OLD AGE & DEATH, DYING AND BEREAVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

OLD AGE
 Gerontologists, are specialists who study aging, are making important contributions to
clarifying the capabilities of the older adults
 Many gerontologists would have agreed with the popular view that older adults are
forgetful and confused. Today, however, most research indicates that this is far from an
accurate assessment of older person’s capabilities.
 Poor performance on an IQ test be due to gradual decreases of reaction time – a
physical decline that accompanies late adulthood and has little to do with intellectual
capabilities.
In contrast, skills relating to information, skills, and problem-solving strategies remain
steady and, in some cases, improve.
 But various physical changes associated with aging, such as reduction in stamina that
arises from changes in the cardiovascular system, as well as changes in muscles and
dexterity or the weakening of joints because of arthritic changes.
 Older adults are more likely to wake up early in the morning and go to bed early at
night.
They become “morning people” instead of “night people.”
 The decline of sexual activities has many causes, such as decline in testosterone levels;
high blood pressure medication sometime produces impotence; and chronic pain may
affect sexual desire.
 There are various reasons for retirement: age, health, family consideration, financial
support, work characteristics, and so on.
 Senility is a broad, imprecise term typically applied to older adults who experience
progressive deterioration of mental abilities, including memory loss, disorientation to
time and place, and general confusion.
 Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to a gradual and
irreversible decline in cognitive abilities.
 People in late adulthood most often see themselves as functioning members of society,
with only a small number of them reporting that loneliness is a serious problem.
 Integrity entails the ability to reflect on one’s life with satisfaction even if all dreams are
not fulfilled.
 Despair refers to regret over missed and unfulfilled opportunities at a time when it is
too late to begin again.
 The virtue of this stage is wisdom. Wisdom enables the individual to bring life an
appropriate closure. It is the ability to stand back and reflect on one’s life in the face of
impending death.
DEATH, DYING & BEREAVEMENT

 Clinical death refers to the few minutes after the heart has stopped pumping, when
breathing has stopped and there is no evident brain function, but during this state
resuscitation is still possible.
 Social death occurs at the point when the deceased person is treated like a corpse by
others; For instance, someone may close the eyes or sign a death certificate.
 Brain death describes a state in which the person is longer has reflexes or any response
to vigorous external stimuli and no electrical activity in the brain.
 Pre-school aged children believe that death can be reversed through prayer, magic, or
wishful thinking. They believe that dead persons can still feel or breathe.
 Adolescents understand that the finality of death better than children do. Moreover, in
an abstract sense, they understand that death is inevitable.
 In middle age, most people exhibit a shift in their thinking about time, thinking less
about “time since birth” and being more aware of “time till death.”
Death an Organizer of Experience
 A death can become an important organization of experience that separates the past
from the present. Dividing time in ways seems to help survivors cope with grief.
 Death rituals are also designed to help the survivors understand the meaning of death
itself, part by emphasizing the meaning of life of person who has died.
 It is not accidental that most death rituals include testimonials, biographies, and
witnessing. By telling the story of a person’s life and describing the life’s value and
meaning, others can more readily accept the person’s death.