Premium Essay

Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper

In:

Submitted By tbonjr04
Words 1475
Pages 6
Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper
Yvonne Harris PSY/375
Matthew Warren
21 November 2011

Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper
As one progresses through the many stages of life and eventually die, there are easily identifiable periods of growth; yet the older one gets the more indiscernible relative changes become. This paper will discuss late adulthood and death, placing emphasis on the following: how individuals can promote health and wellness into late adulthood and mitigate the negative effects of aging, an analysis of ageism and stereotypes associated with late adulthood, an exploration of different views of death and dying at different points in human development, and an examination of the attitudes of various cultures towards death and dying.
Getting older does not have to mean that one gets sicker. Of course as we age our reflexes slow and the passage of time may appear more noticeably on one’s face. Yes we do get older, all of us; it is called senescence. Senescence is the process of aging and all humans go through it. But as previously stated one does not need to get sicker just because they get older. Some of the ways to promote wellness in an older adult include but are not limited to the following: exercise and dieting, eliminating unhealthy habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and establishing healthy personal relationships.
Older adults should be proactive in the pursuit of health and wellness, according to K.S. Berger (2008) some of the health factors that accompany aging are heart disease, diabetes and dementia. All of these health factors can be anticipated and to some point, prevented. As the body ages it is more susceptible to disease and preventive measures need to be taken so that one does not exacerbate this “naturally” occurring phenomenon; an older

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Late Adult Hood Death

...Late Adulthood and Death Paper Late Adulthood and Death Paper In regards to late adulthood and death, there are many complex and complicated sub topics that can surround this main topic. It is important to understand this though, and to be able to understand this will give you a better insight into how to deal with this. Every human being will be lucky to experience late adulthood, because there are some people who unfortunately don’t ever have the chance to live into their later life. This paper will go into detail about ageism and stereotypes as it pertains to today’s society. Health and wellness at this time is also very important to learn about and to apply to every day life when you are within your late adulthood timeframe. This paper will also discuss the importance and having relationships and social interaction; this will be a primary source of mental health. Last, this paper will go into detail about cultural and personal attitudes; this will be key when it comes to your behavior and view of yourself and others. Ageism and Stereotypes To begin, ageism and stereotypes related with late adulthood describes is known to be ones prejudice or discrimination that happens because of age. When thinking about ageism, we must look at the disconnection theory (Cumming & Henry, 1961) that suggests adults voluntarily decrease contact with society, rather than experiencing isolation later and the disappointment not selected. Other ageism statements describe older people being...

Words: 1467 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Late Adulthood and Death

...Late Adulthood and Death Paper Late Adulthood and Death The final years of an individual's lifespan mark the time for reflection of one's life while also spending time with family, including grandchildren, and maintaining physical and mental health throughout the entire stage of late adulthood. Quality of life in late adulthood is determined by genetics, the modification of destructive lifestyles and behaviors, and selecting healthier options not only throughout the earlier stages of development but especially in this stage for improvements to health and having an overall sense of well-being (Berger, 2009). Remaining socially active and independent for as long as possible instead of succumbing to isolating is key during this stage of adulthood (Berger, 2009). In the stage of late adulthood living socially active, healthy, and physically active lives while maintaining important family roles is very important , which illiminates some stressor of aging that may be brought on by negative and stereotypical thoughts of ageism which will assist in their premature decline. High quality medical care assisted by technology can provide aging adults comfort knowing they are helping to protect and safeguard younger generations as science learns from the older generations. Ageism and Stereotypes In late adulthood, there are a lot of stereotypes and misunderstandings of older adults (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). Ageism and perceptions against someone’s...

Words: 1362 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Later Adulthood Development Report

...Later Adulthood Development Report Adriane McClendon BSHS/325 - HUMAN SYSTEMS AND DEVELOPMENT November 2, 2015 Susan W. Jernigan Over the time in their lives, most people can acquire protected attachments; cognitively, socially, and morally, and produce families and discover good jobs. Ultimately, though, as an individual enter into their 60s and beyond, getting older leads to quicker changes in our bodily, cognitive, and social capabilities and desires, and life starts to approach its natural ending, resulting in the last life stage, beginning in the 60s, known as late adulthood. "Social changes affect a person's decision. If they move, for example, to be closer to family, they will need to make new friends in the new environment, to cope with the loss of old friends, and to deal with the changing roles within the family dynamics as one becomes older." ("End-of-Life Decisions and Late Adulthood," 2007). When an individual enters late adulthood, they start to go through various changes in their role and social position in society. At one point in their life, they were young and had a prominent role in the decisions they made for themselves and others. Many elderly people are parents and grandparents and at one point had the role of being the caretaker of their offspring. During this time of their life this position changes, and it is usually their children taking care of them now. They do not have as much power over their life as they used to have and may not have...

Words: 1237 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Social Movement

...phenomenon and changes are related to that individual’s biological status and social context. The article also includes views from Erik Erikson and American psychologist Daniel J. Levinson. According to Erikson, individuals are confronted by certain psychological demands at distinct parts of life. The example used is that young adults are faced with the expectation of getting married and starting a family, middle adulthood brings the crisis that develops between the sense of generativity and stagnation, while maturity, or old age, brings the crisis regarding the sense of ego integrity versus the sense of despair. Daniel Levinson also breaks up adult life, in men, into five periods called eras that, together, constitute an entire life-cycle structure. These eras are preadulthood (birth to age 22), early adulthood (age 17 to 45), middle adulthood (age 40 to 64), late adulthood (age 60 to 85), and late late adulthood (age 80 and over), with each era made up of different developmental periods and transitions. The article also describes the different transitional stages and includes a study that not only disagrees with Erikson and Levinson, but provides evidence for both change and constancy. The end of this section simply lists different studies that also focus on development, just with different parameters. The main reason I chose this article was because it seemed to be very credible. It included information that was both very...

Words: 403 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Late Adult to Death

...Late Adulthood and Death PSY/375 October 13, 2011 Late Adulthood and Death * In this paper the author will analyze late adulthood and the death of an individual as a culmination of the life span development process. Examine ageism and stereotypes, how individuals can promote health and wellness. Explore different views of death and dying at different points in human development, and identify some cultural and personal attitudes about death and dignity in late adulthood. First people must know what late adulthood is, late adulthood is considered to be between the ages fifty five to sixty five years of age. By Erikson’s Developmental Stages this is the Integrity vs. Despair stage of development. Erikson felt that much of life is preparing for the middle adulthood stage and the last stage is recovering from it. Perhaps that is because as older adults we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and we've made a contribution to life, a feeling Erikson calls integrity. Our strength h comes from a wisdom that the world is very large and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life. On the other hand, some adults may reach this stage and despair at their experiences and perceived failures. They may fear death as they struggle to find a purpose to their lives, wondering "Was the trip worth it?" Alternatively, they may feel they have all...

Words: 1154 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Late Adulthood and Death Paper

...Running Head: LATE ADULTHOOD & DEATH Late Adulthood and Death Paper Late Adulthood and Death The final years of an individual's lifespan mark the time for reflection of one's life while also spending time with family, including grandchildren, and maintaining physical and mental health throughout the entire stage of late adulthood. Quality of life in late adulthood is determined by genetics, the modification of destructive lifestyles and behaviors, and selecting healthier options not only throughout the earlier stages of development but especially in this stage for improvements to health and having an overall sense of well-being (Berger, 2008). Remaining socially active and independent for as long as possible instead of succumbing to isolating is key during this stage of adulthood (Berger, 2008). The more adults in this stage of aging that live socially active, healthy, and physically active lives while maintaining important family roles the more individuals will be refraining from the negative and stereotypical thoughts of ageism which will assist in their premature decline. High quality medical care assisted by technology can provide aging adults comfort knowing they are helping to protect and safeguard younger generations as science learns from the older generations. Ageism and Stereotypes In late adulthood, there are many stereotypes and unfavorable understandings of older adults (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). Ageism...

Words: 2168 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Lifespan Development

...lifespan development may look simple, it is quite complex and involves different developmental stages. According to Baltes, (1996), the entire life cycle has four eras. These eras, he says, take an approximate time of 20-25 years. Levinson goes further to identify the developmental periods as childhood and adolescence, early childhood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. At this point in time, it is formal to simplify various terminologies that relation to human development. This is because they will feature constantly in the preceding sections. First and foremost is development. This is simply a change characterized by movement from one state to another. Usually, development leads to transitions. Development, as will be used in this paper, will refer to growth, and progression through certain stages, commonly termed as “maturity.” Another term of significance is stage. This refers to sections that differentiate the various phases of growth. The phases involve changes which are either physical or intellectual and their subsequent impact on life events and experiences. This paper examines the wider field of lifespan development. It begins by exploring the stages of human development. As regards, the stages, the paper focuses on seven main stages i.e. the infancy stage, early childhood, middle childhood, Adolescence, early adulthood, middle...

Words: 4003 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Social Development Research

...Social Development Research PSY/172 Essentials of Psychology Social Development Research Article Title: Adulthood Link: http://www.credoreference.com/entry/worldsocs/adulthood I chose this article because it provided an interesting theory of how sociological changes have influenced and delayed the transition into adulthood. The article focused on the impact of modern technological and industrial changes to societal attitudes toward adult rites of passage. In the modern-day industrial society, the introduction of formal education as well as the need for higher education in the twentieth-century postponed adulthood by introducing an adolescent and post-adolescent phase prior to adulthood. By comparison, in the agricultural society of the medieval era, people transitioned from infancy to adulthood as soon as they could work alongside their elders. Some interesting key points of the article, Adulthood, describe both formal and informal transitions in a person’s life that indicate the achievement of adult status. Formal indicators that a person has achieved adult status are: 1. Completion of formal education 2. Economic independence 3. Moving out of the parent’s home 4. Voting 5. Full-time employment 6. Marriage Informal transitions into adulthood are behavioral patterns assumed by an adolescent in an attempt to attain adult status. These behaviors include: 1. Drug and alcohol use 2. Smoking 3. Sexual activity 4. Teenage pregnancy...

Words: 1076 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Early and Adulthood

...Early and Middle Adulthood Paper Kimberly Smith PSY/280 August 17, 2015 Mrs. Barch Early and Middle Adulthood Paper Early to middle adulthood is more of a challenging ever-changing process. People in their early and middle adulthood go through transitions such as deciding to go to college, starting a family, getting married and establishing social and health-affecting habits. As a man and woman grow, these different changes will help him or her to form a wide variety of views on life. How social and intimate relationship has changed over time and identification of various roles changes during early and middle age. Lastly the direct and future influence the healthy and unhealthy behaviors experienced during early and middle adulthood. Social and Intimate relationship change In early adulthood, it’s a time of independence, identity seeking, and lifestyle forming. During this time, kids are graduating leaving their parents home starting new relationships and developing a life of their own. Erikson believed that people need constant contact with others throughout their lives, from birth to death, whether that contact is romantic intimacy or a relationship with friends and family. The time has changed where young adults were getting married fresh out of high school. Now middle adults are waiting until mid thirty’s are longer to have children and get married. Parents who waited longer to have children and who had highly educated degrees have a greater loss in happiness following...

Words: 1084 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Develop

...functional way. This is a good time to provide them with puzzles and blocks, as well as to supervise them while they use paper and scissors as objects (Stern 245). Although it is normal for boys than girls to be more physically active, they will acquire more control over their motor skills allowing for the advancement of new activities such as swinging, jumping, running, and climbing. Children will start to change themselves away from taking a daily nap, but it is vital to give periods to rest. Cognitive development According to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development; the first being the sensory motor stage, It is considered to extend from birth to the age of two years. The development of reflexes, motor abilities as well as senses is rapid. Throughout the initial development stages, infants only perceive and interact with their immediate surrounding through their actions and observations. The preoperational stage stretches from the age of two to seven where the child is not yet able to think logically. With the acquisition of language, the child can express to the world via mental images and symbols. The third stage is the concrete operational stage that extends from ages 7 to 11, and it is throughout this limelight that a child can successively operate mentally. Mental operations are internal actions that allow children to think physically. Coincidence marks the end of Piaget’s stages. Emotional development This is the stage when infants start to feel emotions, such as knowing...

Words: 1304 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Fostet

...with an equal emphasis placed on child, adolescent, and adult development. The course examines developmental changes over the entire life-span and the processes underlying these changes. All major areas are reviewed including biological, cognitive, language, personality, emotional, moral, social, and career development. This course is an upper level elective course in the major. It is a course that is highly desirable for students in Social Work, Education, Human Services, Pre-Med, and Pre-Nursing. The sub-discipline of Developmental Psychology also draws heavily upon almost every other field in psychology. Prerequisite: PSY121 Textbooks: Berk, L. E. (2014). Exploring lifespan development (3rd ed.). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN-13: 978-0-205-95738-5 Course Objectives: Developmental Psychology is perhaps the most interdisciplinary field within psychology. It encompasses genetics, learning, physiological psychology, perception, cognitive psychology, intelligence, personality, gender issues, social influences, and psychological disorders. It uses a similar methodology as other fields but also utilizes some innovations specific to human development research. This course is a lifespan development course. That is, it will examine in detail how we develop physically, mentally, morally, and socially from the moment of conception through adulthood and old age. Our objective is to explore the interrelations listed above and to develop literacy in terms of developmental issues and...

Words: 2594 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Divorce in the Family

...Midlife or Late-Life Developmental Topic of Interest Paper Valerie Adams BSHS 371 6/4/2012 Deborah Young Midlife or Late-Life Developmental Topic of Interest Paper Introduction This research paper is on divorce and it affects all members of the family especially the children, and other family members. DIVORCE Today’s divorce rates are at an all-time high, 2 to 5 children will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach 18. About 25% of all children will spent some time in a step-family. Every year over one million children under age 18 are involved in a divorce. Divorce effects not only the family of the divorce couple and children but also mother and father-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and society. The sudden change in the family support system is very dramatic for all in the family. Divorce is more complex than it appears on the surface, it is not a onetime event. Divorce is a most stressful for all involved especially the children, that are involved of the divorce couple, they are likely to be dropouts or have some of emotional problems. Than with parents who are together. Children of divorce begin to feel sadness, anxiety, abandonment, anger and some might think that it was their fault. Children might fear that one of parents don’t love them as much and they might not see the other parent or lose time with that parent. Children...

Words: 1110 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Life Course Perspective: Understanding Cummulative Life Experience

...Paul McGarrah Stan Ingman AGER 4800 Term Paper 5/4/15 The Life Course Perspective: Understanding The Cummulative Life Experience The life course perspective is an interdisciplinary paradigm approach for the research of individuals lives to identify socioeconomic and ethnocultural factors that influence the individuals behavior and status. This perspective focuses on the network between individuals and the context of their progression. A life course is a sequence of events that define an individual and the effect it has on their socioeconomic status. This chain of events establish a cummulative value of an individuals lifetime experience. The life course perspective is characterized by seven fundamental principles. They are socio-historical,...

Words: 2030 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Career Counseling

...Career Counseling Term Paper [SCHOOL NAME HERE] [YOUR NAME HERE] [DATE HERE] Person-in-Environment The person-in-environment theory concentrates on the situation one may find him or herself in over the course of one’s life. For example, various life stages may include preparing to graduate from high school, going into college, graduating from college, getting married, buying a home, having children, and so forth. These various situations impact the person in different ways. Also, the social context in which the person experiences these stages is also relevant. For example, if a person is entering college and is seeking employment in an area in which other people of the same age are not seeking higher education, there will be some conflicting priorities, needs and abilities that the person will encounter and have to cope with. Another term used to describe the person-in-environment theory is “ecological system” (Zunker, 2012, pg. 57). While this term is more commonly used when talking about flora and fauna in the wild, it is very applicable to career counseling as well. The career world is often congruent to that of the animal kingdom. There are hierarchies, competition for resources, and inevitably someone thrives and someone fails. By focusing on this corresponding model as an analogy to how one’s career may evolve over time and through various obstacles, a career counselor can help a person to focus on external issues and how to best handle them. This is...

Words: 2088 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Physical Development in Middle Adulthood

...Physical Development in Middle Adulthood Paper Team B BSHS/325 04/13/2015 Instructor: Maria Perrotta Physical Development in Middle Adulthood Paper Middle adulthood is a time of young adulthood and late adulthood. It accompanies many changes that some people may not be prepared for or welcome with open arms. The changes that usually deal with the mind and the body gradually develop as time continues to pass. Some of the most drastic changes are the physical changes that can have a profound effect on the way a person at this stage of life view themselves. Common health problems that evolve during this age The physical modification people in this stage of life may experience varies depending on many factors that contribute to one's health. Smoking, drinking alcohol, unhealthy eating habits and stress can all negatively affect a person's health and increase the chance of acquiring the common health issues middle-aged adult face. Common health issues include Cancer, Diabetes, Hypertension, Arthritis, High Cholesterol and Weight gain, all of which have a direct connection to one another. Hypertension In middle adulthood, the body starts to change and evolve in more ways than one. The metabolism starts to slow down, and health problems are more common to arise at this point. There are various common health problems that we see at this age, and a more common one is Hypertension also known as high blood pressure. The higher one's blood pressure becomes, the...

Words: 2360 - Pages: 10