Aging, the Individual, and Society

492 Pages·2010·7.858 MB·English

by  Susan M. Hillier, Georgia M. Barrow

Aging,
the Individual,
and Society
This page intentionally left blank
Aging,
the Individual,
and Society
NINTH EDITION
Susan M. Hillier
Sonoma State University
Georgia M. Barrow
Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States
This labor of love is dedicated to my husband, Rod Ferreira, for his loving support;
and to the memory of my father, Kenneth Lynn Hillier.
Aging, the Individual, and Society, © 2011, 2007, 1999 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
Ninth Edition
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright
Susan M. Hillier
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Georgia M. Barrow
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Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 14 13 12 11 10
CONTENTS
PREFACE xii Our Aging Nation 26
Ageism in the Future 27
1 Aging in America

2 Stereotypes and Images

An Interdisciplinary Topic 3
Person-Environment and Social Issues Stereotypes of Aging 32
Perspectives 6 Positive and Negative Stereotypes 32
Person-environment 6
Who is Old? 35
Environmental press 6
The Legal Defi nition of “Old” 37
No Golden Age of Aging 7
The Social Construction of Aging 37
Personal and Social Defi nitions of Age 8 Studies of Children’s Attitudes 39
Historical Perspectives on Aging 10 Changes in Attitude 40
Studies of Yound Adults’ Attitudes 40
Ageism 12
Ageism Yesterday: The Early American Explaining Stereotypes 42
Example 14 Historical and Cultural Explanations 43
Early colonial days 14 Social Forces: The Media 45
Shifting status of old age 16 Advertising and Nonverbal
Communication 47
The Aging Revolution: Demographics
Movies 49
of Aging 17
The Psychology of Prejudice 49
Increasing numbers of age 17
Breaking Negative Stereotypes 51
Global Aging 18
Emphasizing the Positive 51
Increased life expectancy 20
Consequences and Implications of
Decreasing birth rate 24
Stereotyping 52
v
3 Social and Psychological 4 Physical Health and
Theories in Later Life Well Being
Development
The Aging Body: A Description 92
Early Developmental Models 60 Normal Aging 93
Freud, 1856–1939 60 Health Status 95
Jung, 1875–1961 61
Chronic and Acute Conditions of Aging 96
Erikson, 1902–1994 62
Major Health Problems 97
Loevinger 64
Accidents 101
Levinson, 1923–1994 64
Obesity and Diabetes 102
Transitions in Adult life: Developmental
Why We Age: Theories of Aging 104
Patterns 65
Programmed immune system 106
The Identifi cation of Eras, Phases,
Free Radical Damage 106
or Stages 66
Young Adulthood 68 Longevity: The Role of Diet, Exercise,
Middle Age 69 and Mental Health 107
Late Life 75 Diet 108
Transitions in Late Life 76 Nutrition 109
Factors Aff ecting Nutrition and Diet 109
Activity Theory 77
Exercise and Physical Fitness 110
Disengagement Theory 77
Changing Activity Patterns 111
Gerotranscendence 78 Mental Health 112
Continuity Theory: “You Haven’t Social and Environmental Factors
Changed One Bit” 79 in Longevity 113
Exchange Theory 80 Centenarians 114
Theoretical Roles of Individuals
and Society 81
5 Mental Health
Roles, Gender, and Ethnicity 81
Gender Development 81
The Psychology of Aging 122
Age Grading 83
Cognitive Processes 124
Age Cohort 83
Generations and Events 84 Basic Cognitive Functions 124
Longitudinal Studies 84 The Senses 124
The Maas-Kuypers Study 85 Sensory Memory 125
The Elder-Liker Study 85 Attention 125
The Baltimore Study 85 Perception 126
Cross Sectional Studies: Coping and Psychomotor Speed 126
Adaptation 86 Intelligence 128
vi Contents
Learning and Memory 131 Social Networks 161
Primary Memory and Working Older Adult Friends and Neighbors 162
Memory 133 Social Organizations 162
Secondary Memory 133 Network Analysis 163
Tertiary Memory 134
Religion and Spirituality 164
Psychopathology and the Myth Strengthening Social Bonds 166
of Senility 135
Functional Disorders 136
Anxiety Disorders 136
7 Intimacy and Sexuality
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 136
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 136
The Need for Intimacy 172
Phobia 136
Marital Status 173
Depressive Disorders 136
Later-Life Couples 173
Hypochondria 138
Older Adult Singles: Widowhood 177
Personality Disorders 139
Gender Diff erences in Widowhood 182
Aff ective Disorders 139
Older Adult Singles: Divorce 183
Schizophrenia 139
Older Adult Singles: The Never Married 184
Organic Mental Disorders 140
Remarriage 185
Alzheimer’s Disease 141
Sexual Relationships and Sexuality 186
Multi-Infarct Dementia (MID) 144
Sexual Invisibility 188
Alcoholism 144
Physical Attraction and Youth 188
Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease 144
Romantic Love 189
Parkinson’s Disease 144
Homosexual Relationships 189
Huntington’s Disease 145
Research on Sexuality 191
Caring for Older Adults with Mental
Masters and Johnson 191
Illness 145
The Duke Longitudinal Study 193
Good Mental Health 146
Other Studies on Sexuality 193
Improving Attitudes About Aging and
Sexuality 195
6 Friends, Family, and Sexuality in Special Circumstances 196

Community
Family Development in Later Life 151
8 Work and Leisure
Elders in the Kin Structure 151
Siblings in Older Adulthood 152 The Concept of Retirement 202
Variations in Kin Relations 156 The Trend Toward Early Retirement 204
Grandparenting 156 Older Worker Discrimination 205
Contents vii
The Taxpayer Versus Early Retirement 207 Lifestyles of the Poor 247
A Profi le of Poverty 248
Age Discrimination in Employment 209
Age Discrimination in the Job Search 210 The Homeless: An Urban Dilemma 248
On-the-Job Discrimination and Ageism Rural Elders 252
in Layoff s 212 The Culture of Poverty 253
Myths About the Older Worker 214 Relative Deprivation 254
Older Worker Performance 215 A Piece of the Good Life 254
Adjustment to Retirement 215
Retirement Preparation Programs 216
Work and Leisure Values 218 10 Living Environments

Work 218
Living Environments 259
Leisure 219
Diversity in Living Arrangements 259
Expanding Work and Leisure
Options and Choices for Living 260
Opportunities 220
America’s Older Homeless 263
Full-Time Work Opportunities 221
Dissatisfaction with Housing 265
Part-Time Work Opportunities 222
Personal Changes 265
Retraining 223
Financial Changes and Increasing
Leisure Opportunities 224
Maintenance 265
Urban Blight 265
Desire to Pursue Leisure 266
9 Finances and Lifestyles
Problems in Relocating 266
Shortage of Appropriate Housing 266
Financial Status 228
Uprooting 267
Wide Diversity in Financial Status 230
Migration 269
Home Ownership 231
Integration versus Segregation 270
Home Rental 233
Housing Options 272
Social Security or Social Insecurity? 233
Aging in Place 272
Fewer Workers to Support More
Downsizing 274
Retirees 234
Adult Day Care 274
Social Security Adjustments 234
Granny Units and Shared Housing 275
Inequities in Social Security 237
Adult Communities 276
Assistance from Poverty 239
Retirement Cities 276
Retirement Winners and Losers 239
Assisted Living 276
Medical Expenses in Old Age 240 Continuing Care Retirement
Medicare and Medicaid 240 Communities 279
Medigap Policies 243
Nursing Homes: What Do They
No Place to Go 244
Off er? 279
Private Pensions 245 Who Needs a Nursing Home? 280
Trends in Private Pensions 245 Making the Decision to Move 280
Problems with Pensions 246 Finding a Nursing Home 280
viii Contents
Nursing Homes: How Bad Are They? 282 Crimes against Older People 322
New Trends in Nursing Homes 285 Fear of Attack 323
Fighting Back 324
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
of 1987 286 Aging Criminals 325
Older Professional Criminals 326
Growing Old behind Bars 326
11 The Oldest-Old and Elder Abuse 328

Nursing Home Abuse 330
Caregiving
Fraud 331
Social Referral 331
The Oldest-Old 291
Land and Home Equity Fraud 331
Physical Health 293
Mail Order, Television, and E-mail
Living Arrangements and Marital Status 296
Fraud 332
Evaluation of Life 296
Telemarket Fraud 332
Informal Caregiving 298
Credit Card Fraud 333
Obligations of Adult Children to Parents 299
Door-to-Door Sales 334
Weakened Family Support Systems 301
Investment Fraud 334
Demography 302
Estate Planning Fraud 334
Women’s Changing Roles 302
Medical and Health Care Fraud 335
Changing Intergenerational
Medical Quackery 336
Relationships 302
Medical Devices 336
Spousal Caregiving 303
Youth Restorers and Miracle Drugs 336
Adult Children as Caregivers 304
Cancer and AIDS Cures 338
Childlessness 306
Arthritis Cures 338
Elder Caregiving to Adult Children and
Confi dence Games 338
Grandchildren 306
Drug Abuse 338
Solving Caregiving Problems 307
Prescription Drugs 339
Stress and Stress Management 307
Over-the-Counter Drugs 339
Psychological Interventions and Respite
Alcoholism 340
Care for Caregivers 309
Promoting Consumer Education 341
The Home Care Crisis 310
13 Women and Ethnic
12 Special Problems

Groups
Suicide 317
Diff erences by Gender and Race 317 Women 347
Causes of Suicide 319 Financial Status 348
Choosing to Die 320 Middle-Aged Boomer Women 349
Self-Destructive Behavior 321 Single, Widowed, and Divorced Older
Future Trends 321 Women 349
Contents ix