Gerontology

The study of understanding factors that influence people's lives biological, psychological, social, political

Geriatrics

Clinic study and treatment of older people and diseases that affect them

Aging

• Young - old (65-74)
• Old - Old (75-84)
• Oldest Old (85 & Older

• Emphasis on autonomy choice with aging.

• A model of viewing aging as a positive experience of continued growth and participation in family, community, societial activies, regardless of physical and cognitive decline

Person environmental perspective on social gerontology

• A model that suggests that the environment changes continually as the elder take from it what he/she needs

• Controls what can be modified and adjusts to conditions that can't be changed

Growth of older population

Changes in life expectancy.

• Females born 2005 expect to reach 80.4
• Males expected to reach 75.2

In the year 2050

• Females 84.5 Years
• Males 80 Years

Growth of Older Population

• Oldest old
  • 85 & older grows more rapidly than other age group in the US
  • 2005 - 36.8 million older than age 65

Centenarians

1 in 26 americans can expect to live to 100 by 2025

vs.

1 in 500 american can expect to live to 100 in 2000

World Wide Trends

• Pace of economic development in countries has resulted in shifts from rural agricultural societies to urbanize industrial landscapes with changes in social and family structures.
• Combination of the increased population of older adults world wide/culture changes economic patterns may disrupt tradional family and soical structures

Demographic Changes

• # of people ages 65 and older in the world is expected to increase from an extimated 420 million in 2000 to 974 million in 2030.
• Expected growth of older population differ substantially between industrialized and developed countries
• 60% elders live in devloping countries

Economic Implications for Industrialized Countries

Strategies respond to demographic changes and recongnize value of older workers.

1. Redirect recruting/training and offer retraining
2. Retention by alternative flexible cond.
3. Preserve knowledge mature workers possess
4. Facilitate intergenerational communication
5. Assist in learning/using technology

Modernization Theory

Advances in technology, applied sciences, urbanization, and literacy which in this context are at a decline in the status of older people.

Effects of Modernization

Characteristics of modernization that led to low status of elders:

1. Health technology
2. Scientific technology
3. Urbanization
4. Literacy
5. Mass education

Cross cultural view of old age in contemporary society

Societies generally distinguish 2 or 3 classes of elders

1. Those who are no longer fully productive but are physically and mentally able to do adl's
2. Those who are totally dependent
3. Those who continue to actively participate in the economy of the social system

Immigrants to the US

1. Less likely educated
2. Less likely to be proficient in English
3. More likely to live in poverty
4. Less likely to have health insurance
5. Less likely to use health and social services
6. More likely than US born peers to recieve government benefits

Wear / Tear theory

States aging occurs because of the system wearing out over time.

Autoimmune theory

Hypothesis that aging is a function of the bodies immune system becoming defective, producing antibodies against itself.

Cross linkage theory

Focuses on the changes in the protein called collegen with age