1. The document discusses aging and factors that affect the aging process such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle choices. It addresses both the biological and social aspects of aging. 2. Key topics covered include how establishing healthy habits early in life can influence the physical and mental impacts of aging, common physical and social changes that occur with aging, and strategies for optimizing wellness and maintaining independence as one ages. 3. The document provides advice on lifestyle behaviors and planning considerations that can help enhance quality of life and successful aging. Maintaining physical and mental activity, social engagement, and financial preparedness are emphasized.

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© 2012 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.
Aging: A
Vital
Process
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 The process of becoming older, is
genetically determined but profoundly
affected by one’s environment.
 Aging is a normal process of development
that occurs throughout life.
Aging
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 Optimizing wellness during young adulthood
allows you to exert greater control over the
physical and mental aspects of aging
Aging
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Aging
Biology of aging is called senescence
 Primary aging is physiological and is both
gradual and inevitable
◦ process of bodily deterioration that takes place
throughout life (grey hair, wrinkles)
 Secondary aging processes result from
disease and poor health practices (poor
diet, lack of exercise, stress). Secondary
aging accelerates primary aging.
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Aging
Social gerontology
 The study of the social (nonphysical)
aspects of aging.
 Sociologists who study age and social
inequality focus on the life course and age
based categories that we pass through as
we grow older.
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Ageism
 Ageism is a term introduced in 1969 to
describe how myths and misconceptions
about older people produce age-based
discrimination.
 Ageism is a social problem that particularly
stigmatizes older people.
 More tolerated than sexism or racism in
Canada
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In Ontario, people are protected from ageism
by the Ontario Human Rights Code
“The Ontario Human Rights Code protects
people from discrimination under the
ground of age. The Code defines age as 18
years or older…This means that people
cannot discriminate against you because
of your age where you work or live, or
when providing services.”
OHRC - Age
Ageism
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 We must learn to
judge productivity
rather than age
 Abolishment of
mandatory
retirement in many
jobs across Canada
now allows
Canadians to work
beyond the age of
65
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 Life expectancy is the average length of
time we can expect to live
 82.0 years for Canadians (2020)
 Worldwide, among people over 100, women
outnumber men 9 to 1
◦ Why do women live longer?
 Lower rates of stress-related illness, fewer unhealthy
and risky behaviours
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Aging and Life Expectancy
Public Health Agency of
Canada. (2023). How healthy
are people in Canada? An
indicators dashboard.
Retrieved from:https
://health-infobase.canada.ca/
health-of-people-in-Canada-d
ashboard/
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 Those over the age of 65 outnumber
children under the age of 14
 There are more seniors (5.9 million) than
children (5.8 million) in Canada.
 In 2021, 1 in 5 people will be over the age
of 65
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 In 2017, there were 8,230 Canadians over
the age of 100, and there are five times
more women in this group
 The increase in the aging population is
affecting our stereotypes of what it means
to grow old
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Infantilizing elders:
 When the elderly are portrayed as childlike
in terms of their facial expressions,
temperament and activities
Gerontophobia:
 A fear of the elderly
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 Physical and
mental changes
occur gradually
 People need to
establish good
health habits in
their teens and
twenties.
LO 2
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 Research shows that healthy lifestyles are
more influential than genetic factors in
helping older people avoid deterioration
associated with aging
 Aging people are living longer because of
healthier habits as well as modern medical
treatments
◦ e.g. death rate from heart disease among people
65-84 have been reduced by half
Healthy Lifestyle – Most
Influential
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 Many of the characteristics associated with
aging are not due to aging at all.
 They are the result of the neglect and
abuse of our bodies and minds, over
time
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1. Challenge your mind
◦ Older adults who stay mentally active have a
lower risk of developing dementia.
LO 2
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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2. Develop physical fitness
◦ Enhances both psychological and physical health
◦ Getting 7 – 9 hours of sleep every night allows
your immune system to function optimally
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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3. Eat wisely
◦ Eat a varied diet full of nutrient-rich foods.
◦ Follow the recommendations in Eating Well with
Canada’s Food Guide.
◦ The immune system is a voracious user of
vitamins and minerals. Just as a Ferrari cannot run
on kerosene, your system needs good fuel to
function adequately
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Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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4. Maintain a healthy weight
◦ Expend more calories through exercise, cutting
calorie intake, or a combination of both.
◦ A healthy weight also allows for greater mobility
and range of motion
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under
CC BY-SA
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5. Control drinking and
overdependence on medications.
6. Don’t smoke.
7. Schedule regular physical
examinations to detect treatable
diseases.
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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8. Recognize and reduce stress
 By using exercise, relaxation, meditation, and
other personal coping strategies, provides the
immune system a big boot
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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9. Be an active participant in your life
by engaging in behaviours that boost
the Immune System
◦ Optimism:
 Health can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 Good things happen to people who expect them
 Pessimism, fatalism and resignation are linked to
poorer health
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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◦ Unsinkable Spirit:
 Belief in the ability to make it through any crises –
health crises, social crises, family crises, is essential
◦ Humour:
 Being able to laugh at yourself – as opposed to
ridiculing others – is health enhancing
◦ Social Connectedness:
 How would you answer the question, “Can you count
on anyone to provide you with emotional support?” A
yes means your relationships with people make a
real difference in your health
Nine Life-Enhancing Measures
(Age-Proofing)
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Plan for:
 physical changes
 social changes
 changing roles and
relationships
 increased leisure time
 the economics of
retirement
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 Regular exercise is a key to
successful, healthy aging
 Accumulate at least 150 minutes
of moderate- to vigorous-
intensity aerobic activity per
week.
◦ Increments of at least 10 minutes
each
 Engage in strength training
activities at least twice per week
LO 2
Planning for Physical Changes
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Hearing loss
 About one-third of older adults have hearing loss,
and the chance of developing hearing loss
increases with age
 Signs of hearing loss:
◦ Have trouble understanding what people are saying over the
telephone
◦ hard to follow conversations when two or more people are talking
• Often ask people to repeat what they are saying
• Need to turn up the TV volume so loud that others complain
• Have a problem understanding speech because of background
noise
• Think that others seem to mumble
• Can’t understand what's being said when children and people with
higher pitched voices speak to you
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Planning for Physical
Changes
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2023, January
19). Hearing loss: A common problem for older adults. National
Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hearing-loss-
common-problem-older-adults

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 Vision Loss
 normal to notice changes in vision
 A few common changes for older adults include:
• Losing the ability to see up close
• Having trouble distinguishing colors, such as blue from
black
• Needing more time to adjust to changing levels of light
Plannng for Physical
Changes
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
(2021, July 28). Aging and your eyes. National Institute
on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/aging-and-
your-eyes#:~:text=Age%2Drelated%20macular
%20degeneration%20(AMD,during%20a%20dilated
%20eye%20exam.
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 Approximately 4
million Canadian
adults are estimated
to have some form
of arthritis.
 Osteoporosis leads
to thin, fragile bones
over time.
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 Lifestyle changes when aging can change
social group dynamics such as where
friends live, activities in which they
participate, etc.
 However, belonging to a group - formal (e.g.
club) or informal (e.g. friends) - enhances
quality of life
◦ Research findings (2020) indicate that belonging
to a group reduces anxiety, depression and can
reduce pain
Planning for Social
Changes
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Dementia
 Loss of memory, judgment and reasoning;
changes in mood and behaviour
 Affects 1.5% of Canadians (1 in 11 Canadians
over the age of 65)
 Two most common forms of dementia
 Alzheimer’s disease
 Changes in brain nerve cells.
 Multi-infarct dementia
 Series of small strokes or changes in the brain’s
blood supply that destroys brain tissue.
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 Grief
◦ Dealing with grief and mourning
◦ Aging is associated with loss
 Depression
◦ Unresolved grief can lead to depression, a
common problem in older adults
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Planning for Change
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 family involvement in caregiving
 other living and care options
 transportation alternatives
 Find appropriate emotional
support and resources in
community
 Stay active in body and mind
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 Financial well-being is an essential
component of health, wellness, and security
 Federal government support through:
◦ Old Age Security (OAS) pension
 The amount that Canadian seniors receive depends
on age, financial status, country of residence after
the age of 18, etc.
 The Canadian Government has recently increased
pension payment by 10%
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Financial Resources
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 Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Quebec
Pension Plan (QPP)
◦ standard age to start the pension is 65 but can start
receiving it as early as age 60 or as late as age 70
 Maximum monthly amount one can receive is reached at
age 70
 if receive your pension earlier, the monthly amount will be
smaller
 if receive later, the monthly amount will be larger
Financial Resources –
Government Aid
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Thank you!
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