The Aged – Winter 08 Lecture 1 – Chapter 1. Which fish is older? Can you see a phenotype?
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Transcript of The Aged – Winter 08 Lecture 1 – Chapter 1. Which fish is older? Can you see a phenotype?
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
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