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71-812: (Redirected from Old Lady ) [REDACTED] Look up old lady in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Old lady may refer to: Slang [ edit ] A woman at an old age Mother Girlfriend (American) Wife (American) Nicknames [ edit ] Bank of England , United Kingdom's central bank Hertha BSC , association football club based in Berlin, Germany Juventus FC , association football club based in Turin, Italy Anorthosis Famagusta FC , association football club based in Larnaca, Cyprus Old lady moth,

142-455: A condition marked by serious mental and physical debilitation. Therefore, rather than lumping together all people who have been defined as old, some gerontologists have recognized the diversity of old age by defining sub-groups. One study distinguishes the young-old (60 to 69), the middle-old (70 to 79), and the very old (80+). Another study's sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75 to 84), and oldest-old (85+). A third sub-grouping

213-508: A considerable disparity between the number of men and women in the older population in the United States. In both 2000 and 2010, women outnumbered men in the older population at every single year of age (e.g., 65 to 100 years and over). The sex ratio , which is a measure used to indicate the balance of males to females in a population, is calculated by taking the number of males divided by the number of females, and multiplying by 100. Therefore,

284-416: A continuity of self-concept. In their interviews, Johnson and Barer found that 24% of the 85+ had no face-to-face family relationships; many have outlived their families. Second, that contrary to popular notions, the interviews revealed that the reduced activity and socializing of the over-85s does not harm their well-being; they "welcome increased detachment". Third, rather than a continuity of self-concept, as

355-456: A desire to do so. Many older adults lack the resources to maintain active roles in society. On the flip side, some elders may insist on continuing activities in late life that pose a danger to themselves and others, such as driving at night with low visual acuity or doing maintenance work to the house while climbing with severely arthritic knees. In doing so, they are denying their limitations and engaging in unsafe behaviors. Disengagement theory

426-484: A family issue. It was not until the coming of the Industrial Revolution that ideas shifted in favor of a societal care-system. Some early pioneers, such as Michel Eugène Chevreul , who himself lived to be 102, believed that aging itself should be a science to be studied. Élie Metchnikoff coined the term "gerontology" in 1903. Modern pioneers like James Birren began organizing gerontology as its own field in

497-503: A fifth dimension: developmental. Chronological age may differ considerably from a person's functional age. The distinguishing marks of old age normally occur in all five senses at different times and at different rates for different people. In addition to chronological age, people can be considered old because of the other dimensions of old age. For example, people may be considered old when they become grandparents or when they begin to do less or different work in retirement. Senior citizen

568-475: A finding consistent with the DNA damage theory of aging . Social gerontology is a multi-disciplinary sub-field that specializes in studying or working with older adults. Social gerontologists may have degrees or training in social work , nursing , psychology , sociology , demography , public health , or other social science disciplines. Social gerontologists are responsible for educating, researching, and advancing

639-403: A pioneering study of Life Beyond 85 Years by interviews over a six-year period. In talking with 85-year-olds and older, they found some popular conceptions about old age to be erroneous. Such erroneous conceptions include (1) people in old age have at least one family member for support, (2) old age well-being requires social activity, and (3) "successful adaptation" to age-related changes demands

710-407: A pleasant time; children are grown, work is over, and there is time to pursue other interests. Many old people are also willing to get involved in community and activist organizations to promote their well-being. In contrast, perceptions of old age by writers 80+ years old tend to be negative. Georges Minois  [ Wikidata ] writes that the first man known to talk about his old age

781-643: A special " senior discount card " or other proof of age needs to be produced to show entitlement. In the United States , the standard retirement age is currently 66 (gradually increasing to 67). The AARP allows couples in which one spouse has reached the age of 50 to join, regardless of the age of the other spouse. In Canada , the Old Age Security (OAS) pension is available at 65 (the Conservative government of Stephen Harper had planned to gradually increase

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852-465: A vis Old". Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People , a book about the test, reports that 80% of Americans have an "automatic preference for the young over old" and that attitude is true worldwide. The young are "consistent in their negative attitude" toward the old. Ageism documents that Americans generally have "little tolerance for older persons and very few reservations about harboring negative attitudes" about them. Despite its prevalence, ageism

923-704: Is a common euphemism for an old person used in American English , and sometimes in British English . It implies that the person being referred to is retired. This in turn usually implies that the person is over the retirement age , which varies according to country. Synonyms include old age pensioner or pensioner in British English, and retiree and senior in American English. Some dictionaries describe widespread use of "senior citizen" for people over

994-650: Is bewildered: They refuse to follow her advice, they are obsessed with the past, they avoid risk, and they live at a "glacial pace". In her The Denial of Aging , Dr. Muriel R. Gillick, a baby boomer , accuses her contemporaries of believing that by proper exercise and diet they can avoid the scourges of old age and proceed from middle age to death. Studies find that many people in the 65–84 range can postpone morbidity by practicing healthy lifestyles. However, at about age 85, most people experience similar morbidity. Even with healthy lifestyles, most 85+ people will undergo extended "frailty and disability". Early old age can be

1065-544: Is context-sensitive. The United Nations, for example, considers old age to be 60 years or older. In contrast, a 2001 joint report by the U.S. National Institute on Aging and the World Health Organization [WHO] Regional Office for Africa set the beginning of old age in Sub-Saharan Africa at 50. This lower threshold stems primarily from a different way of thinking about old age in developing nations. Unlike in

1136-709: Is forgetful and cannot recall yesterday. The bone suffers old age. Good is become evil. All taste is gone. What old age does to men is evil in every respect. Minois comments that the scribe's "cry shows that nothing has changed in the drama of decrepitude between the age of the Pharaoh and the atomic age" and "expresses all the anguish of old people in the past and the present". Lillian Rubin , active in her 80s as an author, sociologist, and psychotherapist, opens her book 60 on Up: The Truth about Aging in America with "getting old sucks. It always has, it always will." Dr. Rubin contrasts

1207-410: Is heavily criticized for having an escape clause—namely, that older adults who remain engaged in society are unsuccessful adjusters to old age. Gradual withdrawal from society and relationships preserves social equilibrium and promotes self-reflection for elders who are freed from societal roles. It furnishes an orderly means for the transfer of knowledge, capital, and power from the older generation to

1278-507: Is often preferred over "decrepitude, because death means deliverance". "The problem of the ambiguity of old age has ... been with us since the stage of primitive society ; it was both the source of wisdom and of infirmity, experience and decrepitude, of prestige and suffering." In the Classical period of Greek and Roman cultures, old age was denigrated as a time of "decline and decrepitude". "Beauty and strength" were esteemed and old age

1349-402: Is seldom the subject of public discourse. Simone de Beauvoir wrote that "there is one form of experience that belongs only to those that are old – that of old age itself". Nevertheless, simulations of old age attempt to help younger people gain some understanding. Texas A&M University offers a plan for an "Aging Simulation" workshop. The workshop is adapted from Sensitizing People to

1420-534: Is the study of the social , cultural , psychological , cognitive , and biological aspects of aging . The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek γέρων ( gérōn ), meaning "old man", and -λογία ( -logía ), meaning "study of". The field is distinguished from geriatrics , which is the branch of medicine that specializes in the treatment of existing disease in older adults. Gerontologists include researchers and practitioners in

1491-452: Is usually associated with an age at which pensions or medical benefits for the elderly become available. In commercial contexts, where it may serve as a marketing device to attract customers, the age is often significantly lower. In commerce, some businesses offer customers of a certain age a " senior discount ". The age at which these discounts are available varies from 55, 60, 62 or 65 upwards, and other criteria may also apply. Sometimes

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1562-701: Is young-old (65 to 74), old (74 to 84), and old-old (85+). Describing sub-groups in the 65+ population enables a more accurate portrayal of significant life changes. Two British scholars, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard, have added a "fourth age" sub-group. In British English, the "third age" is "the period in life of active retirement, following middle age". Higgs and Gilleard describe the fourth age as "an arena of inactive, unhealthy, unproductive, and ultimately unsuccessful ageing". Key Concepts in Social Gerontology lists four dimensions: chronological, biological, psychological, and social. Wattis and Curran add

1633-586: The Census 2010 reported that there were approximately twice as many women as men living in the United States at 89 years of age (361,309 versus 176,689, respectively). The number and percentage of older adults living in the United States vary across the four different regions (Northeast, Midwest, West, and South) defined by the United States census. In 2010, the South contained the greatest number of people aged 65 years and older and 85 years and older. However, proportionately,

1704-549: The United Nations proposed a human-rights convention to protect old people. Definitions of old age include official definitions, sub-group definitions, and four dimensions as follows. Most developed Western countries set the retirement age around the age of 65; this is also generally considered to mark the transition from middle to old age. Reaching this age is commonly a requirement to become eligible for senior social programs. Old age cannot be universally defined because it

1775-662: The "real old age" with the "rosy pictures" painted by middle-age writers. Writing at the age of 87, Mary C. Morrison describes the "heroism" required by old age: to live through the disintegration of one's own body or that of someone you love. Morrison concludes, "old age is not for the fainthearted". In the book Life Beyond 85 Years , the 150 interviewees had to cope with physical and mental debilitation and with losses of loved ones. One interviewee described living in old age as "pure hell". Research has shown that in high-income countries, on average, one in four people over 60 and one in three over 75 feels lonely. Johnson and Barer did

1846-690: The 1940s, later being involved in starting a US government agency on aging—the National Institute on Aging —programs in gerontology at the University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles , and as past president of the Gerontological Society of America (founded in 1945). With the population of people over 60 years old expected to be some 22% of the world's population by 2050, assessment and treatment methods for age-related disease burden—the term geroscience emerged in

1917-412: The 1970s and 1980s, research confirmed the importance of the physical and social environment in understanding the aging population and improved the quality of life in old age. Studies of environmental gerontology indicate that older people prefer to age in their immediate environment, whereas spatial experience and place attachment are important for understanding the process. Some research indicates that

1988-559: The Northeast contains the largest percentage of adults aged 65 years and older (14.1%), followed by the Midwest (13.5%), the South (13.0%), and the West (11.9%). Relative to the Census 2000 , all geographic regions demonstrated positive growth in the population of adults aged 65 years and older and 85 years and older. The most rapid growth in the population of adults aged 65 years and older was evident in

2059-473: The Processes of Aging . Some of the simulations include: Gerontology 1800s: Martineau · Tocqueville  ·  Marx ·  Spencer · Le Bon · Ward · Pareto ·  Tönnies · Veblen ·  Simmel · Durkheim ·  Addams ·  Mead · Weber ·  Du Bois ·  Mannheim · Elias Gerontology ( / ˌ dʒ ɛr ən ˈ t ɒ l ə dʒ i / JERR -ən- TOL -ə-jee )

2130-758: The United States, being healthy, physically, and socially active are signs of a good old age. On the other hand, Africans focus more on food and material security and a helpful family when describing old age well-being. Additionally, Koreans are more anxious about aging and more scared of old people than Americans are. Research on age-related attitudes consistently finds that negative attitudes exceed positive attitudes toward old people because of their looks and behavior. In his study Aging and Old Age , Posner discovers "resentment and disdain of older people" in American society. Harvard University's implicit-association test measures implicit "attitudes and beliefs" about "Young vis

2201-495: The West (23.5%), which showed an increase from 6.9 million in 2000 to 8.5 million in 2010. Likewise, in the population aged 85 years and older, the West (42.8%) also showed the fastest growth and increased from 806,000 in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2010. It is worth highlighting that Rhode Island was the only state that experienced a reduction in the number of people aged 65 years and older, and declined from 152,402 in 2000 to 151,881 in 2010. Conversely, all states exhibited an increase in

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2272-421: The aches and conditions of the elderly. His scholarly work covers sleep disorders , forgetfulness , how to strengthen memory , and causes of mortality . Ishaq ibn Hunayn (died 910) also wrote works on the treatments for forgetfulness. While the number of aged humans, and the life expectancy , tended to increase in every century since the 14th, society tended to consider caring for an elderly relative as

2343-410: The age at which they will be at that time. His idea is to repair inside cells and between them all that can be repaired using modern technology, allowing people to live until time when technology progress will allow to cure deeper damage. This concept got the name " longevity escape velocity ". A meta analysis of 36 studies concluded that there is an association between age and DNA damage in humans,

2414-461: The age of 65. When defined in a legal context, senior citizen is often used for legal or policy-related reasons in determining who is eligible for certain benefits available to the age group. It is used in general usage instead of traditional terms such as "old person", "old-age pensioner", or "elderly" as a courtesy and to signify continuing relevance of and respect for this population group as " citizens " of society, of senior "rank". The term

2485-659: The age of eligibility to 67, starting in the years 2023–2029, although the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau is considering leaving it at 65), and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) as early as age 60. The distinguishing characteristics of old age are both physical and mental. The marks of old age are so unlike the marks of middle age that legal scholar Richard Posner suggests that, as an individual transitions into old age, that person can be thought of as different people "time-sharing"

2556-410: The aged have coexisted in complex relationships throughout history. "Old people were respected or despised, honoured or put to death according to circumstance." In ancient times, those who were frail were seen as a burden and ignored or, in extreme cases, killed. People were defined as "old" because of their inability to perform useful tasks rather than their years. Although he was skeptical of

2627-489: The aging experience. The field started from legal scholars in the field of elder law , which found that looking into legal issues of older persons without a broader inter-disciplinary perspective does not provide the ideal legal outcome. Using theories such as therapeutic jurisprudence , jurisprudential scholars critically examined existing legal institutions (e.g. adult guardianship, end of life care, or nursing homes regulations) and showed how law should look more closely to

2698-598: The benchmark for senior citizenship in numerous countries. This convention originated from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's introduction of the pension system in Germany during the late 19th century. Bismarck's legislation set the retirement age at 70, with 65 as the age at which individuals could start receiving a pension. This age standard gradually gained acceptance in other nations and has since become deeply entrenched in public consciousness. The age which qualifies for senior citizen status varies widely. In governmental contexts, it

2769-466: The broader causes of older people. Because issues of life span and life extension need numbers to quantify them, there is an overlap with demography . Those who study the demography of the human life span differ from those who study the social demographics of aging. Several theories of aging are developed to observe the aging process of older adults in society as well as how these processes are interpreted by men and women as they age. Activity theory

2840-444: The context, but the state of being elderly was often thought as being 60 years of age or older in many respects. Gerontologists have recognized that people experience very different conditions as they approach old age. In developed countries, many people in their later 60s and 70s (frequently called "early old age") are still fit, active, and able to care for themselves. However, after 80, they generally become increasingly frail ,

2911-662: The deinstitutionalization of the life course—and suggest that these implications pose new challenges for theorizing aging and the life course in postindustrial societies. Dramatic reductions in mortality, morbidity, and fertility over the past several decades have so shaken up the organization of the life course and the nature of educational, work, family, and leisure experiences that it is now possible for individuals to become old in new ways. The configurations and content of other life stages are being altered as well, especially for women. In consequence, theories of age and aging will need to be reconceptualized. According to this theory, which

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2982-454: The developed world, where chronological age determines retirement, societies in developing countries determine old age according to a person's ability to make active contributions to society. This number is also significantly affected by lower life expectancy throughout the developing world. Dating back to the Middle Ages and prior, what certain scholars thought of as old age varied depending on

3053-406: The early 21st century. The world is forecast to undergo rapid population aging in the next several decades. In 1900, there were 3.1 million people aged 65 years and older living in the United States . However, this population continued to grow throughout the 20th century and reached 31.2, 35, and 40.3 million people in 1990, 2000, and 2010, respectively. Notably, in the United States and across

3124-455: The elderly are a happier age group than their younger counterparts. Physical marks of old age include the following: Mental marks of old age include the following: Many books written by authors in middle adulthood depict a few common perceptions on old age. One writer notices the change in his parents: They move slowly, they have less strength, they repeat stories, their minds wander, and they fret. Another writer sees her aged parents and

3195-551: The field is relatively new. The USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology created the first PhD, master's and bachelor's degree programs in gerontology in 1975. In the Islamic Golden Age , several physicians wrote on issues related to Gerontology. Avicenna 's The Canon of Medicine (1025) offered instruction for the care of the aged, including diet and remedies for problems including constipation . Arabic physician Ibn Al-Jazzar Al-Qayrawani (Algizar, c. 898–980) wrote on

3266-452: The fields of biology, nursing, medicine, criminology, dentistry, social work, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, economics, political science, architecture, geography, pharmacy, public health, housing, and anthropology. The multidisciplinary nature of gerontology means that there are a number of sub-fields which overlap with gerontology. There are policy issues, for example, involved in government planning and

3337-451: The gods, Aristotle concurred in the dislike of old people. In his Ethics , he wrote that "old people are miserly; they do not acknowledge disinterested friendship; only seeking for what can satisfy their selfish needs". The Medieval and Renaissance periods depicted old age as "cruel or weak". The 16th-century Utopians Thomas More and Antonio de Guevara allowed no decrepit old people in their fictional lands. For Thomas More, on

3408-448: The greatest segment of the oldest-old in 1990, 2000, and 2010. However, the largest percentage point increase among the oldest-old occurred in the 90- to 94-year-old age group, which increased from 25.0% in 1990 to 26.4% in 2010. With the rapid growth of the aging population, social work education and training specialized in older adults and practitioners interested in working with older adults are increasingly in demand. There has been

3479-414: The interviewees faced new situations they changed their "cognitive and emotional processes" and reconstituted their "self–representation". Based on his survey of old age in history, Georges Minois concludes that "it is clear that always and everywhere youth has been preferred to old age". In Western thought, "old age is an evil, an infirmity and a dreary time of preparation for death". Furthermore, death

3550-492: The island of Utopia , when people are so old as to have "out-lived themselves" and are terminally ill, in pain, and a burden to everyone, the priests exhort them about choosing to die. The priests assure them that "they shall be happy after death". If they choose to die, they end their lives by starvation or by taking opium. Antonio de Guevara 's utopian nation "had a custom, not to live longer than sixty five years". At that age, they practiced self-immolation. Rather than condemn

3621-452: The life span. However, advantages and disadvantages in middle adulthood have a direct influence on economic and health status in later life. Environmental gerontology is a specialization within gerontology that seeks an understanding and interventions to optimize the relationship between aging persons and their physical and social environments. The field emerged in the 1930s during the first studies on behavioral and social gerontology. In

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3692-574: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_lady&oldid=1220182160 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Old age Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more susceptible to illness and injury than younger adults. They face social problems that relate to retirement , loneliness , and ageism . In 2011,

3763-421: The older population, remaining active is more feasible now than when this theory was first proposed by Havighurst nearly six decades ago. The activity theory is applicable for a stable, post-industrial society , which offers its older members many opportunities for meaningful participation. Weakness: Some aging persons cannot maintain a middle-aged lifestyle, due to functional limitations, lack of income, or lack of

3834-523: The operation of nursing homes, investigating the effects of an aging population on society, and the design of residential spaces for older people that facilitate the development of a sense of place or home. Dr. Lawton, a behavioral psychologist at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, was among the first to recognize the need for living spaces designed to accommodate the elderly, especially those with Alzheimer's disease. As an academic discipline

3905-431: The owlet moth Mormo maura Other uses [ edit ] The Old Lady , a 1932 Italian film See also [ edit ] Babushka (disambiguation) Old man (disambiguation) Old woman (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Old lady . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

3976-446: The physical-social environment is related to the longevity and quality of life of the elderly . Precisely, the natural environment (such as natural therapeutic landscapes , therapeutic garden ) contributes to active and healthy aging in the place. Jurisprudential gerontology (sometimes referred to as "geriatric jurisprudence") is a specialization within gerontology that looks into the ways laws and legal structures interact with

4047-436: The population in the United States and Canada will be aged 65 years and older by 2025. Moreover, by 2050, it is predicted that, for the first time in United States history, the number of individuals aged 60 years and older will be greater than the number of children aged 0 to 14 years. Those aged 85 years and older (oldest-old) are projected to increase from 5.3 million to 21 million by 2050. Adults aged 85–89 years constituted

4118-451: The population of adults aged 85 years and older from 2000 to 2010. As with many disciplines , over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries the field of gerontology has sub-divided into multiple specific disciplines focused on increasingly narrow aspects of the aging process . Biogerontology is the special sub-field of gerontology concerned with the biological aging process, its evolutionary origins, and potential means to intervene in

4189-480: The practice, Bishop Guevara called it a "golden world" in which people "have overcome the natural appetite to desire to live". In the modern period, the cultural status of old people has declined in many cultures. Joan Erikson observed that "aged individuals are often ostracized, neglected, and overlooked; elders are seen no longer as bearers of wisdom but as embodiments of shame". Attitudes toward old age well-being vary somewhat between cultures. For example, in

4260-423: The process of social change. According to this theory, which stems from the life course perspective aging occurs from birth to death. Aging involves social, psychological, and biological processes. Additionally, aging experiences are shaped by cohort and period effects. Also reflecting the life course focus, consider the implications for how societies might function when age-based norms vanish—a consequence of

4331-468: The process. Aim of biogerontology is to prevent age-related disease by intervening in aging processes or even eliminate aging per se. Some argue that aging fits the criteria of disease, therefore aging is disease and should be treated as disease. In 2008 Aubrey de Grey said that in case of suitable funding and involvement of specialists there is a 50% chance, that in 25–30 years humans will have technology saving people from dying of old age, regardless of

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4402-534: The same identity. These marks do not occur at the same chronological age for everyone. Also, they occur at different rates and order for different people. Marks of old age can easily vary between people of the same chronological age. A basic mark of old age that affects both body and mind is "slowness of behavior". The term describes a correlation between advancing age and slowness of reaction and physical and mental task performance. However, studies from Buffalo University and Northwestern University have shown that

4473-445: The sex ratio is the number of males per 100 females. In 2010, there were 90.5 males per 100 females in the 65-year-old population. However, this represented an increase from 1990 when there were 82.7 males per 100 females, and from 2000 when the sex ratio was 88.1. Although the gender gap between men and women has narrowed, women continue to have a greater life expectancy and lower mortality rates at older ages relative to men. For example,

4544-417: The world, the "baby boomer" generation began to turn 65 in 2011. Recently, the population aged 65 years and older has grown at a faster rate than the total population in the United States. The total population increased by 9.7%, from 281.4 million to 308.7 million, between 2000 and 2010. However, the population aged 65 years and older increased by 15.1% during the same period. It has been estimated that 25% of

4615-484: The young. It makes it possible for society to continue functioning after valuable older members die. According to this theory, older adults born during different time periods form cohorts that define "age strata". There are two differences among strata: chronological age and historical experience. This theory makes two arguments. 1. Age is a mechanism for regulating behavior and as a result determines access to positions of power. 2. Birth cohorts play an influential role in

4686-403: Was an Egyptian scribe who lived 4,500 years ago. The scribe addressed God with a prayer of lament: O Sovereign my Lord! Oldness has come; old age has descended. Feebleness has arrived; dotage is here anew. The heart sleeps wearily every day. The eyes are weak, the ears are deaf, the strength is disappearing because of weariness of the heart and the mouth is silent and cannot speak. The heart

4757-445: Was apparently coined in 1938 during a political campaign. Famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld claimed on several occasions that his father Isaac Hirschfeld invented the term "senior citizen". It has come into widespread use in recent decades in legislation, commerce, and common speech. Especially in less formal contexts, it is often abbreviated as "senior(s)", which is also used as an adjective . The age of 65 has long been considered

4828-470: Was developed and elaborated by Cavan, Havighurst, and Albrecht. According to this theory, older adults' self-concept depends on social interactions. In order for older adults to maintain morale in old age, substitutions must be made for lost roles. Examples of lost roles include retirement from a job or loss of a spouse. Activity is preferable to inactivity because it facilitates well-being on multiple levels. Because of improved general health and prosperity in

4899-408: Was developed beginning in the 1960s by Derek Price and Robert Merton and elaborated on by several researchers such as Dale Dannefer, inequalities have a tendency to become more pronounced throughout the aging process. A paradigm of this theory can be expressed in the adage " the rich get richer and the poor get poorer ". Advantages and disadvantages in early life stages have a profound effect throughout

4970-441: Was developed by Cumming and Henry. According to this theory, older adults and society engage in a mutual separation from each other. An example of mutual separation is retirement from the workforce. A key assumption of this theory is that older adults lose "ego-energy" and become increasingly self-absorbed. Additionally, disengagement leads to higher morale maintenance than if older adults try to maintain social involvement. This theory

5041-510: Was viewed as defiling and ugly. Old age was reckoned as one of the unanswerable "great mysteries" along with evil, pain, and suffering. "Decrepitude, which shrivels heroes, seemed worse than death." Historical periods reveal a mixed picture of the "position and status" of old people, but there has never been a "golden age of aging". Studies have challenged the popular belief that in the past old people were venerated by society and cared for by their families. Veneration for and antagonism toward

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