Erber / Szuchman Great Myths of Aging

1. Auflage 2014
ISBN: 978-1-118-52146-5
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 184 Seiten, E-Book

Reihe: Great Myths in Psychology

Great Myths of Aging looks at the generalizations andstereotypes associated with older people and, with a blend of humorand cutting-edge research, dispels those common myths.
* Reader-friendly structure breaks myths down into categoriessuch as Body, Mind, and Living Contexts; and looks at myths from"Older people lose interest in sex" to "Olderpeople are stingy"
* Explains the origins of myths and misconceptions aboutaging
* Looks at the unfortunate consequences of anti-aging stereotypesfor both the reader and older adults in society

Autoren/Hrsg.

Erber, Joan T.

Szuchman, Lenore T.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1 The Body 6
"Speak up! I can't hear you!" 6
#1 It is best to speak to an older person as you would to asmall child - loudly, slowly, and with exaggerated emphasis7
#2 Hearing aids are beneficial for older adults in just aboutany situation, but many are just too stubborn to use them 9
You can't be too careful (or ... falling down andcrashing cars) 12
#3 Older people worry too much about falling 13
#4 Older people get into more car accidents than younger people15
Now that you don't have sex anymore... 20
#5 Older people lose interest in sex 20
#6 Older women do not care about their looks 25
#7 Older people need to wear diapers, and how sexy is that?29
#8 It's always best for older adults to be married ratherthan single 32
2 The Mind 37
"I'm just having a senior moment" 37
#9 Brain power declines with age 38
#10 Older adults can't or won't learn new things- like technology. They would rather get a stupid phone thana smart one 42
"Did I tell you this already?" 46
#11 As people grow older, they get forgetful, and this is alwaysa sign of dementia 46
#12 Alzheimer's disease, dementia - they'reone and the same 50
#13 There's no help for Alzheimer's, so don'twaste time or money on diagnosis of memory problems 52
Older but wiser 55
#14 Wisdom comes with age, so older adults are wise 56
#15 Older adults are suckers and are easy prey for scam artists59
#16 Older people are extra cautious when they have to makedecisions 63
3 The Self 66
Older people are a disagreeable bunch 66
#17 Older people are hypochondriacs 67
#18 Older people are stingy 71
#19 Older people are grouchy 75
"Give me my lunch. Now go away." 78
#20 Older adults prefer to be taken care of - theydon't want a lot of responsibilities 78
#21 Older people are introverted and prefer to spend time alone81
Why try to improve your life if the future is so brief? 85
#22 Older adults have given up any hopes and dreams 85
#23 Older people are set in their ways 87
#24 Growing old is depressing; no wonder older people are moredepressed than younger people 90
#25 Older adults do not benefit significantly from therapy92
4 Living Contexts 98
Growing old can only mean there is more opportunity to enjoy thebliss of
family relationships 98
#26 Older adults would choose living with kids and grandkidsrather than living alone 99
#27 Older adults want to spend all their time with grandkids andthey never have favorites 102
#28 Sibling relationships are stable throughout life 105
Retirement is for sissies 108
#29 Older workers are inferior to younger workers 109
#30 Older adults hardly ever have trouble getting work 111
#31 Retirement is depressing, so older adults only retire whenthey are forced to do so 113
#32 Retired older adults are privileged financially 117
#33 After they retire, older folks want to move to whereit's warm 122
5 Endings and Loss 124
All the good ones are either gay, married, or dead 124
#34 If older widows date, it's to find a new husband125
And then you die... 127
#35 A majority of older adults end up in nursing homes and staythere till they die 128
#36 Suicide is more common among adolescents and young adultsthan it is among older adults 131
#37 Older people have the greatest fear of death of any agegroup - they are the closest to it, so they should know135
References 140
Index 161

Über Autor(innen)

Joan T. Erber is Professor Emeritus of Psychology atFlorida International University. She is the author ofAdult Development and Aging, 3rd edition (Wiley,2013). Dr. Erber is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society ofAmerica (GSA), the Association for Psychological Science (APS), andthe American Psychological Association (APA).
Lenore T. Szuchman is a developmental psychologist andProfessor Emeritus of Psychology at Barry University. She is theauthor of Writing with Style: APA Style Made Easy, andco-editor of Psychological Perspectives on HumanSexuality.