There are many changes that a late adult goes through physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. We will discuss these topics throughout this essay and show some real life examples supporting these statements. We will be discussing all the previously mentioned subjects and relating them to my grandmother. First and probably the most obvious of the topics is how a late adult changes is physically. We will divide this into six different subtopics: * “Nervous system impairments show up more after age 60, as the brain tissue declines due to loss of neurons and larger ventricles within the brain. “Temperature management Is poorer as the autonomic nervous system Is less efficient” * “Sensory Systems – there is reduced sensitivity with aging. * Vision is reduced in dim light, and in nearby focus, as well as color perception. * Cataracts are cloudy areas in the lens which blur vision and can cause blindness if there is no surgery. There is poorer dark adaptation when coming in from the light. Depth perception is also compromised since binocular vision declines, as well as visual acuity. Muscular degeneration occurs when light-sensitive cells In the Macaulay, the central region of he retina break down, resulting In blurry central vision, and eventual blindness. Elders also are at higher risk of stumbling and serious falls at this point, as they don’t see changes in the floor and accommodate smoothly. * Hearing is impaired with reduced blood supply and death of the sense organs in the ear, the cilia, as well as the auditory cortex in the brain. The eardrum also stiffens, so not as much sensation gets to the inner ear. High frequencies are first to go.
It Is harder to dullness’s speech In loud environments, especially after age 70 ” ; “Taste and Mel declines somewhat, and people may have difficulty recognizing familiar foods by taste alone. Smell receptors are lost after age 60, and odor perception often becomes distorted in late adulthood. ” * “Touch perception declines after age 70. There is a loss of touch receptors as well as a slowing of blood circulation in the * “Cardiovascular and respiratory systems are affected by aging as extremities. ” the heart muscle becomes more rigid and some cells enlarge, thickening the left ventricle.
Arteries stiffen and accumulate plaque. So the heart pumps with less force, and blood flow slows. So during activity, sufficient oxygen may not be delivered to critical tissues. Lung tissue also loses elasticity, & capacity is reduced by half. The blood absorbs less oxygen and expels less carbon dioxide. ” * “Immune system declines as T cells become less effective. ” * “Sleep is essential for healthy functioning all one’s life, but as we age, sleep is harder to come by, as elders sleep less, more lightly, and have more trouble going to sleep. Sleep apneas Sis condition where breathing ceases for 10 sec. Or more, causing the person to awaken with a start to breathe again. ” * “Physical appearance and mobility involve changes n the skin, hair, facial structure, and body build. The face most often shows the ravages of aging skin. The only structures to continue to grow are the nose and ears, as cartilage continues to grow. Hair thins and loses pigment. Height declines as the spine collapses with bone loss.
Mobility declines as muscle strength declines- 30 – in one way or another, here are some examples: * Nervous System: She cannot control her body well, little thing such a eating have become hard and frustrating for her. She cannot get the utensil to her mouth sometimes or often spills whatever she is eating or drinking. She stays cold and requires the heat to be on making it uncomfortable for others to be with her. * Sensory System: Her sensory system has suffered some with only a decline in vision, “night blindness” is very bad for her.
Her taste has changed also, not becoming worse, Just changing. She enjoys different foods than she did before and disliked others that she use to like. * Cardiovascular and Respiratory System: These have declined some and I assume it to be associated with inactivity due to nervous system break down. Cardiac wise she is doing excellent for her age and respiratory she is doing well too, but you can definitely tell a decline room her earlier years. * Immune System: She stays fairly healthy other than the occasional cold she does not suffer from anything else normally.
Hospital stays are non- existent for her. * Sleep: This is one that has changed drastically with her; she does not sleep much at night and constantly has to get up to use the restroom. Conversely, she naps much more during the day. * Physical appearance and mobility: Her skin has become thin, wrinkly and now has many age spots. Hair has become thinner, but color has stayed almost the same, brunette. She does look more frail and weak now. She has lost a few inches too. Muscle strength has dramatically declined, as she is not able to do many things without the help of others.
Another popular topic when discussing late adults is there mental status and how they progress. Most seem to progress vary linear with age, as they get older normally mental status will decline. Mental disabilities are really only shown when there is severe cell death and structural or chemical abnormalities in the brain. * “Dementia is a set of disorders that occur mostly in old age in which many aspects of thought and behavior are so impaired that everyday activities are disrupted. Usually the person can no longer live alone. % of those 65 have dementia, but that rate increases with age- especially after age 75. It is 50% after 85 years old. There are a variety of causes of dementia, and some are reversible, such as medication interactions. Parkinson disease happens when neurons in the subtropical regions deteriorate, leaving symptoms of tremors, shuffling gait, loss of facial expression, rigidity of limbs, poor balance, stooped posture. It is very unusual to see it in a person the age of Michael J. Fox. There are cortical dementia- Alchemist’s disease and cardiovascular dementia. “Alchemist’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, in which structural and chemical brain deterioration is associated with loss of thought, behavior, and personality. Alchemist’s disease is responsible for 60% of all dementia. 5% of deaths of the elderly involve Alchemist’s. ” * “Memory- older adults are taking in information more slowly, and they use strategies less, can’t inhibit irrelevant information and retrieve important information from long-term memory. So memory failure increases. Slower processing speed means there will be less retained from current activities.
They also forget context, which helps us recall information. Recognition memory does not decline as much as in older age: finding the right words and planning what to say and how to say it. Their speech will have more pronouns, unclear references, they will speak more slowly, pause more often, have trouble finding the right words. There will be more hesitations, false starts, sentence fragments, word repetitions as they age. They tend to simplify their grammatical structures, so they can better retrieve the words they * “Problem solving- problem solving declines in late adulthood so married want. People tend to collaborate more in problem-solving. They will be better at solving problems they think are under their control. They will make more rapid decisions in areas of health, as that is an area they feel they have learned a lot about. ” “Wisdom includes practical knowledge, ability to reflect on and apply that knowledge, emotional maturity, listening skills, and creativity in a way that helps others. This does increase with age. It occurs as people deal with more difficulties in life and find various means to adapt to change. Those with wisdom tend to have better education and are physically healthier.
It requires insight into the human condition and often follows that people with this ability are found in high positions in business and politics and religion. ” My grandmother has huge mental problems due to dementia. Her short term memory is non- existent, long term from her past is still there. Language skills have some to be desired. She frequently cannot remember what words to use or how to complete a sentence. Sometimes this is a barrier for those trying to help her. Problem solving has been reduced to child’s puzzles and light quizzes. She did use to have wisdom, but now with her declining mental state she ally does not offer up much.
The topics emotional and social will be grouped together, as many times that goes hand in hand with one another. Late adults tend to be either one way or the other when it comes to these two topics. They are very active or not active at all, sometimes almost recluse. Recent research has shown that “3% of those over 65 are moderately or severely depressed. ” Many times this is linked to how social they are. Emotionally they are coping with seeing times change drastically and fitting into that change. This can be very hard for some and sometimes they become very anti-social because of his.
