Chapter 17: Families in Later Life

Summary
OUR AGING SOCIETY
The Growth of the Older Population:
the shrinking younger population:
gerontologists- scientists who study the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging
young-old- ages 65-74
old-old- ages 75-84
oldest-old- ages 85 and older
the growing old-age dependency ratio
old-age dependency ratio- number of people age 65 and older who are not in the labor force per 100 people ages 20 to 64 who are employed
The Gender Gap
Growing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
later-life families- families that are beyond the child-rearing years who have launched their children, or child-free families that are beginning to plan for retirement
HEALTH AND AGEISM
When is"Old"?
Physical Health:physical decline is normal, how to live longer and better
Mental Health: aging and happiness, depression, memory lapse or alzheimer's?
dementia- loss of mental abilities that most commonly occurs late in life
alzheimer's disease- a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain and impairs memory, thinking, and behavior
Ageism and Stereotypes: fear of aging, ageism, stereotypes, aging and personality
WORK AND RETIREMENT
retirement- the exit from the paid labor force
Older People Are Working Longer
Many Older Americans Can't Find Work
Variations in Retirement Income: Gender, Race and Ethnicity, marital status, social class
Retirement and Marital Happiness
GRANDPARENTING
Grandparenting Styles: remote or detached, companionate and supportive, involved and influential, advisory and authoritative, cultural transmitters
Grandparents as Surrogate Parents: custodial grandparents, living with grandparents, day-care grandparents
multigenerational households- homes in which 3 or more generations live together
Grandparents and Divorce: grandparents and their children's divorce, grandchildren and their grandparents' divorce
Grandparents' Visitation Rights
AGING PARENTS, ADULT CHILDREN, AND SIBLINGS
Relationships Between Parents and Adult Children
Sibling Relationships in Later Life
DEATH, DYING, AND BEREAVEMENT
Experiencing Death and Dying: health care professionals, patients, families, friends
dying trajectory- speed with which a person dies because of declining physical functions
Hospice Care for the Dying
The Right to Die with Dignity
Coping with Death: grief and morning, phases of grief, duration and intensity of grief
grief- emotional response to loss
BEING WIDOWED AND SINGLE IN LATER LIFE
Who Are the Widowed?
Facing Widowhood
Forging New Relationships
FAMILY CAREGIVING IN LATER LIFE
caregiver- person, paid or unpaid, who attends to the needs of someone who is old, sick or disabled
Who Are the Caregivers and Recipients?
Caregiving Styles of Adult Children: routine help, backups, circumscribed, sporadic, disassociated
The Satisfactions and Strains of Caregiving
Other Support Systems
COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES
Some Financial Costs f an Aging Society
Are There Any Solutions?

Points of Interest
I found the little blurb and picture on page 481 to be absolutely adorable! The blub said that the band's combined age is over 3,000 years! That means that the average age is 75 years old!
On page 482,I found the article about references to older women to be really interesting. It makes me wonder, though, if I have done something to an older person like this to raise their "hackles."

Questions
How does everyone feel about the Grandparents' visitation rights section? Do you think this is fair? How would you feel if you were the grandparent in the situation?