues and AdvocacyPolicy Issues and Advocacy Policy Issues and Advocacy in an Aging

Society Supportive services include:

– Information, referral, outreach, case management, escort, transportation

– In-home services– Community services– Caregiver services