Lecture Psychological changes in the personality and activity of a person of late age. in the discipline MDK 01.02. Psychology and androgogy of the elderly and disabled.

Classification

The psychology of elderly and senile people has interested researchers for many centuries. After numerous studies, several classifications of old age were created. Among the most relevant, two separation methods can be distinguished.

Classification of old age typologies by F. Giese:

Introverted type. Such individuals are acutely experiencing the period of aging. They are characterized by a revival of pleasant memories, a reluctance to accept and develop new interests, a desire for peace, and a weakening of emotions.
Extroverted type. Such individuals recognize the aging process.
Negative. This type includes individuals who deny the signs of advancing old age.

Karol Roschak proposed the following classification of old age:

Construction type. This includes mature individuals who enjoy life regardless of the aging process. They maintain close communication with others. The main character traits include patience, a sense of opportunity, prospects, the ability to set goals and achieve them. Such individuals continue to enjoy food, games, work, hobbies, aware of the inevitably approaching death.
Aggressive-active type. Individuals who belong to this type often show irritability over trifles and are suspicious of strangers. They often shift their own blame onto others in order to feel calmer. Due to constant distrust of others, they begin to withdraw into themselves and isolate themselves from society. They refuse to accept the approaching old age, protecting themselves with various judgments.
Protective type. This includes emotionally reserved individuals. They show straightforwardness in their actions and habits. They do not like to ask for help from others and try to solve problems on their own. They rarely pass on personal experience to the younger generation; they often envy the young. People are pessimistic about old age.
Type of passive aging. Aggression in such individuals is directed towards themselves. They constantly criticize themselves for past events and are often depressed. They rarely take initiative in any actions, but they do not envy the young and accept the aging process.

Psychosocial development in late adulthood. Personality characteristics of an elderly (old person)

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Cognitive features of late adulthood

The period of late adulthood is often called gerontogenesis, or the period of aging. Most researchers believe that this time in a person’s life begins at age 60. Some authors believe that for women this period begins at 55, and for men at 60 years. People who have reached this age are divided into three subgroups: elderly people, senile people and centenarians.

However, this age classification of people who have reached late adulthood is not the only one.

For example, Burnside et al (1979) divided this age into four subperiods: from 60 to 69 - presenile; from 70 to 79 - senile; from 80 to 89 - late senile; from 90 to 99 - decrepitude.

The main feature of this age is the aging process, which is a genetically programmed process accompanied by certain age-related changes in the body.

First of all, there is a gradual weakening of the body’s activity. People who have reached late adulthood are no longer so physically strong, their total energy reserves become significantly less compared to their younger years. The activity of the human vascular and immune systems deteriorates. The vitality of body tissues is lost, which is closely related to a decrease in their fluid content and causes hardening of the joints.

Age-related dehydration in turn leads to dry skin. It becomes more sensitive to irritation and sunburn, loses its softness and acquires a matte tint. Dry skin also prevents sweating, which regulates surface body temperature.

During the aging process, most sensory functions

the person becomes significantly worse. However, this does not happen for everyone. The nature and degree of weakening of sensory functions can vary greatly, which is primarily due to individual characteristics and the activities in which people are engaged.

Those smart features

individuals who are highly dependent on the speed of operations show a decline in late adulthood. In people who have reached this age, reaction time increases, the processing of perceptual information slows down and the speed of cognitive processes decreases. Such slowness may be caused by changes in a person’s personal characteristics.

The basis of memory

in old age there is a logical connection, and since logical memory is most closely connected with thinking, it can be assumed that
the thinking
of older people is very developed.

Late adulthood has its positive aspects regarding the development and transformation of the cognitive sphere. But not all persons who have reached a given age have the same dynamics in the cognitive sphere, during which signs of wisdom are formed.

The decline in cognitive activity in people who have reached late adulthood can be due to various reasons, direct or indirect.

Direct causes include: brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular lesions of the brain.

Indirect reasons for a decrease in a person’s cognitive abilities are: general deterioration of health, low level of education, lack of motivation for cognitive activity.

Summarizing the consideration of the characteristics of intellectual characteristics in elderly people, it should be noted that the dynamics of the characteristics of the cognitive sphere in people who have reached this age period depends to a large extent on subjective factors, and primarily on the personality characteristics of a particular person.

2. Affective sphere

The period of late adulthood is characterized by specific changes in the emotional sphere of a person: an uncontrolled increase in affective reactions (strong nervous arousal) with a tendency to causeless sadness and tearfulness. Most older people tend to become eccentric, less empathetic, more self-absorbed, and less able to cope with difficult situations.

Older men become more passive and allow themselves to exhibit character traits more common to women, while older women become more aggressive, practical and domineering.

In old age, the weakening of a person’s affective sphere deprives new impressions of color and brightness, hence the attachment of older people to the past, the power of memories.

It should be noted that older people experience less anxiety at the thought of death than relatively young people; they think about death often, but with amazing calm, fearing only that the dying process will be long and painful.

3. Motivational sphere of older people

Retirement changes the position and role of people in society, influencing the development of the motivational sphere of older people. With each decade, goals, motives and needs are adjusted.

A person who has crossed the 60-year mark and is in good health is still largely driven by the same needs as at a younger age. These include: the need for self-realization, creation and transfer of inheritance (spiritual and/or material) to the next generation, active participation in the life of society, a sense of usefulness and significance for it.

After 70 years, another need comes to the fore - maintaining physical health at an acceptable level. A person loses the desire to participate in public life, and his interests become concentrated on his inner world. At the same time, interest in collecting, playing music, painting, that is, in what is called a hobby, does not wane among older people. Despite the fact that health problems worsen with age, a person, even after reaching 90 years old, can (and should) continue to show interest in life and find new activities that allow him to make the best use of his capabilities.

Family relationships, which give a person a feeling of security, stability and strength, allow one to feel more stable, largely determine the joys, sorrows and concerns of an older person, become of particular importance in the period of late adulthood.

4. Features of I - the concept of an old person

The self-concept of the period of late adulthood and old age is a complex formation in which information about the multitude of selves is “recorded” - images that arise in a person in the most diverse variants of his self-perception and self-presentation. This is a selective memory of the individual, reflecting events in such a way as not to violate the basic personal positions.

The self-concept in old age is driven by the desire to integrate one’s past, present and future, and to understand the connections between the events of one’s life. The conditions that facilitate an individual to effectively integrate his life include: the individual’s successful resolution of normative crises and conflicts, the development of adaptive personal properties, the ability to learn useful lessons from past failures, the ability to accumulate the energy potential of all stages passed.

The self-concept in the late period of a person’s life is enriched with everything that was most significant in each of the periods of personal development.

A positive and active self-concept ensures continued personal development and an optimistic approach to life in later years, allows one to slow down physical aging and brings greater spirituality and creative insight into the self-actualization of the individual.

Productive aging is promoted by self-actualization of the “I”, a predominant orientation towards creativity or the implementation of spiritual and moral relations.

Such negative personal formations as arrogance and underdevelopment of autonomy and initiative cause non-adaptive aging of a person.

5. Behavioral characteristics inherent in late adulthood

The most important factors determining a person’s behavior at this stage of life are: a decrease in psychophysical capabilities, gender, personality type, gradual withdrawal from active social life (the so-called “desocialization”), material well-being, loss of loved ones and loneliness, as well as the consciousness of an approaching end of life.

The physical world with which older people interact directly is becoming increasingly smaller. Subjectively, things that play an auxiliary role are playing an increasingly important role: glasses, a cane, dentures, a hand cart for moving heavy objects.

Many older people have an increasing sense of danger that awaits them everywhere: on the street, in the yard, in an empty park, and even in their own apartment.

The degree of social activity of older people is increasingly decreasing and for many it is limited to family communication and communication with their immediate environment. A significant portion of pensioners find themselves alone. Continuing professional activities or other work contributes to overcoming loneliness and increasing material wealth.

In old age, interest in religion increases sharply.

Not all older people experience old age hard and unhappily; some of them live a “happy old age.” By the end of their lives, many people develop a calm and tolerant attitude towards life and what is happening around them. If this happens, then the life of an elderly person is filled with an even, calm and peaceful light emanating from the very fact of life. The ability to have such a view at a given period of one’s life depends primarily on a person’s personal attitudes.

6. Death and Dying

Some studies have shown that older people experience less anxiety when thinking about death than relatively younger people (Kastenbaum, 1986). One study of a large group of older adults found that when asked, “Are you afraid of dying?” only 10% answered “yes” (Jeffers & Verwoerdt, 1977). It is noted that older people think about death often, but with amazing calm (Craig, 2000). It is clear that these statements reflect a general trend to which there may not only be, but certainly are, significant exceptions due to individual differences. Thus, on the one hand, it has been found that people who have a clear purpose in life are less afraid of dying (Durlak, 1979), and other studies indicate that older people who are physically and mentally healthy, have plans for the future and feel adapted in life, death is what worries us most (Craig, 2000). Truly, as A. Schopenhauer accurately noted, the fear of death is nothing more than the flip side of the will to live.

Stages of dying (Kübler-Ross classification)

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross conducted a systematic study of death and the dying process. After spending a lot of time at the bedside of dying patients, she identified five stages in their experiences: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance (Kubler-Ross, 1969). The Kübler-Ross periodization is currently one of the most used.

Negation.

A person refuses to accept the possibility of his death. Having learned that his illness is fatal, a person assures himself that this is a mistake and the diagnosis was made incorrectly.

Anger.

A person's awareness that he is really dying leads to feelings of anger, resentment and envy towards others. A person asks the question: “Why me?” Frustration actualizes accusatory reactions addressed to doctors, to some other people, or to fate in general.

Bargain.

A person is looking for ways to prolong life and promises anything in exchange for prolonging his life. Some promise doctors to stop drinking or smoking, others, turning to God, promise to begin a righteous life if they recover.

Depression.

The dying person loses interest in life and is overcome by a feeling of hopelessness. A person grieves about his impending death and separation from family and friends.

Adoption.

At the last stage, a person comes to terms with his fate and the inevitability of death. And although a person does not become cheerful, peace and calm anticipation of the end reign in his soul.

Despite its wide popularity and popularity, this classification is not accepted by all specialists. Thus, Kastenbaum and Kosta (1977) criticized the classification of stages of the dying process proposed by Kübler-Ross. In their opinion, not all dying people go through each of these stages, and in addition, the sequence of stages itself may be different. Almost exactly the same criticisms of the Kübler-Ross classification are expressed by Hudson (1981).

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Stages of aging

In psychology, the aging process is divided into several stages:

First stage. The individual just stopped going to work and therefore did not lose the desire for physical labor. He continues to lead an active lifestyle and tries to take part in various movements. This stage can be called creative old age.
Second phase. The individual begins to develop intensively. He can go travel to different countries and actively read books. At this stage of aging, people begin to actively engage in activities for which they previously did not have enough time.
Third stage. This period is typical for women. They begin to pay attention to family, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.
Fourth stage. Elderly people pay special attention to their health. They can invent diseases and exaggerate the dangers of ordinary health problems.

Additionally, a fifth stage can be distinguished. During this period of old age, the individual only needs peace, food, and sleep.

The essence and symptoms of the crisis

Within the framework of old age, it is customary to distinguish three stages: aging (60-75 years), old age (75-90 years), longevity (more than 90 years). Alternative names for the periods are early, middle and deep old age, respectively. This is a period of preparation for retirement, immediate retirement, adaptation to a new social status and the search for new forms of employment. It is worth noting that the physical timing of periods may vary. In old age they are even more blurred than in adulthood.

The new formation of age is wisdom. Wisdom arises only if a person sees and understands the unity of his life, the impossibility of changing it. American psychologist Erik Erikson defined old age wisdom as follows: “A state of mind, a look into the past, present and future at the same time, freeing the history of life from accidents and making it possible to establish the connection and continuity of generations.” This is the highest achievement of old age. It is precisely achievement, aging itself, that does not necessarily mean the emergence of wisdom.

Early old age

With normal overcoming of the crisis of maturity, that is, professional and family self-realization, aging smoothly follows from late maturity. This period is not considered a crisis or acute period.

Old age

The next stage is dangerous - middle age. The strength of this crisis moment is reminiscent of adolescence. There is a new breakdown of values, awareness of the end and passing of life. This period is also called critical old age. It is often accompanied by depression, a feeling of abandonment and uselessness, and loss of interest in life. Depression can lead to suicidal tendencies and suicide attempts.

Very old age

If the crisis passes favorably, a period of extreme old age begins. This is the stage of senile dementia. Senility (senile dementia) has its own characteristics:

feeling above time, outside of it;
disappearance of fear of death;
falling into childhood (psychologically old people are close to children).

The latter feature is manifested by immaturity, egocentrism, attention-seeking, growing interest in games and trinkets, spontaneity, fantasizing and retreat into dreams.

How to determine the onset of aging?

To determine the onset of aging, you need to pay attention not only to his physical condition, but also to changes in the psyche, interaction with society, and changes in nutrition.

Physiology

Doctors identify several physiological signs that can help determine the onset of aging:

Hair thins and its color fades. More often, these processes are associated with hormonal imbalances occurring in the body.
Gooseneck. Numerous pimples appear on the upper layers of skin in the neck area. Weakening of the muscles of the whole body.
The veins in the arms begin to stand out more prominently, and the skin becomes drier.
After long walks on the street, joint pain appears and persists for several days.
The skin on the knees and elbows dries out and cracks appear.
Many deep wrinkles on the face.
Tooth enamel wears away, causing your smile to become less attractive. Teeth quickly weaken and decay.

Psyche

In addition to physiological signs, there are many psychological features of aging:

The perception of reality is hypertrophied. Most individuals experience old age with few significant events. Because of this, any memorable moment evokes numerous emotions and becomes a topic for discussion, but even long reflections do not always allow us to draw the correct conclusion about what happened. Unfounded fears and emotions often arise.
Mastering a new social group. People who have recently retired initially continue to keep in touch with old colleagues. Gradually, these ties weaken, and a rethinking of values occurs. The individual pays more attention to himself and loved ones.
Time feels different than at other stages of life. At the same time, memories from the past constantly arise, which begin to be closely intertwined with the present. Older people want to go back to their youth and stay there forever. Psychologists say that pleasant memories from the past give vigor and strength to continue life.
The natural functions of protecting the psyche are actively developing. With their help, the individual maintains general mental balance, but protective barriers prevent the subject from receiving new information and accepting changes in the world around him.

Society

As a pensioner ages, his or her participation in social life gradually declines. This is due to the fact that the main life goals have already been fulfilled and the person ceases to feel responsible and wants to relax. In the first stages of old age, people maintain communication with others, but gradually connections are lost, communication fades into the background.

Nutrition

At each stage of aging, you need to change your diet. Certain features must be taken into account:

The permissible amount of protein per 1 kg of weight is 1 gram. It is important to avoid excess proteins in the body. They overload the liver and kidneys and can cause the development of atherosclerosis.
An individual should consume from 240 to 340 grams of carbohydrates per day. In this case, the amount of simple sugars should not exceed 15%.
The amount of fat that should enter the body of an elderly person is 57–77 grams.

We must not forget about taking vitamins, useful minerals, and trace elements.

Physiological characteristics of elderly people

At the age of 55-60 years and older, people experience changes in appearance and well-being, which become more pronounced over the years.

The subcutaneous fat layer decreases, the face becomes covered with wrinkles, the skin becomes flabby, loses elasticity, which is why inflammation and ulcers often form on it, which take a long time and hard to heal.

Hair turns gray and falls out, forming bald spots. Some men may go completely bald by retirement age, and some women may suffer from alopecia areata. The intensity and moment of onset of this phenomenon depends on hormonal levels, heredity, and ecology. The presence of these physiological characteristics in elderly people is noted after 60 years. They cannot be avoided due to degenerative changes in the hair follicles.

The total amount of bone tissue in older people is 15% less than in young people. Also, with age, articular cartilage becomes thinner, which leads to pain in the back, neck, and knees. The diagnoses “coxarthrosis”, “osteochondrosis” and the like appear in the medical record. A person may be dressed modernly, but his age is revealed by the senile gait (shuffling, mincing) and stiffness in movements characteristic of his age category.

The volume of muscle tissue decreases. Those who in their youth led an active lifestyle with physical activity suddenly realize that they are no longer able to cope with all this, as in their youth and adulthood. Fatigue sets in too quickly, and old people even perform their usual tasks with breaks for rest.

The lungs also age and lose elasticity; the diaphragm becomes less mobile. Inhalation is no longer as effective as in youth, shortness of breath develops, sputum accumulates, the evacuation of which is difficult for the above reasons. This leads to other problems - frequent congestive pneumonia due to deterioration of the drainage function of the organ and poor ventilation.

Due to insufficient oxygen supply to the blood, the organs and tissues of the elderly function in a limited manner, the quality of life deteriorates, and weakness and fatigue occur. The heart muscle weakens, its contractile function decreases - this is also a specific feature of age, which, according to gerontologists, cannot be avoided.

Life positions

Psychologists identify several basic life positions of older people:

Constructive - people try to live calmly, without overworking themselves. They look for joy in little things, are not upset about approaching death, and maintain contact with relatives and acquaintances.
Dependent - individuals depend on others. Without the help of others, they feel uncomfortable and become depressed.
Defensive - they are wary of communicating with others, withdraw into themselves, and stop paying attention to joyful moments.
Hostile position towards the outside world. People treat their acquaintances and loved ones with anger. They often blame others for no reason. They cannot restrain aggression.
A hostile position towards oneself. They have low self-esteem, reproach themselves for the mistakes of their youth, want to turn back time, change what they have done.

Some are characterized by egocentrism. They make decisions slowly, do not trust others, and listen only to themselves.

How to care for elderly people?

To prevent an elderly person from feeling disadvantaged and lonely, a number of rules must be followed when caring for him. Features of communication with old people:

Do not show harsh criticism, avoid any disputes.
Listen to an older person to the end if he is passionate about something. At the same time, you can carefully be interested in individual details, but try not to interrupt.
Do not prohibit the old man from communicating with friends, but even encourage it.
You can't force old people to do something against their will. In this case, you need to use methods of persuasion or the help of relatives.
Anxieties and experiences should be spoken out loud.

Sleep rules for older people:

The room must be completely silent.
The bed should be moderately soft and comfortable.
Choose a warm but light blanket.
Daytime naps should be avoided if possible and replaced with any exciting activities.
Dinner should take place 3 hours before bedtime. Strong tea and coffee should be excluded from the diet.
Before going to bed, it is advisable to walk along the street.
Before going to bed, ventilate the rooms.

Nutrition rules:

Limit the consumption of fatty meat, cream, butter, fish caviar, and sausage.
Consume a minimum amount of salt and sugar.
The diet should include foods with polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It is recommended to eat more foods containing magnesium and potassium.
Eat more vegetables and fruits to get fiber into your body.
Eat in small portions 5 times a day.

In addition, consult a doctor so that he can prescribe vitamin complexes and useful microelements.

Human response to aging

A person's attitude towards aging manifests itself in different ways. Psychologists distinguish several types of reactions:

Normal is characteristic of people who are calm about the aging process and understand the changes in their body and general condition.
Dismissive - such people show unhealthy optimism, which is justified by changes in their general condition. Often, under such behavior, people hide the fear of approaching death.
Negative attitude. The individual continues to maintain his social status and tries to participate in social movements so as not to think about death.
Tragic attitude. Old people are depressed because they believe that old age is destroying their body and mind. Because of this, days become gray, boring, joyful moments happen extremely rarely.
Gerontophobic. The individual is afraid of old age. At the same time, he cannot cope with his own fears on his own. Gradually this develops into general helplessness.

The psychological characteristics of older people have been of interest to psychologists for many centuries. This is due to the fact that the standard of living is gradually increasing, and more and more old people are appearing. In order for an elderly person to feel comfortable, it is necessary to create certain conditions for him and learn how to care for him. Then old age will not seem like a dull period in life, which leads only to complete destruction and death.

Aging and stress theory

We cannot ignore the theory of the famous G. Selye, the father of stress. Selye believed that stress represents the rate of wear and tear of the human body in the process of life and corresponds to an intense life. In Selye's view, the idea of aging was firmly connected with adaptation mechanisms. “Adaptability,” he emphasizes, “is the most outstanding characteristic of life.” Thus, stress is a mechanism of adaptation to the environment, but until it begins to wear out a person’s internal resources. Not only individual, but also species-specific adaptation capabilities are not unlimited. Many scientists agree with the conclusions of G. Selye that a sharp increase in cardiovascular diseases and cancer is the result of depletion of adaptation resources.