The Aged – Winter 07

Lecture 1 – Chapter 1

Which fish is older?

Can you see a phenotype?

Which gorilla is older?

Is the gorilla older than me?

Which is older?

Red Sea Urchin & A. Eastern box turtle, B: Galapagos tortoise

133 yrs 177 yrs

200 yrs

Is Aging Universal?

Similar molecular and cellular changes of aging are found throughout the animal kingdom, including animals as tiny and simple as this roundworm

Is Aging Individual?

All individuals in a species experience the same basic changes of aging, but each individual's experience is unique. Each body has its own timetable for aging

Is Aging Disease?

Aging is not a disease, but the risk of diseaseincreases with age

Our current understanding is that the changes of aging cannot be prevented or reversed

Is Aging Irreversible?

Changes of aging cannot be prevented or reversed, but many may be minimized or delayed by a healthy lifestyle

Is Aging Preventable?

Humans age gradually over an entire lifetime (cells, tissues, organs and systems)

Is Aging Gradual?

Is Aging Genetic?

Many changes of aging may be influenced by our genes. For example, the life spans of laboratory animals have been extended by altering their genes

Is Aging Environmental?

Studies of identical twins who have the same genes indicate that environment determines nearly 75% of our health and longevity

Is Aging Health?

Health persists during normal aging. Healthy aging is a gradual process of slowing down while essential functions remain intact

The Aged?

The most diverse group of people

3 year olds vs. older adults transcends culture

Break-out Discussion Meet your classmates & discuss:

1. How old is old? (identify an age)

2. Describe your image of a typical old person (list at least 10)

Kimuna et al. (2005)N=441 college students (17 to 49 yrs. old)

60 years old

Foos & Clark (1994)N=301 (14 to 97 yrs. Old)

70 years old

Jeanne-Louise Calment

122 years and 164 days

DOB: France, February 21, 1875 DOD: France, August 4, 1997

Elizabeth Bolden oldest living American on

June 23, 2005 114 years 312 days

Oldest living person August 30th 2005

115 years 15 days Memphis, Tennessee

Aging is not a singular process:

•Biologically•Psychologically•Sociologically

"aging experience" is determined by the unique interactions between these various clocks

AGEISM:Not like other “isms”

• age classification is not static – continual change through life

cycle

• no one is exempt from at some point achieving the status

of old

• Both perpetrator & victim

AGEISM (Butler, 1969):

"any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any

assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age" (Traxler, 1980, p. 4).

The systematic discrimination or stereotyping of people because they are old

* Washington DC, housing Authority (1968)

Promotes Respectfor "Our Future Selves"

Robert Butler

1st director Of NIA(1975)

Types of Ageism

Personal

• Language & stereotypes• Excluding, ignoring older persons• Physical Abuse***

Institutional

• Mandatory retirement• Absence of older persons in clinical trials

Intentional

• Marketing and media that use stereotypes of older workers (Hallmark cards)• Denial of job training due to age

Unintentional

• Lack of emergency preparedness (Katrina)•Language used in the media

Ageism & Elder Abuse• 1 to 3 million Americans 65+ have been injured, exploited or otherwise

mistreated by someone on whom they depend for care or protection. (source: Pillemer, Karl & David Finkelhor, 1988. “The Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Random Sample Survey,” The Gerontologist, 28: 51-57.)

• Estimates of the frequency of elder abuse range from 2% to 10% of all persons 65+ years old. (source: Lachs, Mark & Mark Pillemer, October 2004. “Elder Abuse.” The Lancet, 364: 1192-1263)

• Only 1 in 14 (7%) incidents of elder abuse, excluding incidents of self-neglect, come to the attention of authorities. (source: Pillemer, Karl & David Finkelhor, 1988. “The Prevalence of Elder Abuse: A Random Sample Survey,” The Gerontologist, 28: 51-57.)

• Only 21 states (38.9%) report that they maintain an abuse registry/database. (source: The National Center on Elder Abuse, 2001. A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: The 2000 Survey of State Adult Protective Services.)

• Of the total $789 million NIA budget, only $1.3 million goes towards NIA Elder Abuse and Neglect Research Funding. (source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2005. Budget in Brief, FY 2004.)

Breakdown of reported Elder Abuse in 2000

Type # reports % of total reports

Self-neglect 118,447 39%

Caregiver neglect/ abandonment

59,489 19%

Financial abuse/exploitation 38,714 13%

Physical abuse 34,680 11%

Emotional/verbal abuse 20,690 7%

Sexual abuse 4,150 1%

Other 31,298 10%source: The National Center on Elder Abuse, 2001. Chart 4: Categories of allegations of investigated mistreatment/ source: The National Center on Elder Abuse, 2001. Chart 4: Categories of allegations of investigated mistreatment/ abuse. abuse. A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: The 2000 Survey of State Adult Protective Services.A Response to the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults: The 2000 Survey of State Adult Protective Services.

Perpetrators of Elder Abuse• 80-90% of elder abusers (1 to 2 million) are family members or someone on

whom the older person depends on for care or protection. (source: 2000 Survey.)

• 60% of elder abuse is attributed to caregiver stress.

• 4% of nursing home residents experience elder abuse. (source: American Psychological Association. 2005. Elder Abuse and Neglect: In Search of Solutions. www.apa.org/pi/aging/eldabuse.html)

• Anywhere between 5 – 12% of caregivers physically abuse older persons in their care. (source: National Center on Elder Abuse. 2002. Preventing Elder Abuse. Washington D.C.)

• Reports are not completely reliable because 1) so few cases are reported and 2) because documentation is so poor.

Relationship of Perpetrator

States Reporting # of Perpetrators % of Perpetrators

Spouse/Intimate Partner

21 19,449 30.2

Adult Child 21 11,313 17.6

source: 2000 Surveysource: 2000 Survey

• emphasis on the youth in American society

Why AGEISM?

Assignment #1 (complete by next class sessionBring your results to next class

period)

http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

• as young as 5 years old, negative stereotypes of older people

Low “man” on totem pole….older females

Why AGEISM?

• fear of death

Butler (1969) states: "Ageism reflects a deep seated uneasiness on the part of the young and middle-aged - a personal revulsion to and distaste for growing old, disease, disability; and a fear of powerlessness, 'uselessness', and death" (p. 243).

• emphasis in American culture on productivityfuture economic potential vs financial liability

Why AGEISM?

Although Aging is universal….Ageism not universal!!!

Individualistic vs collectivistic(Independence) (Interdependence)

Cultural Differences

US

Canada

European

Australia

France

American Indian (responsible for traditions & knowledge)

Hispanic (inner strength to help young – link to the past- child raising)

Japanese (Senior advisor to daily problems – Wisdom)

Hindu (Wisdom, authoritative, protective, nurturant, emotional, social, and financial support)

African(sign of divine blessing)

• have greater psychological distress

• are more depressed than younger adults

• are preoccupied with memories of their childhood and youth

• are less satisfied with their lives than younger adults

• are alienated from the members of their families

• have a decrease in social contacts

Stop & answer questionsOlder Adults…

• have greater psychological distress

• be more depressed than younger adults

• be preoccupied with memories of my childhood and youth

• be less satisfied with my life than when I was younger

• be alienated from the members of my family

• have a decrease in social contacts

When I am 75 years old I predict I will

Part of Assignment #1 - Are you Ageist?

Take Ageism Quiz