Adulthood and End of Life (Essay Sample)

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Abstract
Development is a continuous process involving change in functional capacity. The functional capabilities include the ability to live, move, and work within the regular scope of life. Human beings are, as such, going through a development process with makeable changes, which might not be noticeable instantly. Human development, while related to the aging process, does not depend on age. The process of development continues over the length of the lifespan culminating into death. Before this occurs, a series of changes occurs with each stage leading to the next in an irreversible fashion. These sequential changes result from the interaction of systems within the individual as well as between the individual and the environment. The lifespan development is multidimensional in nature. Late adulthood is characterized by shedding of various roles together with reconciliation of losses which accompany an aging body. Various losses occur in this stage of life when compared to earlier life stages. An age normative expectation of illness increases in essence during this stage. Theories on late adulthood focus on ways in which humans can cope with the decline in their physical dimensions and death. Late adulthood forms the bridge between death and other stages of life in the life continuum (Whitman et al, 1999).
Genetic predispositions, as well as health lifestyles during early stages of life, affect health in the late stages of adulthood. The negative behaviors practiced during early stages of life such as alcohol and drug abuse as well as poor eating habits, increase vulnerability to poor health in late adulthood. There is, however, considerable difference in the health and longevity of the elderly. In order to ensure a healthy life during the late stages, it is critical to lay a healthy foundation. Late adulthood involves changes in various body processes which may promote illnesses and accelerate death. These can only be prevented in the earlier stages. With age, body processes change. Exercising and eating right during the stages before the onset of late adulthood become the most significant pillars in mitigating the effects of aging. During the late adulthood, lung tissues tend to stiffen reducing the lung capacity. Regular exercising in early adulthood can expand the breathing capacity even beyond middle adulthood. With exercise, the body fat finds a path for elimination. It is known that with aging, the lean body mass continually accumulates fat. Muscle becomes replaced by fat. Accumulation of fat predisposes a person to onset of heat conditions while preventing quick recovery to injuries. Regular exercising eliminates the fat and promotes healthy heart. Although it does not compensate the muscle loss, exercising strengthens the remaining muscles contributing to vigor and desirable body shape. Eating well involves correct choice of diet in the early adulthood. The rate of metabolism reduces as age proceeds. The basal metabolism rate also reduces. The aged should, therefore, adjust their eating habits. If they eat as much as they were eating as young adults, they risk gaining weight which can lead to undesirable consequences. The bone density starts to decrease after 40 years. The bones, therefore, become brittle and prone to fracture. If the eating habit is not adjusted, the person becomes heavier than the bones can support. This may lead to severe consequences in injuries. Injuries should be the last thing to expect in late adulthood due to the reduced ability of the body to secrete proteins and hormone to facilitate the healing process. The advanced age stage is also characterized by compromised immune system. During this late adulthood, the glucose uptake also reduces due to aging of tissues. The blood sugar levels may, therefore, increase leading to a risk of diabetes. Since the people in the late adulthood cannot indulge in vigorous activities, the only way to counter the effects of ageing is mitigating the counter measures in early adulthood. The general well-being should be encouraged from early stages of life as well since aging exhibits individual variability (Rathus, 2011).
Majority of the people in the late adulthood stage faces daily constraints due to devaluation by other members of the society. This leads to development of negative attitudes about their aging, which develops into a major impediment to their ability in carrying out tasks. Negative attitudes take different forms. The first stereotype portrays the elderly as lonely and depressed. It continues to portray them as lacking close friends and family and an elevated rate of mood disorders. This stereotype conflicts with evidence which validates the view that the elderly are rich in both personal and interpersonal psychosocial resources which allow them to manage, and cope with stress more effectively than young adults. There is another stereotype that argues the elderly become similar as they age. The similarity emphasized is one with a negative connotation. This argument conflicts with the basic pillar of development which explains the existence of individual variability. Evidence, through research in gerontology, shows that the old adults differ from each other physically, psychologically, and sociologically. The third stereotyping portrays the older adults as sick, frail, and dependent. The myth is disqualified by results of assessment of health status of individuals which shows the health of the majority as good or particularly good. The rating traverses those objectively in poor health and limited economic circumstances. Another stereotyping view is that older adults as cognitively and psychologically impaired. This argument seeks to validate the notion of aging as involving inevitable senility. Although it is true that aging reduces concentration and working memory, only a minor percentage of adults succumb to extreme impairment. This impairment is usually in the form of dementia. Ageism also gains reflection in some psychological theories explaining later adulthood. The disengagement theory, for example, proposes that elderly adults voluntarily reduce societal contact rather than face exclusion from participation in their formal roles. Contrary to the theory, it is evident that older adults are forced to give up their participation. There is a heavy urge to counter the ageist myths since they promote negative effects on the social treatment and regard as people approach old age (Nelson, 2004).
The causes of death during the normal development process of human beings vary with age. The development process is demarcated into infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and older adulthood. During infancy and childhood, grief is not well understood among the people in this age. The parents take the responsibility of shouldering the grief. The parent of the deceased experience elevated anxiety and guilt. The experience leaves them devastate...