Theories of ageing

Dr Prema Balusamy
 What is Ageing?

• At the biological level, ageing results from the impact of the accumulation
of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time.
• This leads to a gradual decrease in physical and mental capacity, a growing
risk of disease and ultimately death.
• These changes are neither linear nor consistent, and they are only loosely
associated with a person’s age in years.
• Beyond biological changes, ageing is often associated with other life
transitions such as retirement, relocation to more appropriate housing and
the death of friends and partners.
 Cont..,

Aging is a “process that turns young adults into old ones” (Miller, 2009, p. 4).
Aging is not a disease. Age changes occur in all members of a species and
takes place in virtually all species (Hayflick, 2000). Although the underlying
mechanisms of aging follow a certain course, there is considerable variability
in how aging affects individuals (Kirkwood, 2009a)
 WHAT IS THEORIES OF AGING?

• Theories of aging can be divided into two categories: those that answer the
question
• “Why do we age?” and those that address the question
• “How do we age?” Only a few broad, overarching theories attempt to
explain why we and nearly all living organism's age.
• These theories compete, making it unlikely that more than one of them
could be true.
• Over time, some theories have fallen out of favor as others have become
more widely accepted
Describe the types of theories of ageing

Biological
Sociological
Psychological
Nursing
 Biological Theories
• Biological aging can very simply be defined as the gradual and progressive
changes in physical function that occur in all species and that begin in
adulthood and end at death (Austad, 2009).
• The biological mechanisms responsible for the aging process include both
a stochastic process and a nonstochastic or programmed senescence
process (Bengtson et al, 2009).
• Stochastic (chance) theories posit that aging events occur randomly as
genetic mutations and accumulate with time, whereas the programmed
senescence theories hold that aging is predetermined and is a function of
structured genetic expression
Biological Theories
 Implications of Biological theories for nursing

• The number, diversity, and complexity of factors that potentially influence

the aging process show that no one biological theory can adequately
explain the cause of this phenomenon.
• Even when studies have been done with populations known to have along
life expectancy, such as the people of the Caucasus region in southern
Russia, longevity has not been attributable to any single factor.
• These theories are significant to nursing.
• Nurses can adapt these theories by identifying elements known to influence
aging and using them as a foundation to promote positive practices.