Feldman tells us: “(m)iddle adulthood is generally a healthy period, but people become more susceptible to … arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension, and they have a higher death rate than before. However, the death rate among people in middle adulthood in the United States has been steadily declining” (2011, p. 506). Middle adults of higher socioeconomic status have fewer incidents of disease and middle adults of lower socioeconomic have more incidents of disease (Feldman 2011). People gain weight, decline in height and strength, and the lens of the eyes change causing diminished night vision; middle adults, also, experience declines in near vision and awareness of three dimensions (Feldman 2011). Also, cases of glaucoma, one of the diseases that causes blindness, increases during middle adulthood; hearing ability also declines, this involves being unable to pick some high-frequency sounds and some loss of “sound localization” (Feldman, 2011, p.505).
Bone density begins to decrease after age 30 for both men and women, but the effects are more severe in women, especially after they have gone through menopause. Once estrogen production is halted, the osteoblasts are no longer excited by the hormone and therefore production of new bone slows down considerably. Of course, this slowing is not only contributed to menopause, but to age as Case Study 6 -
UNIT 4222-656 Understand the factors affecting older people Outcome 1 1) As adults age, many changes occur: memory loss, bones and joints, eyes and ears, digestive and metabolic, urogenital, dental, skin and functional abilities problems. 2) Aging is inevitable and is in a sense a gradual loss of life functions. The process is unique and different for each individual. While for some aging means grey hair, few kilos or bad hearing, for others is a much more complex transformation, because the aging process brings social and emotional change and loss into their lives. Older relatives die, then loss of a spouse affects many.
Life Span Development Robert Diaz 9/9/13 PSY/375 Shaun-Katherine Robles The human life is developed from the time a person is born until their death. However long (or short) a person's life span is, over time, they develop both physically and cognitively. Many psychological researchers look to see how a person develops and why. Prominent figures in psychology like Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget, along with so many others, have spent good portions of their own lifespan trying to answer these questions and give a better picture of how a person develops throughout their entire lives. Both Piaget and Freud looked at development over a life span in stages.
Many people in late-adulthood experience weight loss because of loss of lean body mass, rather than fat reduction in the torso. Additionally, the continuing development of wrinkles and sagging alters one’s facial appearance. Skin aging can increase from extended exposure to sun and other elements. Many individuals will experience thinning and graying of the hair because of genetic factors. Furthermore, reduced vision, hearing loss, reduced motor ability, cardiovascular changes, respiratory changes, loss in bone strength, loss in flexibility,
ATCH causes the adrenal cortex to enlarge and release cortisol - this can then weaken the immune system. Therefore, if the body receives too much stress, it can result in serious illness. Gerra (2003) investigated the death of a spouse and how it affects the immune system. Individuals who had recently experienced an unexpected bereavement showed lower lymphocyte activity compared to matched non-bereaved controls. This difference was observed 40 days after the death and in some participants, still continued after six months.
The human skeleton grows and strengthens until about the age of 18 in women and 21 in men. However, bone tissue continues to grow until around the age of 30 then our bones gradually deteriorate. One loss is especially rapid with women the first few years after menopause. As we grow older our bone density decreases and bones become thinner and more fragile, our bones lose calcium and other minerals, this is known as osteoporosis. Posture can become progressively compress
“How Humans Develop of a Lifespan” Human growth and development over a lifespan ranges variously among different lifestyles and physical stages of persons. I believe that development both physically and mentally are dependent on three things. These three contributions of human development are brain development, experience, and one’s adaptation to their own environment. After considering the following factors that influence human growth and development, I have come to my own opinion of humans develop. Brain development alters over time and heredity may play a vital role in one’s mental development.
As the majority of the population becomes older than 65, disability and its secondary consequences become major issues. While it is true that more than half of Americans do not follow the recommendation of 30 minutes of exercise per day, five or more times per week, persons with disabilities report even higher rates of inactivity and of obesity. They are also more likely to smoke. Barriers to Exercise Some barriers to regular exercise faced by persons with disabilities include cost of membership to fitness centers, lack of transportation, lack of information regarding available wheelchair-accessible facilities and programs, lack of accessible equipment in the centers, lack of available/affordable equipment for home use, and the perception that fitness centers are unfriendly environments for people with disabilities. Additionally, many persons with disabilities don't know what exercise program is suitable for their particular condition.
(We slowly start to loose our brain cells as we age beyond our 20’s) Familydoctor, (2013). This is described as age related cognitive decline not dementia, Dementia is two or more forms of symptoms that are difficult enough to affect a persons ability to perform their activities of daily living. At the moment there is no medical cure for dementia, although there are treatment and medication that focus on reducing the severity of the symptoms while slowing down the progression