Theories of Aging

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Theories of Aging

• Vaunette Payton Fay, Ph.D.

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Everyman desires to live long, but no man would
be old. Johnathan
Swift, 1667-1745
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Theories of Aging

• Biological Theories
• address the anatomic and physiologic changes
  occurring with age.
• Psycho-Social Theories
• explain the thought processes and behaviors of
  aging persons.

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Biological Theories of Aging

• Genetic Theories
• Gene
• Error
• Somatic mutation
• Programmed

• Nongenetic Theories
• Immunologic / Autoimmune
• Free Radical
• Wear Tear
• Cross link or Collagen
• http//prolongyouth.com/theories.html

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Psycho-Social Theories of Aging

• Disengagement Theory
• Activity Theory
• Continuity Theory

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Disengagement Theory

• developed by Cummings and Henry in late 1950s.
• aging is an inevitable, mutual withdrawal or
  disengagement, resulting in decreased interaction
  between the aging person and others in the social
  system he/she belongs to.

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Activity Theory

• developed by Robert Havighurst in the 1960s.
• supports the maintenance of regular activities,
  roles, and social pursuits.
• persons who achieve optimal age are those who
  stay active.
• as roles change, the individual finds substitute
  activities for these roles.

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Continuity Theory

• proposed by Havighurst and co-workers in reaction
  to the disengagement theory
• basic personality, attitudes, and behaviors
  remain constant throughout the life span

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ENJOY THE BALLET, LORETTA .AND TRY TO SELL MY
TICKET.
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• What is the relevance of the biological and
  psychosocial theories of aging to nursing?

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Developmental Tasks of Aging
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Developmental Task

• an activity or event that arises at a certain
  period in the life of an individual
• successful achievement leads to happiness,
  growth, and success with later tasks
• failure leads to unhappiness, disapproval by
  society, and difficulty with later tasks
• (Havighurst,
  1972)

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• What are some important roles that older
  individuals fulfill?

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Ericksons Developmental Stages

• Young Adulthood (20-30)
• - Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Middle Adulthood (30-60)
• - Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Older Adulthood (60)
• - Integrity vs. Despair
• Area of Resolution and Behavior
• Intimacy - capacity for relationships
• vs.
• Isolation - impersonal relations

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Pecks Developmental Tasks of Aging

• Ego Differentiation vs. Work-Role Preoccupation
• Body Transcendence vs. Body Preoccupation
• Ego Transcendence vs. Ego Preoccupation
  
• 
  (Peck, 1968)

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Havighursts Developmental Tasks of Aging

• Adjusting to decreasing physical strength and
  health
• Adjusting to retirement and reduced income
• Establishing an affilitation with ones age group
• Meeting civic and social obligations
• Establishing satisfactory living arrangements
• Adjusting to death of spouse

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• What are factors which influences a persons
  success at achieving developmental tasks?

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Nursing Interventions

• How can nurses assist elders accomplish
  developmental tasks?
• encourage clients to maintain and establish roles
  and relationships
• offer maximum opportunities for decision making
• build on clients unique interests ands skills
• listen to clients concerns
• promote reminiscence (Eliopoulas,1995)

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Common Psychosocial Changes

• Assume Grandparent Role
• Adjust to Retirement
• Increase Volunteer Activity
• Maintain or Develop New Interests
• Cope with Death of Spouse, or S.O.
• Adjust to Change in Intimacy Sexuality
• Cope with Relocation
• Cope with Losses

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Coping with Psychosocial Changes Developmental
Crises

• Support System
• Community Resources
• Counseling
• Prayer/Religion

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Spirituality and Religiosity

• These concepts are frequently confused.
• Studies have found that nurses tend to avoid
  addressing spiritual needs of patients.
  

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Spirituality is the

• totality of mans inner resources,
• the ultimate concerns around which all other
  values are focused,
• the central philosophy of life that guides
  conduct,
• and the meaning-giving center of human life which
  influences all individual and social behavior
  (Moberg, 1979)
• trust faith in a power greater than oneself
• 
  (levin Taylor, 1997)
  

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Religion is

• only one aspect of spirituality
• an organized practice of beliefs
• may or may not fill an individuals spiritual
  needs eg. spiritual needs are much broader
  more personal than any particular religious
  persuasion

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Church and Synagogue Attendance is

• Lowest among those in their 30s,
• Peaks in the late 50s - early 60s,
• Declines in late 60s and early 70s, however 65
  are the most likely to belong to
  church-affiliated groups

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Research Findings

• Black women tend to be significantly more
  religious than black men and whites of both
  genders (Levin Taylor, 1993).
• Involvement in church activities tended to
  increase self-esteem (Krause, 1995).
• Religious preference practice were inversely
  related to depressive symptomatology (Kennedy,
  1996).
• Persons who attended religious services had lower
  mortality (Oman Reed, 1998).

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Nursing Interventions that enhances the
spirituality of clients

• Presence and acceptance
• Active Listening Touch
• Value clarification
• Discuss pts. source of strength instill hope
• Conduct a spiritual assessment
• Call/make referral to clergy
• Pray, or obtain religious articles (Poncar,94
  MacLennan Tsai, 95)
  

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