What Does Psychology Say?

Figure 15.1 Late adulthood is a time during which many physical and cognitive changes occur, and many people find themselves celebrating their decision to retire. This chapter describes the many changes older adults experience. (credit: modification of work “Eric’s Retirement Party” by “SheltieBoy”/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

Chapter Outline

15.1 Physical Aging in Late Adulthood

15.2 Health Risks in Late Adulthood

15.3 Cognition and Memory in Late Adulthood

15.4 Brain Disorders in Late Adulthood

15.5 Successful Physical and Cognitive Aging in Late Adulthood

Harold is seventy years old and recently retired from a long career running his family’s café. Over his working years, he saw many long-time patrons move from middle to late adulthood and begin to deal with a variety of health problems. Now he is fully aware that he too is an older adult. Still, he doesn’t really feel “old.” Aside from a few stiff joints and some minor aches and pains, he feels like his regular self. He is, however, slightly concerned about his cognitive ability. He has always been a bit absent-minded, but recently any time he has misplaced something or had a memory lapse, he has wondered whether this is just occasional forgetfulness or a sign of more serious things to come.

Harold’s retirement has gotten him thinking about how the next phase of life will go. Even though he has some idea of the changes to expect, he also knows life is unpredictable. He’s aware of medical conditions that run in his family, like glaucoma, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease, and he hopes he’ll be able to identify and get treatment for these things early if he develops them himself. He resolves to stay on top of his medical appointments and continue to get regular checkups. Harold wants to live long, but he also wants to be healthy while doing so. He has several questions on his mind:

• How long can he maintain his good health?
• Will he notice slow and gradual declines in his physical or mental abilities, or will sudden health events drastically change his life?
• Should he be concerned about forgetting little things now that he is older?
• Most of all, he thinks about the rest of his life and how long it might last. Could he have twenty or even thirty years ahead of him?

This chapter describes research that examines changes to the physical body, health, cognitive ability, and abnormal cognitive declines in late adulthood.