Chapter 1 - Eliopoulos: Gerontological
Nursing, Ninth Edition
Develop the beginnings of a personal philosophy of aging. - a. Time of Confucius -
Correlation between age and respect given
b. Early Egyptians - Dreaded growing old. Experimented w/ potions and schemes to
maintain youth
c. Greeks - Opinions divided. Plato promoted older adults as society's best leaders,
whereas Aristotle denied older people any role in governmental matters.
d. Roman Empire - the sick and aged were customarily the first to be killed
e. Bible - God's concern for the well-being of the family and desire for people to respect
elders (Honor your father and your mother ... Exodus 20:12)
What three categories and ranges describe those individuals in late life? - young-old: 65
to 74 years
old: 75 to 84 years
oldest-old: 85+
What is Functional Age? - term used by gerontologists to describe physical,
psychological, and social function
What is Perceived Age? - term that is used to describe how people estimate a person's
age based on appearance
What is chronological age? - the number of years a person has lived
What is age identity? - How old or young people feel compared to their chronological
age; after early adulthood, most people feel younger than their chronological age. Some
older adults will view peers of similar age as being older than themselves and be
reluctant to join senior groups and other activities because they see the group members
as "old people" and different from themselves.
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that a substantial increase/decrease in the number of
individuals over age 65 will occur between 2010 and 2030 - increase . This is due to the
impact of the baby boomers, who began to enter this group in 2011. In 2030, it is
projected that this group will represent nearly 20% of the total U.S. population.
What is life expectancy? - the number of years a person can expect to live. Life
expectancy has now reached 78.2 years.
What is life span? - Maximum number of years an individual can live. The life span
currently is 122 years for humans.
What are baby boomers? - a large group of adults born between 1946 and 1964, that
will be the next wave of seniors.
What is the main source of healthcare for the aging adult? - Medicare
Nursing, Ninth Edition
Develop the beginnings of a personal philosophy of aging. - a. Time of Confucius -
Correlation between age and respect given
b. Early Egyptians - Dreaded growing old. Experimented w/ potions and schemes to
maintain youth
c. Greeks - Opinions divided. Plato promoted older adults as society's best leaders,
whereas Aristotle denied older people any role in governmental matters.
d. Roman Empire - the sick and aged were customarily the first to be killed
e. Bible - God's concern for the well-being of the family and desire for people to respect
elders (Honor your father and your mother ... Exodus 20:12)
What three categories and ranges describe those individuals in late life? - young-old: 65
to 74 years
old: 75 to 84 years
oldest-old: 85+
What is Functional Age? - term used by gerontologists to describe physical,
psychological, and social function
What is Perceived Age? - term that is used to describe how people estimate a person's
age based on appearance
What is chronological age? - the number of years a person has lived
What is age identity? - How old or young people feel compared to their chronological
age; after early adulthood, most people feel younger than their chronological age. Some
older adults will view peers of similar age as being older than themselves and be
reluctant to join senior groups and other activities because they see the group members
as "old people" and different from themselves.
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that a substantial increase/decrease in the number of
individuals over age 65 will occur between 2010 and 2030 - increase . This is due to the
impact of the baby boomers, who began to enter this group in 2011. In 2030, it is
projected that this group will represent nearly 20% of the total U.S. population.
What is life expectancy? - the number of years a person can expect to live. Life
expectancy has now reached 78.2 years.
What is life span? - Maximum number of years an individual can live. The life span
currently is 122 years for humans.
What are baby boomers? - a large group of adults born between 1946 and 1964, that
will be the next wave of seniors.
What is the main source of healthcare for the aging adult? - Medicare
