Research Work - Llarenas, Kimberly Kaye P.

LLARENAS, Kimberly Kaye P.
BSN 3A1b
DIFFERENT THEORIES OF AGING

• A. Sociological Theories - Changing roles, relationships, status, and generational
cohort impact the older adult’s ability to adapt.
Activity Disengagement
Remaining occupied and involved is necessary to a satisfying late life. Gradual withdrawal
from society and relationships serves to maintain social equilibrium and promote internal
reflection.
Subculture
The elderly prefer to segregate from society in an aging subculture sharing loss of status
and societal negativity regarding the aged. Health and mobility are key determinants of
social status.
Continuity
Personality influences roles and life satisfaction and remains consistent throughout life. Past
coping patterns recur as older adults adjust to physical, financial, and social decline and
contemplate death. Identifying with one’s age group, finding a residence compatible with
one’s limitations, and learning new roles postretirement are major tasks.
Age stratification
Society is stratified by age groups that are the basis for acquiring resources, roles, status,
and deference from others. Age cohorts are influenced by their historical context and share
similar experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations of life-course transitions.
Person-Environment-Fit
Function is affected by ego strength, mobility, health, cognition, sensory perception, and the
environment. Competency changes one’s ability to adapt to environmental demands.
Gerotranscendence
The elderly transform from a materialistic/rational perspective toward oneness with the
universe. Successful transformation includes an outward focus, accepting impending death,
substantive relationships, intergenerational connectedness, and unity with the universe.
• B. Psychological Theories - Explain aging in terms of mental processes, emotions,
attitudes, motivation, and personality development that is characterized by life
stage transitions.
BSN 3A1b
Human needs
Five basic needs motivate human behavior in a lifelong process toward need fulfillment.
Individualism
Personality consists of an ego and personal and collective unconsciousness that views life
from a personal or external perspective. Older adults search for life meaning and adapt to
functional and social losses.
Stages of personality Personality

Develops in eight sequential stages with corresponding life development tasks. The eighth
phase, integrity versus despair, is characterized by evaluating life accomplishments;
struggles include letting go, accepting care, detachment, and physical and mental decline.
Life-course/life span
Life stages are predictable and structured by roles, relationships, values, development, and
goals. Persons adapt to changing roles and relationships. Age-group norms and
characteristics are an important part of the life course.
Selective optimization
Individuals cope with aging losses through activity/role selection, optimization, and
compensation. Critical life points are morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. Selective
optimization with compensation facilitates successful aging.
• C. Biological Theories of Aging - The biological theories explain the physiologic
processes that change with aging. In other words, how is aging manifested on the
molecular level in the cells, tissues, and body systems; how does the body mind
interaction affect aging; what biochemical processes impact aging; and how do one’s
chromosomes impact the overall aging process? Does each system age at the same
rate? Does each cell in a system age at the same rate? How does chronological age
influence an individual who is experiencing a pathophysiological disease process—
how does the actual disease, as well as the treatment, which might include drugs,
immunomodulation , surgery, or radiation, influence the organism? Several theories
purport to explain aging at the molecular, cellular, organ, and system levels;
however, no one predominant theory has evolved. Both genetics and environment
influence the multifaceted phenomenon of aging.
Two categories:
BSN 3A1b
1. A stochastic or statistical perspective, which identi es episodic events that happen

throughout one’s life that cause random cell damage and accumulate over time, thus
causing aging.
2. The nonstochastic theories, which view aging as a series of predetermined events
happening to all organisms in a timed framework
• Stochastic Theories
Studies of animals reflect that the effects of aging are primarily due to genetic
defects, development, environment, and the inborn aging process (Harman, 2006;
Goldsmith, 2011). - ere is no set of statistics to validate that these same findings are
true with human organisms. - e following stochastic theories of aging are discussed
in this.
Free radical theory - proposes that ageing is the cumulative result of oxidative damage to
the cells and tissues of the body that arises primarily as a result of aerobic metabolism.
Orgel/ Error theory - states that aging is the result of the accumulation of errors in cellular
molecules that are essential for cellular function and reproduction that eventually reaches a
catastrophic level that is incompatible with cellular survival. The central dogma of molecular
biology refers to the unidirectional transfer of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA) to proteins. DNA carries all of the cells genetic information and instructions for
carrying out the functions of the cell.
Wear and tear theory - one of several theories, asserts that the effects of aging are caused
by progressive damage to cells and body systems over time.1 Essentially, our bodies "wear
out" due to use. Once they wear out, they can no longer function correctly.
Connective tissue/ Cross-linking theory - (also known as the glycosylation theory of
aging) attributes aging to chemical changes that happen in the body. As cross-linked
proteins accumulate over time they will damage cells and tissues, resulting in increased
tissue stiffness and slowing down processes within the body.
• Non-Stochastic Theories
Hypothesize that aging is predetermined through programmed cell changes or
through changes in the neuroendocrine or immunologic systems. ... Disengagement
theory states that individuals withdraw from society with age and that society
withdraws from them.
Programmed Theory - refers to the idea that senescence in humans and other organisms
is purposely caused by evolved biological mechanisms to obtain an evolutionary advantage.
The theories also make predictions regarding the nature of biological aging mechanisms
and therefore suggest research directions.
Gene/ biological clock Theory - refers to the idea that aging is a biological function that
serves an evolutionary purpose and is controlled by a biological clock or program similar
with the one that controls other life-cycle functions like growth and reproduction.
Neuroendocrine Theory - proposes that aging results from the functional perturbations,
both in neuronal control and in endocrine output, of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
BSN 3A1b
These perturbations result in dysfunction in the activity of various endocrine glands and
their target organs. The other consequence is a developing imbalance in hormonal cross-
communication between various endocrine axes.
Immunological Theory - asserts that the process of human aging is a mild and generalized
form of a prolonged autoimmune phenomenon. In other words, aging—which involves a
highly complex series of processes—is suspected to be largely controlled by the immune
system.
D. Nursing Theories of Aging
Nurses have the ability to synthesize various aspects of the different aging theories,
and they visualize older adults interfacing with their total environment, including physical,
mental/emotional, social, and spiritual aspects. Human aging is viewed as a total process
that begins at conception.
Functional Consequence Theory - guides nurses to use a wholistic perspective of mind,
spirit, and body inter-relatedness when working with older adults. The concepts of functional
consequences (positive and negative), age related changes, and risk factors are addressed
in the theory (Miller, 2008).
Theory of Thriving - A good gerontological theory integrates knowledge, tells how and why
phenomena are related, leads to prediction, and provides process and understanding.
Based on these criteria, the authors created the Theory of Thriving, with a holistic life span
perspective for studying people in their environments as they age.
TASK:
1. Detailed all theories in your output. And choose 1 theory that you feel describes its
relevance to why people age or comes to an old age and explain its nursing
implication. Discuss briefly your reflection.
- Many of the changes that occur as our bodies age are said to be triggered by
free radicals, according to the free radical theory of aging. Free radicals have
been linked to DNA damage, protein cross-linking, and other alterations. This
damage accumulates over time, resulting in the onset of aging. This assertion is
backed up by some evidence. Increasing the amount of antioxidants in mice's
and other animals' meals has been demonstrated to delay the aging process.
These ideas does not entirely explain all of the changes that occur when people
age, and free radicals are most likely only one component of the aging process.
Free radical reactions, according to the free radical hypothesis of aging, produce
aging changes. According to the evidence, a healthy low-calorie diet combined
with one or more free radical reaction inhibitors can enhance average life
expectancy at birth by 5 or more years.

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LLARENAS, Kimberly Kaye P.

DIFFERENT THEORIES OF AGING

Stages of personality Personality

1. A stochastic or statistical perspective, which identi es episodic events that happen

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