30
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Life expectancy has steadily increased worldwide due to better healthcare, improved living conditions, and other factors. Reflect on your own habits and environment. How do you think these factors might influence your own life expectancy? What steps could you take to potentially increase your longevity and overall health as you age?
31
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Different cultures have varying views on aging and elderly care. Reflect on how your culture or society views aging and the elderly. How do you think these cultural norms and values might influence your expectations for your own aging process and care in late adulthood?
32
.
Discuss the various theories of aging, including hormonal stress theory, free radical theory, cellular clock theory, and wear and tear theory. Explain which theory you find most compelling and why, using examples from research or personal observations.
33
.
Consider an older adult you know who is managing a chronic health condition, such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease. Reflect on how this condition affects their daily life. How do they balance maintaining their independence with managing their health?
34
.
Think about the mental health challenges that older adults might face, such as anxiety or depression. Have you noticed any examples of this in someone you know? How do they cope, and what support systems do they have in place?
35
.
Consider your own experiences with memory, such as remembering facts for a test versus recalling a personal event from years ago. How do you imagine these types of memories—semantic (facts) and episodic (events)—might change as people age? How might these changes affect day-to-day life in late adulthood?
36
.
Think of a situation where you sought advice from someone older than you, perhaps a parent, grandparent, or mentor. How did their life experience and wisdom shape the advice they gave you? Reflect on how wisdom might continue to develop as a person grows older and how this impacts problem-solving in everyday life.
37
.
Think about any older family members or acquaintances who have experienced memory changes. Based on what you’ve learned about mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, how do you think these changes might have affected their day-to-day life? How could you, or did you, help support them during these changes?
38
.
Given the potential side effects of Alzheimer’s treatments like aducanumab (Aduhelm), reflect on how you would approach making medical decisions for yourself or a loved one. Would you be more focused on slowing disease progression, minimizing side effects, or maintaining quality of life? Explain your reasoning.
39
.
Think about what successful aging means to you. Based on what you’ve learned about the concept of successful aging, how does your definition compare to the four aspects researchers identified (health, physical ability, cognitive functioning, and psychological adaptation/social engagement)? Are there other factors you believe should be considered?
40
.
Reflect on your current lifestyle choices. Are there behaviors or habits that you think could impact your health and cognitive functioning as you age? Identify two behaviors you would like to change or improve, and explain how making these changes could help promote successful aging for you.
41
.
Consider the idea of cognitive reserve and the factors that contribute to it, such as education, social engagement, and physical activity. How do your current activities align with building cognitive reserve, and what changes could you make to improve your cognitive health in the future?