169 Summary
Dinesh Ramoo
Key Takeaways
- Late adulthood spans the time when we reach our mid-sixties until death.
- Late adulthood, which includes those aged sixty-five and older, is the fastest growing age division of the US population.
- Lifespan or maximum lifespan is referred to as the greatest age reached by any member of a given population (or species). For humans, the lifespan is currently between 120 and 125.
- Life expectancy is defined as the average number of years that members of a population (or species) live.
- Programmed theories state that aging follows a biological timetable, possibly a continuation of childhood development.
- Damage or error theories of aging emphasize environmental factors that cause cumulative damage in organisms.
- A healthy diet is necessary for older adults to increase mental acuteness, resist illness and disease, boost energy levels, improve immune system strength and recuperation speed, and have greater effectiveness in the management of chronic health problems.
- Chronic illnesses are illnesses that are ongoing, generally incurable conditions that require continuing medical attention and affect daily life.
- The brain loses 5 to 10 percent of its weight between ages twenty and ninety.
- Pragmatics of intelligence are cultural exposure to facts and procedures that are maintained as one ages and are similar to crystalized intelligence.
- Mechanics of intelligence are dependent on brain functioning and decline with age, similar to fluid intelligence.
- Wisdom is the ability to use the accumulated knowledge about practical matters that allows for sound judgment and decision-making.
- A major neurocognitive disorder is diagnosed as a significant cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in one or more cognitive domains and interferes with independent functioning.
- A minor neurocognitive disorder is diagnosed as a modest cognitive decline from a previous level of performance in one of more cognitive domains and does not interfere with independent functioning.
- Ageism is prejudice based on age.
- Being the target of stereotypes can adversely affect individuals’ performance on tasks because they worry they will confirm the cultural stereotypes, which is known as stereotype threat.
- According to Erikson, the last psychosocial stage is integrity vs. despair, which is a retrospective accounting of one’s life to date; how much one embraces life as having been well lived, as opposed to regretting missed opportunities.
