• Theories of Aging

 Prior to the middle of the twentieth century, the cause of death listed on many older
adults’ death certificates was old age.
 It was thought that at some later point in life, the body just gave out.
 The growth in scientific medical and gerontological knowledge over the past century has
challenged this popular view.
o In fact, advances in the study of older adults have made society question whether
there are more appropriate physiological, social, or psychological reasons why
people die.
o Despite the continuing debate, the question remains: in the absence of illness,
why do people die?
The results of efforts to answer this question are derived from theories of aging.

 Biological theories explain that the reason people age and die is because of changes in
the human body.
 Psychological theories support the idea that an older adult’s life ends when they have
reached all of their developmental milestones.
 Moral/spiritual theories support the idea that once an older individual finds spiritual
wholeness, this transcends the need to inhabit a body, and they die.
 Sociological theories explain that when an older adult’s usefulness in roles and
relationships ends, end of life occurs.
o
A. Biological Theories

 Two of the main biological categories are:

1. Feature Theories
2. Defect Theories

Feature theory is consistent with the work of Hayflick (2007) commonly known as the “Hayflick
limit.”
 The Hayflick limit essentially states that cells will divide for a finite number of times, and
once they have reached this limit, the cells shrink, disperse, and eventually die, resulting
in death of the body.
 The Hayflick limit relies heavily on the science of “programmed cell death” or
“apoptosis.” The manner and timeline of apoptosis is the subject of a great deal of
research surrounding the aging process.
 Feature theory expands the work of Hayflick and focuses heavily around apoptosis. This
theory purports that the aging process is contained in the design of human beings.
 In other words, theorists who support this theory believe that how a person ages is
genetically predetermined.