ATTITUDES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS TOWARD OLDER ADULTS

The topic of this study is the perception of older adults by younger persons. This introduction provides background information on the topic, and a statement of the purpose of this study.

The information related to perceptions of older adults by younger persons that is presented in this section represents the findings of a review of the literature of gerontological studies related to the actual behaviors of older adults, and to the perceptions of these behaviors by younger persons. Theories, methodologies, and research findings are discussed as relevant.

Persons aged 65 years old or older account for approximately 12 percent of the American population (Hunter, 1994, p. 1271). The average life span in the United States has increased from an expected 70 years in the mid-1960s to 78 years today. The expected life span for women is greater than that for men. While the 65 years old and over group is the fastest growing segment of the overall American population, the 75 years old and over group is the fastest growing segment among those aged 65 years or older. Prior to the 1970s, the 75 years old and over segment of the population was too small to merit much attention as a separate population segment. At the beginning of the 1990s, however, this segment of the population merits a great deal of special attention.

In the contemporary period, 38 percent of householders in the 65-74 age

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rly individual, nor younger persons interacting with the elderly individual are cognizant of such changes. The outcomes of such a situation are all too often social and physical isolation for the elderly, with predictable further psychological and physiological deteriorations (Binstock, Levin, & Weatherley, 1991, p. 104). The earliest physiological aspect of aging is often sensory deterioration (Tornstam, pp. 318-326). Sensory deprivation may lead to panic, delusions, and other aberrant mental behavior. While sensory loss may occur as a consequence of the aging process, it may also occur as a product of psychological disorders. In the analysis of problems associated with sensory loss in older adults, therefore, it is necessary to establish cause and effect relationships, because sensory deficits resulting from psychological disorders ordinarily disappear, upon correction of the disorder. A sensory loss experienced by older adults tends to cause these individuals to be cut-off from their surroundings and from the personal contacts of a lifetime (Tornstam, pp. 318-322). This sense of being cut-off often leads to depression. The older adult faced with a sensory loss also has a tendency to think that little hope exists at th
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Approximate Word count = 2218
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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