{"id":381,"date":"2014-09-29T20:37:48","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T20:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/lifespandevelopment1x1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=381"},"modified":"2019-01-07T14:28:24","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T14:28:24","slug":"introduction-to-late-adulthood","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/chapter\/introduction-to-late-adulthood\/","title":{"raw":"Late Adulthood","rendered":"Late Adulthood"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Describe age categories of late adulthood<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Defining Late Adulthood:\u00a0Age or Quality of Life?<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_546\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"247\"]<img class=\"wp-image-546 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1496\/2014\/09\/16212836\/late-adult-247x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Smiling headshot of 60-year old man with white beard and glasses\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" \/> Photo Courtesy Overstreet[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\">We are considered in late adulthood from the time we reach our mid-sixties until death.<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993366;\">Because we are living longer, late adulthood is getting longer. Whether we start counting at 65, as demographers may suggest, there is a greater proportion of people alive in late adulthood than anytime in world history.\u00a0<\/span>In this module, we will learn how many people are in late adulthood, how that number is expected to change, and how life changes and continues to be the same as before in late adulthood.\u00a0About 13 percent of the U. S. population or 38.9 million Americans are 65 and older (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). This number is expected to grow to 88.5 million by the year 2050 at which time people over 65 will make up 20 percent of the population. This\u00a0group varies considerably and is divided into categories of\u00a065 plus,\u00a085 plus, and\u00a0centenarians\u00a0for comparison by the census. Developmentalists, however,\u00a0divide this population in to categories based on health and social well-being. Optimal aging\u00a0refers to those who enjoy better health and social well-being than average. Normal aging\u00a0refers to those who seem to have the same health and social concerns as most of those in the population. However, there is still much being done to understand exactly what normal aging means. Impaired aging\u00a0refers to those who experience poor health and dependence to a greater extent than would be considered normal. Aging successfully involves making adjustments as needed in order to continue living as independently and actively as possible. This is referred to as\u00a0selective optimization with compensation\u00a0and means, for example, that a person who can no longer drive, is able to find alternative transportation. Or a person who is compensating for having less energy, learns how to reorganize the daily routine to avoid over-exertion. Perhaps nurses and other allied health professionals working with this population will begin to focus more on helping patients remain independent than on simply treating illnesses. Promoting health and independence are important for successful aging.\r\n<h2>Age Categories: <em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The young old<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>65 to 74<\/h2>\r\nThese 18.3 million Americans tend to report greater health and social well-being than older adults.\u00a0Having good or excellent health is reported by 41 percent of this age group (Center for Disease Control, 2004).\u00a0Their lives are more similar to those of midlife adults than those who are 85 and older.\u00a0This group is less likely to require long-term care, to be dependent or to be poor, and more likely to be married, working for pleasure rather than income, and living independently.\u00a0About 65 percent of men and 50 percent of women between the ages of 65-69 continue to work full-time (He et al., 2005). Physical activity tends to decrease with age, despite the dramatic health benefits enjoyed by those who exercise.\u00a0People with more education and income are more likely to continue being physically active.\u00a0And males are more likely to engage in physical activity than are females.\u00a0The majority of the young-old continue to live independently.\u00a0Only about 3 percent of those 65-74 need help with daily living skills as compared with about 22.9 percent of people over 85.\u00a0(Another way to consider think of this is that 97 percent of people between 65-74 and 77 percent of people over 85 do not require assistance!)\u00a0This\u00a0age group is less likely to experience heart disease, cancer, or stroke than the old, but nearly as likely to experience depression (U. S. Census, 2005).\r\n<h2><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><em>The old old\u00a0<\/em><\/span>75 to 84<\/h2>\r\nThis age group is more likely to experience limitations on physical activity due to chronic disease such as arthritis, heart conditions, hypertension (especially for women), and hearing or visual impairments.\u00a0Rates of death due to heart disease, cancer, and cerebral vascular disease are double that experienced by people 65-74.\u00a0Poverty rates are 3 percent higher (12 percent) than for those between 65 and 74. However, the majority of these 12.9 million Americans live independently or with relatives.\u00a0Widowhood is more common in this group-especially among women.\r\n<h2><em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The oldest old<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>85 plus<\/h2>\r\nThe number of people 85 and older is 34 times greater than in 1900 and now includes 5.7 million Americans.\u00a0This group is more likely to require long-term care and to be in nursing homes.\u00a0However, of the 38.9 million American over 65, only 1.6 million require nursing home care. Sixty-eight percent live with relatives and 27 percent live alone (He et al., 2005; U. S. Census Bureau, 2011).\r\n<h2><em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Centenarians<\/h2>\r\nThere are 104,754 people over 100 years of\u00a0aging living in the United States. This number is expected to increase to 601,000 by the year 2050 (U. S. Census Bureau,\u00a02011). The majority is between ages 100 and 104 and eighty percent are women.\u00a0Out of almost 7 billion people on the planet, about 25 are over 110.\u00a0Most live in Japan, a few live the in United States and three live in France (National Institutes of Health, 2006).\u00a0These \"super-Centenarians\" have led varied lives and probably do not give us any single answers about living longer.\u00a0Jeanne Clement smoked until she was 117.\u00a0She lived to be 122.\u00a0She also ate a diet rich in olive oil and rode a bicycle until she was 100.\u00a0Her family had a history of longevity. Pitskhelauri (in Berger, 2005) suggests that moderate diet, continued work and activity, inclusion in family and community life, and exercise and relaxation are important ingredients for long life.\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nWhat is the approximate age of onset of late adulthood?\r\n\r\na. 50\r\n\r\n~feedback: Incorrect. This age is considered middle adulthood\r\n\r\nb. 65*\r\n\r\n~feedback: Correct. The young old are 65 - 74 years old\r\n\r\nc. 75\r\n\r\n~feedback: Incorrect. The old old are between 75 and 84\r\n\r\nd. 85\r\n\r\n~feedback: Incorrect. The oldest old are 85 and older\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>The \"Graying\" of America and the globe:<\/h2>\r\nThis trend toward an increasingly aged population has been referred to as the \"graying of America.\"\u00a0However, populations are aging in most other countries of the world.\u00a0(One exception to this is in sub-Saharan Africa where mortality rates are high due to HIV\/AIDS) (He et al., 2005).\u00a0There are 520 million people over 65 worldwide. This number is expected to increase to 1.53 billion by 2050 (from 8 percent to 17 percent of the global population.) Currently, four countries, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Monaco, have 20 percent of their population over 65. China has the highest number of people over 65 at 112 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011).\r\n\r\nAs the population ages, concerns grow about who will provide for those requiring long-term care.\u00a0In 2000, there were about 10 people 85 and older for every 100 persons between ages 50 and 64.\u00a0These midlife adults are the most likely care providers for their aging parents.\u00a0The number of old requiring support from their children is expected to more than double by the year 2040 (He et al., 2005).\u00a0These families will certainly need external physical, emotional, and financial support in meeting this challenge.","rendered":"<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe age categories of late adulthood<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Defining Late Adulthood:\u00a0Age or Quality of Life?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_546\" style=\"width: 257px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-546\" class=\"wp-image-546 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images-archive-read-only\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1496\/2014\/09\/16212836\/late-adult-247x300.jpeg\" alt=\"Smiling headshot of 60-year old man with white beard and glasses\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-546\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy Overstreet<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: #ffff00;\">We are considered in late adulthood from the time we reach our mid-sixties until death.<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #993366;\">Because we are living longer, late adulthood is getting longer. Whether we start counting at 65, as demographers may suggest, there is a greater proportion of people alive in late adulthood than anytime in world history.\u00a0<\/span>In this module, we will learn how many people are in late adulthood, how that number is expected to change, and how life changes and continues to be the same as before in late adulthood.\u00a0About 13 percent of the U. S. population or 38.9 million Americans are 65 and older (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011). This number is expected to grow to 88.5 million by the year 2050 at which time people over 65 will make up 20 percent of the population. This\u00a0group varies considerably and is divided into categories of\u00a065 plus,\u00a085 plus, and\u00a0centenarians\u00a0for comparison by the census. Developmentalists, however,\u00a0divide this population in to categories based on health and social well-being. Optimal aging\u00a0refers to those who enjoy better health and social well-being than average. Normal aging\u00a0refers to those who seem to have the same health and social concerns as most of those in the population. However, there is still much being done to understand exactly what normal aging means. Impaired aging\u00a0refers to those who experience poor health and dependence to a greater extent than would be considered normal. Aging successfully involves making adjustments as needed in order to continue living as independently and actively as possible. This is referred to as\u00a0selective optimization with compensation\u00a0and means, for example, that a person who can no longer drive, is able to find alternative transportation. Or a person who is compensating for having less energy, learns how to reorganize the daily routine to avoid over-exertion. Perhaps nurses and other allied health professionals working with this population will begin to focus more on helping patients remain independent than on simply treating illnesses. Promoting health and independence are important for successful aging.<\/p>\n<h2>Age Categories: <em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The young old<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>65 to 74<\/h2>\n<p>These 18.3 million Americans tend to report greater health and social well-being than older adults.\u00a0Having good or excellent health is reported by 41 percent of this age group (Center for Disease Control, 2004).\u00a0Their lives are more similar to those of midlife adults than those who are 85 and older.\u00a0This group is less likely to require long-term care, to be dependent or to be poor, and more likely to be married, working for pleasure rather than income, and living independently.\u00a0About 65 percent of men and 50 percent of women between the ages of 65-69 continue to work full-time (He et al., 2005). Physical activity tends to decrease with age, despite the dramatic health benefits enjoyed by those who exercise.\u00a0People with more education and income are more likely to continue being physically active.\u00a0And males are more likely to engage in physical activity than are females.\u00a0The majority of the young-old continue to live independently.\u00a0Only about 3 percent of those 65-74 need help with daily living skills as compared with about 22.9 percent of people over 85.\u00a0(Another way to consider think of this is that 97 percent of people between 65-74 and 77 percent of people over 85 do not require assistance!)\u00a0This\u00a0age group is less likely to experience heart disease, cancer, or stroke than the old, but nearly as likely to experience depression (U. S. Census, 2005).<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #993366;\"><em>The old old\u00a0<\/em><\/span>75 to 84<\/h2>\n<p>This age group is more likely to experience limitations on physical activity due to chronic disease such as arthritis, heart conditions, hypertension (especially for women), and hearing or visual impairments.\u00a0Rates of death due to heart disease, cancer, and cerebral vascular disease are double that experienced by people 65-74.\u00a0Poverty rates are 3 percent higher (12 percent) than for those between 65 and 74. However, the majority of these 12.9 million Americans live independently or with relatives.\u00a0Widowhood is more common in this group-especially among women.<\/p>\n<h2><em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The oldest old<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>85 plus<\/h2>\n<p>The number of people 85 and older is 34 times greater than in 1900 and now includes 5.7 million Americans.\u00a0This group is more likely to require long-term care and to be in nursing homes.\u00a0However, of the 38.9 million American over 65, only 1.6 million require nursing home care. Sixty-eight percent live with relatives and 27 percent live alone (He et al., 2005; U. S. Census Bureau, 2011).<\/p>\n<h2><em><span style=\"color: #993366;\">The\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Centenarians<\/h2>\n<p>There are 104,754 people over 100 years of\u00a0aging living in the United States. This number is expected to increase to 601,000 by the year 2050 (U. S. Census Bureau,\u00a02011). The majority is between ages 100 and 104 and eighty percent are women.\u00a0Out of almost 7 billion people on the planet, about 25 are over 110.\u00a0Most live in Japan, a few live the in United States and three live in France (National Institutes of Health, 2006).\u00a0These &#8220;super-Centenarians&#8221; have led varied lives and probably do not give us any single answers about living longer.\u00a0Jeanne Clement smoked until she was 117.\u00a0She lived to be 122.\u00a0She also ate a diet rich in olive oil and rode a bicycle until she was 100.\u00a0Her family had a history of longevity. Pitskhelauri (in Berger, 2005) suggests that moderate diet, continued work and activity, inclusion in family and community life, and exercise and relaxation are important ingredients for long life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>What is the approximate age of onset of late adulthood?<\/p>\n<p>a. 50<\/p>\n<p>~feedback: Incorrect. This age is considered middle adulthood<\/p>\n<p>b. 65*<\/p>\n<p>~feedback: Correct. The young old are 65 &#8211; 74 years old<\/p>\n<p>c. 75<\/p>\n<p>~feedback: Incorrect. The old old are between 75 and 84<\/p>\n<p>d. 85<\/p>\n<p>~feedback: Incorrect. The oldest old are 85 and older<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The &#8220;Graying&#8221; of America and the globe:<\/h2>\n<p>This trend toward an increasingly aged population has been referred to as the &#8220;graying of America.&#8221;\u00a0However, populations are aging in most other countries of the world.\u00a0(One exception to this is in sub-Saharan Africa where mortality rates are high due to HIV\/AIDS) (He et al., 2005).\u00a0There are 520 million people over 65 worldwide. This number is expected to increase to 1.53 billion by 2050 (from 8 percent to 17 percent of the global population.) Currently, four countries, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Monaco, have 20 percent of their population over 65. China has the highest number of people over 65 at 112 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2011).<\/p>\n<p>As the population ages, concerns grow about who will provide for those requiring long-term care.\u00a0In 2000, there were about 10 people 85 and older for every 100 persons between ages 50 and 64.\u00a0These midlife adults are the most likely care providers for their aging parents.\u00a0The number of old requiring support from their children is expected to more than double by the year 2040 (He et al., 2005).\u00a0These families will certainly need external physical, emotional, and financial support in meeting this challenge.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-381\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Laura Overstreet. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/\">http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":74,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Psyc 200 Lifespan Psychology\",\"author\":\"Laura Overstreet\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/opencourselibrary.org\/econ-201\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-381","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":1437,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/381\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1486,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/381\/revisions\/1486"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/1437"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/381\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=381"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=381"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-lifespandevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}