-achieve financial and social independence -accepts self and others -decides on marriage, career, and children -distinguishes love and permanent commitment -maximizes personal worth

Erickson's Intimacy

-accepts capacity of closeness towards another person -leads to commitment, sharing, and compromising

Erickson's Mark of an Early Adult

Resolution of -conflicting demands of intimacy -competitiveness -distance development of ethical sense

Rest and Sleep-Early Adult

-7 to 9 hours of sleep -no schedule daytime rest opportunities -increase productivity to obtain adequate rest(essential for pregnant women

Benefits to Physical Activity(early adult)

-increases heart and lung capacity -lowers blood pressure -helps control weight -enhances body function -improves emotional health -sex drive continues for men and women

Safety for Early Adult

Injuries common to -work accidents -vehicle accidents -sports accidents -violence

Physical Characteristics of Middle Adult

-bone mass decreases -increased risk of osteoporosis -women lose calcium after menopause -slight changes of height begin as well as hardening of collagen fibers -changes in muscle strength -basic neurologic function remains at a high level

Presbyopia

-defect in vision in advancing age that involves loss of accommodation or the recession of the near point

Presbycusis

-a normal progressive, age associated loss of hearing acuity, speech intelligibility, auditory threshold, and pitch (begin around 40)

Hormonal changes in women

-declining of progesterone -estrogen

Menopause

Gradual that takes about 5 years to complete

Signs and symptoms of menopause

-irregular menstrual periods -flow changes -excess fluid retention -breast tenderness -hot flashes -palpitations -night sweats -irritability/mood swings

Erickson's Middle Adulthood

-generativity vs stagnation -accepting responsibility for and offering guidance to the next generation

Developmental tasks of middle adulthood

-balances goals and realities and redirects energies -extends caring and concern beyond immediate family -develops career and job satisfaction -adapts to physical changes -establishes new roles and relationships with family

Autoimmune theory

-the body becomes less able to recognize or tolerate the "self" -supported by the increased accumulation of lymphocytes (plasma found in the tissues of healthy older people)

Affected organs of the aging process

-thymus -bone marrow

Impacts of the thymus and bone marrow

Thymus-decreases in size and weight and becomes less able to produce T cells bone marrow- reduced efficiency in performing certain functions

Genetics in aging

-our lifespan could be determined by our genes -several genes affect the process of aging

Musculoskeletal system

Muscles, bones, joints, and CT

Normal changes in musculoskeletal system

-mineral salts move from bones to blood -ligaments less elastic -increase in joint stiffness w/ less ROM -less joint mobility, agility, and endurance -thinning of vertebral discs

Nursing interventions for the musculoskeletal system

-maintain mobility -encourage exercise -encourage passive and active exercises

Special senses of aging

-taste -smell -vision -hearing

Normal changes in taste and smell of aging

-decline in taste and smell perception

Normal changes in vision of aging

-decreases tear production -increase in lens density -slowing of accommodation

Normal changes in hearing of aging

-presbycusis(difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds) -increase in degenerative changes within ear structure -increase in buildup of wax production

Nursing interventions of taste and smell

-use smoke detectors -serve attractive, colorful food

Nursing interventions of vision

-encourage annual eye examinations -use more diffuse lighting -place articles within visual field

Nursing interventions of hearing

-speak slowly, clearly -face individual -speak in lower tones -control background noise -encourage use of hearing aids if available

Normal changes in cardiovascular system

-fewer blood cells produced -loss of elasticity and narrowing of blood vessels -increase in bp -valves thicker -more rigid -heart needs more time to return to resting state -decreased cardiac output

Nursing interventions for cardiovascular system

-encourage regular, paced exercise with adequate rest periods -maintain low-fat and low-sodium diets -obtain regular physician examinations

Erikson's late adulthood ego integrity

-evaluation of one's life and accomplishments, find satisfaction and meaning -reminiscing with others and validates meaning and importance of the individual's life

Erikson's late adulthood despair

-feeling of restlessness -sense of panic that "time is running out" -feels the need for more time and a chance to do things over again

Nutrition for Late Adulthood

-higher quality of food with lowered quantity -generally, less active and have more adipose tissue

Common threats of nutrition to late adulthood

-poor oral health -lack of appetite -food intolerances -constipation

Safety tips for the older adult

-get up slowly from a lying-flat position -if self-medicating, use dispensing aids to decrease the risk of error -wear properly fitting shoes and clothing -allow enough time, do not rush or hurry