Theories of Aging

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

Various Theories
 Biologic
 Sociologic
 Psychologic
 Medical
 Nursing
 Morale/spiritual

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Biologic theories
These theories answer the
questions:

1. How do cells age?

2. What triggers the ageing
process?
theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Biologic theories
• A. Error theories • B. Programmed
of aging theories of aging

Free Radical theory Hayflick

Wear & Tear Neuroendocrine
Cross-linking Immunologic

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Hayflick limit theory
• Based study by Hayflick and Moorehead, 1961.
• Experiment on fetal fibroblastic cells and their
reproductive capabilities
• There functional changes that do occur within
cells and are responsible for aging
• Freezing was found to halt the biologic cellular
clock
• Life expectancy was generally seen as
preprogrammed, within a specifies-specific range
• Biologic human was estimated at 110 to 120 years
theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Immunity theory
• The immune system is a for body protection
against invading organism
• Perubahan pada sistem imunitas t/u T-
lymphocytes menyebabkan tubuh kurang
mampu menahan penyakit

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Neuroendocrine
• There is inter-related role between the
neurologic and endocrine system
• Aging is a decline in many component of
the neuroendocrine system.
• Eg: Female reproductive system

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Implication for nursing
• The nurse caring for older adults should have a
clear understanding of the difference between age-
related changes and those that may actually be
pathologic
• Eg: Smoking cessation, sun protection, antioxidant
such vit C and E
• Walking to control weight
• Vaccine
• Life stress both: biologic and psychologic---stress
management: music tx, massage, imagery

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Sociologic Theories

These theories attempt to answer

questions:
1. How does a society influence
its old people?
2. How do old people influence a
society?

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Sociologic Theories
• Old theories

– Activity
– Role
– Disengagement

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Sociologic (cont’d)
• Newer Theories

– Continuity
– Social Exchange
– Aging &
Modernization
– Life-course

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Disengagement theory

• Introduced by Cumming and Herry ( 1961)

•Aging is viewed as a developmental task in
and of itself, with own norms and appropriate
patterns of behavior
•Individual would change from being
centered on society and interacting in the
community to being self centered persons
withdrawing from society, by virtue of
becoming old theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Activity Theory
Proposed by Havighurst (1963)

• Older people should stay active

• Active is necessary to maintain a person’s
life satisfaction and positive self concept
•This theory based on the assumption:
•It is better active than inactive
•It is better to be happy than unhappy
•An older individual is the best judge of his or her own
success in achieving the
theories first twoHawranik
of aging-reviewP. assumption
 Continuity Theory
• Being active, trying to maintain a sense of
being middle-aged or willingly withdrawing
from society does not necessary bring
happiness
• How the people continue through the
remainder of life

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Social exchange
• Concerned with person to person
environment
• Maximize reward and minimize costs in
their interaction
• Proposition: people want profit from their
social interaction

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Life course
• 3 types of time:
– Life time: or umur
– Historical time: riwayat atau pengalaman
– Social time: social roles by age-linked
expectation and option

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

Life-course has 4 main principles
• Dipengaruhi oleh dan dipertajam oleh sejarah dan
geografi dimana seseorang tsb berada
• Suatu kejadian akan berpengaruh tergantung
kapan itu terjd dlm kehidupan seseorang. Satu
stressor yang sama blm tentu menimbulkan efek
yang sama pada dua individu yg berbeda (tua,
muda)
• Hidup adalah saling bergantung/berpengaruh, mis:
anak yang sakit mempengaruhi ortu
• Individu membangun sendiri kehidupannya mll
pilihan dan tindakan.
theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Aging and modernization
• Status of the aged declines with increasing modernization.
• Development of health tech. improves sanitation, nutrition,
etc and leads life expectancy.
• With pop aging: intergenerational conflict for job---
retirement: less prestige and less income
• New specialized: the young fill the job
• Urbanization lower the status of older---separated with
their young generation
• Increases the education lower the status of the older,
before the older were considered as Wise

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Psychologic Theories
These theories address the questions:

1. How is behavior affected by

aging?
2. Do patterns of behavior change
over time in any identifiable way?

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Psychologic Theories
• Maslow
• Jung
• Erikson
• Selective
Optimization with
Compensation

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Maslow Theory
• Human motivation is viewed as a hiearchy
of needs that are critical to the growth and
development of all people. Individuals are
viewed as active participants in life, striving
for self-actualization.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

Jung Theory
•A theory of personality development throughout life
•Childhood, youth, young adulthood, middle age, and old
age
•A person’s personality is visualized toward external world
and inner experiences. (a balance for those two things
important for good mental health)
•At the onset mid-life people begun to question values,
beliefs, and possible dream
•Mid life crisis
•Successful aging is when a person looks inward and values
oneself for more than just current physical limitations or
losses.
theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Ericson
• A person’s sense of self in influenced by
society, people go through 8 stages
• A crisis impacts the development of the
person’s ego
• During adulthood, the development task is
balancing the search for integrity and
wholeness

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Selective optimization with
compensation
• People develop certain strategies to manage
the losses of function that occur over time

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Morale/spiritual development
• human beings seek to explain and validate their
existence in the world
• For many individuals this occurs through their
development as moral and spiritual
• Highest morale development, universal ethical
principles, and Maslow’s highes level of Self-
transcendent needs
• Nurse can assist clients in finding meaning in their
life crisis.
•

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Medical Theories

These theories answer the questions:

1. How are aging and disease
processes related, as well as
different?
2. What is different about the medical
care of older people than younger
people?
theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
 Medical theories (cont’d)

• Single-organ (similar
wear-out-some
organ damage and
need a
transplantation)

• Senescence (lanjut
usia)

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Nursing Theory
Self Care
“Self-care is the practice of
activities that individuals initiate
and perform on their behalf in
maintaining life, health, and
well-being”(Orem, 1991)

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Self-care is not a new
concept:
--Women’s movement
-- Self-help movement
-- Shift in emphasis from illness to
wellness
-- Knowledge of lay people increased
-- Rising health care costs

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Nursing & Self-Care: Orem
• Wholly
compensatory

– The nurse
compensates for the
individual’s inability
to perform self-care
by accomplishing it
or him or her

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

• Partly compensatory

– The nurse and the

patient work together
to meet the patient’s
self-care needs.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

• Supportive-
educative

– The patient acts as a

self-care agent but
requires assistance
with decision
making, behavior
modification, and
acquisition of
knowledge and skills

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Self-care and
Seniors

The majority of
health problems
are managed at
home through
self-care activities

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Review

1. As a person gets older, they

will become susceptible to a
variety of conditions, eg. food
allergies
2. People age at different rates
due to their lifestyle.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

3. The older person stops going to Bingo
on an ongoing basis and their friends
visit them less.

4. The theme of Participation, Creative

Retirement, and the motivating theory
behind the development of senior
centres.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

5. She has always coped by not talking
about what bothers her.

6. A homeless 67 year old man in

downtown attend a soup kitchen.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

7. He died of old age.

8. Mr. S. has a long driveway. He has placed

a chair half way down the driveway so
that he can rest on his way to pick up his
mail at the road.

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Critical Thinking
• A 62 years old woman believes that hearth
disease and poor circulation are inevitable
consequences of growing older and is
resistant to altering her ADLs and dietary
regimen. How would you respond?

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Case II
• Think of various programs and institution in
your community that care for the older
persons. Identify two and discuss the
sociologic aging theories exemplified in
each example

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Case III
• Imagine yourself at age 75. Describe your
appearance, your health issues, and your
lifestyles

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

 Case IV
• A 74-years old man repeatedly talks about
how he wishes he were as strong and
energetic as he was when he was younger.
His family consistently changes the topic or
criticizes him for being so grim. How would
you intervene in this situation

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik
• http://nihseniorhealth.gov/listoftopics.html

theories of aging-reviewP. Hawranik