Late adulthood: what it is, characteristics and how it affects us

Late adulthood, also known as senescence, is understood in popular culture as the last period of our lives. This is true, but it is not only that, but it is also the moment in which we get our well-deserved rest and, well managed, it can be a time of personal growth and development.

In cases in which events such as the retirement or death of a a spouse, this stage can be synonymous with loneliness and isolation, as well as physical health problems and mental.

Personality differences and the way in which one copes with late adulthood are key, an issue that we will explore in depth below.

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What is late adulthood?

Late adulthood, also known as old age, old age or senescence, starts at age 60 and ends just when life does. It is characterized by a gradual decline in the functioning of all body systems, with a progressive loss of function. strength and cognitive abilities, in addition to having more possibilities of presenting pathologies of all kinds and disorders neurological.

This is a somewhat controversial stage as some theorists call it directly as "old age", characterized by old age without more. Its starting point is also a matter of debate, although it is agreed that it would begin between the ages of 60 and 65 and would end until the moment of death.

Since people can live a long time, having cases of the elderly with 120 years, late adulthood may be the longest period of life, although it is also worth mentioning that in other cases there may be the bad luck of dying relatively soon, with only 70 years.

It is very important that, when this stage is reached, everything possible is done to maintain good physical and mental health. It is essential to do physical activity from time to time, in addition to being mentally active and doing relaxing activities so as not to put too much stress on the body, a detrimental factor for the same.

In addition, since older adults are at risk of being trapped in loneliness and are weaker, it is essential that they interact with their peers and family, and check on them frequently to make sure they have everything they need. need.

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Physical and psychological characteristics

There are several characteristics that we can highlight of late adulthood.

Physical characteristics

In late adulthood several physical changes occur, all of them related to the decline in the body. Although they are not necessarily synonymous with diseases or medical problems, the truth is that the body during the third age is more sensitive to pathologies and physical alterations, such as joint pain or injuries with greater frequency.

Some of the physical changes that we can observe in old age are loss of texture and elasticity of the skin, thinning and total graying of hair, loss of bone and muscle mass, tooth loss and gum problems, poorer vision and propensity for osteoporosis. The body is more fragile, increasing the possibility of developing diseases that can become chronic, such as diabetes, rheumatism or arthritis.

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Psychological characteristics

Regarding the psychological characteristics, it is worth mentioning that there has been some debate about how cognitive abilities are during old age. Here the controversy is similar to that of middle adulthood, since it is true that memory, attention, concentration, and fluidity in speech are being lost. solving new problems, but also, as long as there is no dementia, the amount of knowledge is increasing and also the experience about the life.

The fluid intelligence, which is the ability to solve new problems, declines in old age. Instead, crystallized intelligence, based on experience and learning, tends to be maintained or even increases, albeit in a moderate way. While it is more difficult to learn new things, you never stop doing it.

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Psychosocial development

In recent years, two terms have been very recurrent in the literature to refer to how progress occurs in this stage: successful aging and optimal aging. The use of these terms suggests that there is a correct or better way to age. Be that as it may, it is worth mentioning that growth, in the sense of personal development, continues in old age and many elderly who feel healthy, competent and in control of their life experience this stage not like the inevitable end but as a very positive stage in which they can explore what, being younger, does not could.

People with more extroverts They tend to live their early years with positive emotions and happiness, seeing it as an opportunity to try new things or enjoy a well-deserved rest. In contrast, people with neurotic tendencies tend to experience this stage in a negative way, with worry and fear. in the face of uncertainty, in addition to perceiving that old age is the time when people cease to be useful for the society.

Erik erikson he conceived old age as the last stage of the life cycle whose characteristic conflict is the integrity of the self in the face of hopelessness. People who reach old age need to evaluate, synthesize and accept their lives, admitting that death is approaching them. Those who are more outgoing or with a more positive mindset will strive to find a sense of coherence and integrity instead of giving in to despair at your inability to relive the past in a different.

We can say that the most positive elderly, instead of becoming obsessed and obsessed with what they did not do in their younger years, try to catch the bull by the horns and make your old age meaningful, rewarding and happy. Those who fail to do this are overwhelmed with hopelessness at realizing that they are being time is running out to seek other paths to the integrity of the self, continuing with the proposal of Erikson.