Development Through the Lens of the Life-Span
Throughout this course we examined development through the lens of the life-span. For this week we took a closer look at older adults. The perceptions about growing older into older adulthood often do not match the realities of being an older adult. For this assignment, explain some of the myths regarding older adults and some of the realities they often face. Put special emphasis on the social-economic and the physical factors that you have found in your readings and research on this topic. Based on your experiences how would you interpret these myths and realities of older adults? Make sure to justify your answers by citing relevant sources
Textbook:
Santrock, J. W. (2020). Life-Span Development (18th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN: 9781260245844.
Week 5 Discussion: Human Growth and Development
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There are several myths and stereotypes regarding older adults. According to Kang and Kim (2022), internalized age biases might result in low self-confidence and self-esteem, negatively impacting older adults' physical and mental wellbeing. For example, people often believe that developing Alzheimer's disease is an inevitable occurrence in old age. Psychological and physical inactivity, obesity, hypertension, smoking, and cognitive decline are associated with Alzheimer's disease in old age. Based on experience interacting with older adults, these deteriorated health outcomes can be mitigated to improve an individual's quality of life in old age. For example, the older adult