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
Psychological
theories
 Implications of Psychosocial theories for nursing

• Gerontological nurses play a significant role in helping aging persons experience health,
fulfillment, and a sense of well-being.
• In addition to specific measures that can assist the older adults in meeting their
psychosocial challenges ,nurses must be sensitive to the tremendous impact their own
attitudes toward aging can have on patients.
• Nurses who consider aging as a progressive decline ending in death may view old age as a
depressing, useless period and foster hopelessness and helplessness in older patients.
• On the other hand, nurses who view aging as a process of continued development may
appreciate old age as an opportunity to gain new satisfaction and understanding, thereby
promoting joy and a sense of purpose in patients.