Page 153 - Understanding Psychology

Figure 5.5 Living Long
A larger percentage of people in our society are living to more advanced ages. As a result, the elderly exert an increasing influence. How does a person’s health change with age?
CHANGES IN HEALTH
Physical strength and the senses decline about 1 percent a year through adulthood. Though most people over 65 consider themselves in good health, about one-fourth of the U.S. population is obese (Haggerty, 2001). Good health in adoles- cence and adult life carries over into old age. Eating habits and exercise influence patterns of health and disease. Today’s emphasis on healthy lifestyles will also lead to physical wellness in old age.
All people, young and old, are subject to dis- ease, though. About 40 percent of the elderly have at least one chronic disease (a permanent disability as opposed to an acute or temporary disability more common with younger people). The four most prevalent chronic diseases are heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and arthri- tis. In general, the major causes of death among the old are heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Most older people, though, believe their health is good. Nearly three-fourths of the noninstitution- alized people aged 65 to 74 years old and two- thirds of those 75 and older rate their health as good (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1995).
The quality of health care for the elderly
remains by and large inferior to that of the gen-
eral population. The reasons for this are numer-
ous. The elderly in the lower socioeconomic class
tend not to take care of themselves or to seek out
treatment when needed. Some doctors may pre-
fer to administer to younger patients with acute
diseases rather than to older patients with long-term chronic conditions that can only be stabilized, not cured. Some doctors hold stereotypical views of the aged that can lead to misdiagnosis and improper treatment.
For the 1 million old people who are no longer able to care for themselves, there are institutions (but only 15 percent of males and 25 percent of females live in nursing homes). Too many of these nursing homes, however, have inadequate facilities. As more and more people each year reach late adulthood, it is paramount that there be a general overhaul of health care treatment and facilities for the elderly.
CHANGES IN LIFE SITUATION
For younger people, transitions in life—graduation, marriage, parent- hood—are usually positive and create a deeper involvement in life. In late adulthood, transitions—retirement, widowhood—are often negative and
Reading Check
What major changes in life situation affect older people?
Chapter 5 / Adulthood and Old Age 139