PERSPECTIVES

OF AGING
EMPTY
MPTY
EMPT
EMTY
MT
PERSPECTIVES
OF AGING
 CLEARLY AND
SPECIFICALLY
VISUALIZE HOW AN
ELDERLY LOOKS LIKE
WHAT IS AGING?
• AGING, THE NORMAL PROCESS OF TIME-RELATED
CHANGE, BEGINS WITH
BIRTH AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE

• AGING, THE NORMAL PROCESS OF TIME-RELATED

CHANGE, BEGINS WITH
BIRTH AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE
 AGING
is not a disease
occurs at different rates
among individuals
within individuals
does not generally cause symptoms
THE OLDER SEGMENT OF THE
AMERICAN POPULATION IS GROWING
MORE RAPIDLY THAN THE REST OF THE
POPULATION:

THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU PROJECTS

THAT BY THE YEAR 2030, THERE WILL BE
MORE PEOPLE OLDER THAN 65 YEARS
OF AGE (22%) THAN PEOPLE YOUNGER
THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE (21%).
 IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE NUMBER OF OLDER
PEOPLE IS INCREASING RAPIDLY, FASTER
THAN GROWTH IN THE TOTAL POPULATION. IN
2000, THERE WERE 4.6 MILLION SENIOR
CITIZENS (60 YEARS OR OLDER),
REPRESENTING ABOUT 6% OF THE TOTAL
POPULATION. IN TWO DECADES, THIS HAS
GROWN TO 9.4 MILLION OLDER PEOPLE
OR ABOUT 8.6% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION.
THE WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS 2019
PROJECTS THAT BY 2050, OLDER PEOPLE WILL
IMPLICATIONS
ON
HEALTHCARE
HEALTH STATISTICS, LIFE EXPECTANCY,THE
AVERAGE NUMBER OF YEARS THAT A PERSON CAN
BE EXPECTED TO LIVE, HAS RISEN DRAMATICALLY
OVER THE PAST CENTURY.

IN 1900, THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY WAS 47.3

YEARS, BUT BY 1998 THAT FIGURE HAD
INCREASED TO 76.7 YEARS. ACCORDING TO DATA
FROM THE NATIONAL VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM, IN
1998 A 75-YEAR OLD MAN COULD BE EXPECTED TO
LIVE UNTIL THE AGE OF 85, AND A 75-YEAR OLD
WOMAN COULD BE EXPECTED TO LIVE UNTIL THE
AGE OF 87 (NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH
 BY 2030, PEOPLE OLDER
THAN 65 YEARS OF AGE
WILL ACCOUNT FOR 22%
OF THE POPULATION,
COMPARED WITH 13% IN
2001 (FIG. 12-1).
 HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WILL BE
CHALLENGED TO DESIGN
STRATEGIES THAT ADDRESS THE
HIGHER PREVALENCE OF ILLNESS
WITHIN THIS AGING POPULATION.
HEALTH CARE COST OF
AGING
 IMPACT OF
AGING IN THE
FAMILY
 PLANNING FOR CARE AND UNDERSTANDING
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES CONFRONTING THE
OLDER PERSON MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED
WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE FAMILY.
 IF DEPENDENCY NEEDS OCCUR, THE
SPOUSE OFTEN ASSUMES THE ROLE OF
PRIMARY CAREGIVER.
 IN THE ABSENCE OF THE SURVIVING
SPOUSE, AN ADULT CHILD USUALLY
ASSUMES CAREGIVER RESPONSIBILITIES
AND MAY EVENTUALLY NEED HELP IN
PROVIDING CARE AND SUPPORT.
 THE FAMILY IS AN IMPORTANT
SOURCE OF SUPPORT FOR OLDER
PEOPLE
 SOCIAL ATTITUDES AND CULTURAL VALUES
OFTEN DICTATE THAT ADULT CHILDREN SHOULD
PROVIDE SERVICES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
AND ASSUME THE BURDEN OF CARE IF THEIR
AGED PARENTS ARE UNABLE TO CARE FOR
 THEMSELVES.
REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT OF
RESPONSIBILITY AND LOVE AN ADULT
CHILD EXHIBITS TOWARD DEPENDENT
ELDERLY PARENTS, STRAINS DO DEVELOP
IF CARE CONTINUES FOR A LONG PERIOD.
THEORIES OF
AGING
ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE
PHENOMENON OF AGING AS IT
OCCURS OVER THE LIFESPAN

AGING IS VIEWED AS A TOTAL

PROCESS THAT BEGINS AT
CONCEPTION SENESCENCE: A
CHANGE IN THE BEHAVIOR OF AN
ORGANISM WITH AGE LEADING TO
A DECREASED POWER OF SURVIVAL
THEORIES OF AGING: TYPES
Biologic
Sociologic
Psychologic
Moral/Spiritual