Introduction to Gerontology

Syed Faizan Ali Shah

Lecturer, IPRS, LUMHS, JAMSHORO
 GERONTOLOGY

The study of biological processes of aging

specially from middle life to later life. Geron
means old age and logy is study.
 GERONTOLOGY.
THE STUDY INVESTIGATES THE FOLLOWING:

• physical, mental, and social changes in

people as they age

• the aging(ageing), process itself (

biogerontology)
 GERONTOLOGY.
THE STUDY INVESTIGATES THE FOLLOWING:

• the interface of normal ageing and age-related

disease (geroscience)

• the effects of an ageing population on society

 SUBFIELDS OF GERONTOLOGY
• BIOGERONTOLOGY.

• MEDICAL GERONTOLOGY.

• SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY.
 IMPLICATION OF GERONTOLOGY.
THE STUDY HELPS TO :

Understand the normal and problematic issues

of old age.

understand individuals their own aging and how

to age successfully.
 IMPLICATION OF GERONTOLOGY.
• suggest the need of new medicines, therapies,
devices to combat illnesses and disabilities.

• find the solutions social aspects of aging such

as re-marrying, finding hobbies, maintaining
friendships, and retirement living.
 IMPLICATION OF GERONTOLOGY.
• Help to address older adult needs and work
with caregivers to fulfill those needs.

• To make the policies and programs to solve

the issues including the macroscopic (for
example government planning) and
microscopic (for example running a nursing
home) issues.
 SCOPE OF GERONTOLOGY.
Few of the organizations that apply gerontology concepts and
research:

• Community organizations
• Government agencies
• Non-profit agencies
• Health care facilities
• Physical Therapy
• Hospices
• Social Services
• Research
• Advocacy
• Social Services
 SCOPE OF GERONTOLOGY.
• Career opportunities exist for gerontologists in
such fields as Administration,
Audiology/Speech Pathology, Counseling,
Education, Environmental Design,
Physiotherapeutic & Health Care, Industrial
Gerontology, Nursing, Mental Health,
Media/Marketing, Ministry, Public Health,
Recreation/Leisure Services.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

Reason to understand psychological aspect:

1. Cultural reason.

2. Scientific reason.

3. Practical reason.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

HOW DO OUR MINDS CHANGE WITH AGE:

• Losing mental function lead to loss of self-

esteem and withdrawal from others.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

HOW DO OUR MINDS CHANGE WITH AGE:

LEARNING needs more effort bcz of sensory

losses and sometimes things are not
meaningful for them.

MEMORY: short term memory declines but long

term remains well long after 70.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

HOW DO OUR MINDS CHANGE WITH AGE:

REACTION TIME: It slows down with age but
accuracy improved with the age.

LIFE SKILLS can be maintained and their learning

and experiences could be shared with
youngers.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

HOW DO OUR MINDS CHANGE WITH AGE:

• STRESS often affects physical health and
mental well-being.

• Loss and grief make them to feel depressed

and withdraw from others.
PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF GERONTOLOGY

HOW DO OUR MINDS CHANGE WITH AGE:

• Changing roles e.g. retirement, changes

economic and social status.
• We all start to age from the moment we are
born.
• Aging is a lifespan process that influences
every aspect of our lives.
• Many people don't think about growing older
or the issues that accompany growing older
until they see their parents’ health decline or
experience health challenges of their own.
• The field of gerontology is the study of
aging and age-related issues and the
bilogical, sociological, and psychological
(biopsychosocial) factors that influence
aging and old age.
• Old age is a subjective concept that can
change over time and depends on
cultural and social considerations.
• Old age in the 19th century is considered
middle age now.
• What we considered old when we were 15,
will vary greatly from when we are 40 or even
75!
• Researchers define age in ways that help them
study age in their fields of interest.
• Public health and health policy leaders rely on
defining old age by chronological age to
inform policies and programs.
• Countries, including USA use ages 60,62, or 65
as benchmark ages or age eligibility thresholds
for policies that affect older adults.
• Health scientists find functional age is more
useful than chronological age in determining
an individual’s health status.
• Social scientists often group older adults into
age groups (e.g., ages 50-64, 65-74, 75-84, and 85+) that
reflect similar life experiences and obligations,
historical memories, and health problems
within each group.
• Some researchers may apply terms to age groupings
such as young-old (i.e., 50-64), old (i.e., 65-84), and
old-old or oldest of old (ages 85 and older) to
describe the stage of members in very late life.
• Within the old-old age group are two well-studied
sub-groups—centenarians (i.e., persons at least 100
years old) and super-centenarians (i.e., persons at
least 110 years old).
• How and why centenarians have been able to reach
old age continues to be of great interest to scientists.
 WHAT IS AGING
• Aging is the process of growing older.

• Study of aging process is the part of study of

Human development.

• It is the study of multidimensional processess

of physical, psychological and social changes
through life span.
 POPULATION AGING

• Term refers to the growing number of older

population in the society.

• There are significant EFFECTS of population

aging in the society.
 ASPECTS OF AGING.

There are three aspects of aging:

1. Biological aging.

2. Psychological aging.

3. Social aging.
 BIOLOGICAL AGING.
• It is the physical state as people grow older.

• It refers the term chronological aging including

universal aging and probabilistic aging.

• In biology, study of these processes called

senescence.
 SOCIAL AGING

What people are expected to do at certain age is

called social aging.
 PSYCHOLOGICAL AGING.

It refers to the study of processes of declining of

mental functioning.
 SUCCESSFUL AGING.

It is an interdisciplinary concept spanning both

psychology and sociology.
 SUCCESSFUL AGING.
The concept comprises of three components.

• Low probability of disease or disability;

• High cognitive and physical function
capacity;
• Active engagement with life.