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Gerontology lecture notes
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Lecture notes from all the Gerontology lectures of this year (lecture 1,2,3,4,5,6,7).
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GerontologyHC1: Normal (= without neurological/psychiatric conditions) aging – part 1
Gerontology
Study of social, psychological and biological aspects of aging – last decades in life
Course: approach it from a neuropsychological perspective:
- Interactions between brain and behavior
Life course trajectories of bodily functions A: Normal development and decline (until 20
developing, very slowly declining)
B: Exposure (to disease) in early life may
leave imprints on structures or function of
body systems, age quickly or do not reach
the same top as normal developing people
C: Exposure acting in mid or in later life (±30)
(first it is normal until 20) to a certain
condition, accelerating age-related decline
Distribution of ages – population pyramid (1950)
Distribution of ages – population pyramid (2014)
The babyboom generation got
older (the people who were
babies in 1950)
Distribution of ages – population pyramid (2060)
The getting older of people
means we need to provide health
care for people who reach higher
age, because aging is
immediately associated to
developing chronic conditions
(such as dementia!)
, Comparing developed and less developed regions (2013)
Comparing developed and less developed regions (2050)
The less developed regions are catching
up a little bit, so this means that aging is a
topic around the whole globe.
Proportion of the population aged >60 years
Proportion of people
aged >60 are going up
EVERYWHERE, why
is that?:
,Life expectancy at birth
We see more older
people, because the life
expectancy is better
EVERYWHERE
Children per woman
Children per woman is decreasing
EVERYWHERE: this also has an
impact on the proportion of
people aged 60>
Definitions of age
- Chronological age: measured in units of time (months or years) that have elapsed
since birth
- Biological age: where people stand relative to the number of years they will live (in
terms of the body’s organ system and physical appearance (bodily functions))
o Speculative
- Functional age: person’s competence in carrying out specific tasks, what you still can
do
o In comparison with chronological age peers, can differ a lot
- Psychological age: refers to how well a person adapts to changing conditions, better
= considered younger, worse = considered older
, - Social age: views held by most members of a society about what individuals in a
particular chronological age group should do and how they should behave (what fits
in a particular age group)
What is old, actually?
Chronological age:
- The magic age of 65... when we retire
o It’s arbitrary (WHY 65? Why not 70? Who decided this?)
Other divisions:
• Young-Old: Ages 65-74
• Old-Old: Ages 75-84
• Oldest Old: Ages 85+
Functional age:
- The Third Age (between retirement from work force and start of age-imposed
limitations), freedom, ability to enjoy life
- The Fourth age (cognitive and physical impairments interfering with everyday
functioning)
The 3 age and 4th age can overlap of course. Some people already have impairments before
rd
they even retire. These distinctions are hard to make, so it’s hard to say when someone’s
old. You actually need an individual approach for that.
Perspectives on aging process
- Normative Aging:
o What is considered a usual, normal, or average outcome for a particular age,
this is used to see if someone differs from this ‘norm’
- Successful Aging:
o What is considered an ideal rather than average outcome, the most
successful outcome
- Positive Aging:
o The ability to find happiness and well-being even in the face of physical
and/or psychological challenges, learning how to deal with them
Two theoretical models of aging
- The Selective Optimization with Compensation Model of Aging (Baltes & Baltes, 1990)
- The Ecological Model of Aging (Lawton & Nahemow, 1973)
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