NCM 114: Perspectives on Aging

• NCM 114 focuses on the care of the older adult.
• Instructor for this course is Jan Carlo B. Evangelista.

Perspectives on Aging

• The meaning of aging and elders is determined by society and culture.
• History and gender can influence the perception of aging.
• In the 1600s, the American Puritan community viewed aging as a sacred pilgrimage to God.
• People in late life were revered in the 1600s.
• In the late 1800s, aging was devalued, and youth was seen as a symbol of growth and expansion.
• Social Security was established in 1935.
• The age of 65 was the standard for being considered "old" in 1935.
• In the 2000s, "old" is moving toward 70, with extended eligibility for retirement.

Psychological Classifications of Age

• "Young-old" is roughly 65 to 74 years of age.
• "Middle-old" is 75 to 84 years of age.
• "Old-old" includes those over 85.

Centenarians and Supercentenarians

• Centenarians are those 100 years of age and older.
• Centenarians represent the most rapidly growing group today.
• Supercentenarians are people over 110 years old.

Definition of Terms

• Aging is the progressive accumulation of changes that increase susceptibility to disease and death, associated with time, (Harman, 1981).
• Ageism is a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old, (Butler, 1974).
• Geriatrics is the study of the diseases of older adults.
• Gerontology is the preferred term for the normal aging process.
• Gerontology encompasses the total phenomenon of aging including biological, psychosocial, and spiritual aspects.
• Gerontologic nursing is a branch of nursing concerned with assessing the health needs of older adults, planning/implementing care and evaluating effectiveness.
• The American Nurses Association (ANA) stated in 1976 that gerontological nursing aims to identify and use older adults' strengths to maximize independence.
• Aging is a developmental process.

Chronologic, Biologic and Psychologic Age

• Chronologic age is based solely on the passage of time.
• Chronologic age is a person's age in years and has limited significance in terms of health.
• Likelihood of developing health problems increases with age; health issues, not normal aging, primarily cause functional loss.
• Chronologic age helps predict many health problems and has some legal and financial uses.
• Biologic age refers to changes in the body that commonly occur as people age.
• Some people are biologically old at 65, while others are not until a decade or more later, due to varying effects.
• Noticeable differences in apparent age among people of similar chronologic age are typically due to lifestyle, habits, and disease.
• Psychological age is based on how people act and feel.
• An 80-year-old who works, plans, looks forward, and participates in activities is considered psychologically younger.
• Healthy, active individuals often do not require a geriatrician's expertise until 70, 75, or 80 years old.
• Some individuals with medical conditions require a geriatrician at a younger chronological age.

Demography of Aging

• Cohort refers to a group sharing a common experience.
• Cohorts include those born within the same decade/country, sharing historical contexts.
• Men born between 1920 and 1930 were likely active in World War II or the Korean War.
• Men born between 1940 and 1950 were likely involved in the Vietnam conflict.
• Privileged women born between 1920 and 1930 were raised with traditional roles.
• These women restricted to "women's work," such as housekeeping, teaching, and nursing.
• Women born between 1940 and 1950 had pressure to work outside the home.
• This cohort of women had more opportunities, partly due to the feminist revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.
• Gender can significantly affect various aspects of aging.
• Women usually live longer than men and live alone after widowhood.
• Men who survive their wives often remarry and live alone less often than women.
• Women usually have larger social networks outside work, potentially reducing social isolation after the death of a spouse or companion.

Global Aging

• By 2050, the number of persons aged 60+ worldwide will likely exceed those younger than 15 for the first time in recorded history.
• This trend is most notable in developing or low-income countries.