Later Adulthood and

Ageing
Critical Analysis of a Hypothetical Case

Mrs. Johnson is an 80-year-old widow living alone in a

suburban neighborhood. She recently retired from her job as a
librarian and has been experiencing feelings of loneliness and
isolation since her husband passed away five years ago. Mrs.
Johnson has limited social interactions and spends most of her
time at home, watching television and reading books. She has
noticed a decline in her physical health, with mobility issues
and difficulty performing daily tasks. Mrs. Johnson's adult
children live in another state and visit occasionally, but she
feels disconnected from her family and longs for more
companionship and support.
 Social Isolation and Loneliness
 Retirement and loss of Social network
 Physical Health Decline
 Family Dynamics and Lack of support
 Need for social support and community engagement
 Holistic health care
 Definition of aging

 The National Institute on Aging states that “in its broadest sense, aging merely
refers to changes that occur during the lifespan.”

 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines aging as a “process of

progressive change in the biological, psychological and social structure of
individuals.”
 According to WHO most countries have accepted the chronological age of 65
and above as a definition of elderly and old age

 According to the UN 60+ years will be referred to as the older population or

elderly
 Young adult – up to 75years
 Old - up to 85years
 Very old -85 years
 Health characteristics in older age

 Underlying changes
 Movement functions
 Sensory functions
 Cognitive functions
 Sexuality
 Immune function
 Functions of the skin
 Multimorbidity
 Health condition during aging

 Hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain
and osteoarthritis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,
Diabetes, Depression, and Dementia.

 Also characterized by the emergence of several complex health

states that tend to occur only later in life and that do not fall into
discrete disease categories. These are commonly called geriatric
syndromes.

 Often the consequence of multiple underlying factors include frailty,

urinary incontinence, falls, delirium, and pressure ulcers.
 Definition of successful aging

According to Rowe And Kahn

Successful aging includes three main components.
 Having a low probability of disease and associated disability,
 High cognitive and physical functioning,
 Active engagement with life

Further emphasized that successful aging does not merely involve the absence of
disease or maintenance of functional capabilities, but requires a combination of
both along with active engagement with life.
 Definition of successful aging

According to Rowe And Kahn

Successful aging to include three main components.
 Having low probability of disease and associated disability,
 High cognitive and physical functioning,
 Active engagement with life

Further emphasized that successful aging does not merely involve the absence of disease or
maintenance of functional capabilities, but requires combination of both along with active
engagement with life.
 Definition of Wellbeing
Psychological factors External determinants

• Cognitive • Income
function
• Happiness • Environment
• Life Satisfaction • Social circumstances
• Self – growth
• Religion
• National mentality
• General good health
Strategy to lead successful ageing
Physical activity

 Contributes to reducing the risk of several diseases associated with aging

including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and osteoarthritis
 American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, at least 150 minutes of
moderate weekly physical activity (30 minutes, 5 days/week) is recommended
to obtain health benefits 10

Harmell, A. L .et.all(2014).
 Several epidemiological studies demonstrate a relationship between higher
levels of physical activity and lower levels of cognitive decline and/or
enhanced cognitive functioning in domains such as verbal memory, executive
functioning, attention, and global cognition.

 One study of 1324 subjects reported that moderate (as opposed to light or
vigorous) exercise in mid-life and late-life was associated with a reduced risk of
mild cognitive impairment. Geda, Y. E et.all(2010).
Cognitive Stimulation/Remediation

 Encouraged to independently engage in daily cognitive stimulating

activities.

 Reading, Practicing crossword puzzles Playing board/card game

 There is some evidence to suggest that frequent engagement in

cognitively stimulating activities for at least six hours per week
may reduce the risk of incident dementia.
Social Engagement

 Social engagement can be defined as making social and emotional

connections with other people such as family/friends and the
community (e.g., being an active participant in clubs, religious
organizations, and volunteer work).
 The association between social engagement and health and well-
being has been well-documented throughout the lifespan.
 In many ways, increased age can be considered a risk factor for
social withdrawal, as a result of physical decline and retirement.
 A recent meta-analysis found that social engagement was as strong
a protective factor for health as many other established risk factors.
Financial Stability and Retirement

Need for Policies and Programs:

 There is a growing need for policies and programs that address the
economic challenges facing older adults and promote retirement
security. These may include initiatives to enhance financial literacy,
expand access to retirement savings plans, improve pension
regulation, and strengthen social safety nets.
 Example: The government may implement measures such as tax
incentives for retirement savings, employer-sponsored retirement plans
with automatic enrollment features, and public pension reforms to
ensure the sustainability and adequacy of retirement benefits for older
adults.