Scribd
Upload
237 views2 pages

Middle Aged Adulthood

Middle-aged adulthood spans from ages 41-64 and is characterized by physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes. Physically, metabolism slows and skin/muscle tone decreases while cognitive development remains steady in formal operations. Psychosocially, individuals focus on generativity versus self-absorption and experience stress from midlife issues like menopause or caring for aging parents. Effective teaching strategies acknowledge sources of stress and health risks at this life stage by providing information on chronic illnesses and reinforcing internal rewards for learning efforts.

Uploaded by

DONITA DALUMPINES
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
237 views2 pages

Middle Aged Adulthood

Middle-aged adulthood spans from ages 41-64 and is characterized by physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes. Physically, metabolism slows and skin/muscle tone decreases while cognitive development remains steady in formal operations. Psychosocially, individuals focus on generativity versus self-absorption and experience stress from midlife issues like menopause or caring for aging parents. Effective teaching strategies acknowledge sources of stress and health risks at this life stage by providing information on chronic illnesses and reinforcing internal rewards for learning efforts.

Uploaded by

DONITA DALUMPINES
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Middle-aged adulthood

Middle aged (41-64 years of age)

 Transition period between young adulthood and older adulthood.


 Starting later and lasting longer
 Many individuals are highly accomplished in their careers, their sense of who they are is well
developed, their children are grown, and they have time to share their talents, serve as mentors
for others, and pursue new or latent interest.

Physical DEVELOPMENT

 A number of physiological begin to take place.


 Skin and muscle tone decreases, metabolism slows down, body weight tends to increase,
endurance and energy levels lessen, hormonal changes bring about a variety of symptoms, and
hearing and visual acuity start to diminish.
 Physical changes affect middle-aged adult’s self image, ability to learn, and motivation for
learning about health promotion, disease prevention, and maintenance of health.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Steady state as they continue in Piaget’s formal operations stage of cognitive development.

• The cognitive development stopped with this stage (the ability to perform abstract thinking)

• Critics of Piaget’s theory have begun to assert the existence of postformal operations.

• Adult thought go beyond logical problem solving to include what is known as dialectical
thinking- the ability to search for complex and changing understandings to find a variety of
solutions to any given situation or problem.

PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• Labeled as generativity versus self-absorption and stagnation by Erikson.

• May either feel greater motivation to follow health recommendations more closely or, just the
opposite, may deny illness or abandon healthy practices altogether.

• Sparks their interest in learning about financial planning, alternative lifestyle, and ways to
remain healthy as they approach the later years.

Generativity vs. stagnation

 Erikson believes generativity encompasses adult’s desire to leave a legacy to the next
generation.
 Through generativity, adults achieve a kind of immortality by leaving their legacy.
 Stagnation or self-absorption develops when individuals sense that they have done nothing for
the next generation.
 Through generativity, adults promote and guide those who follow by parenting, teaching,
leading, doing things to benefit the community.
Teaching strategies

 May be facing either a more relaxed lifestyle or an increase in stress level due to midlife crisis
issues such as menopause, obvious physical changes in their bodies, responsibility for their own
parents’ declining health status, or concern about how finite their life really is.
 The nurse must be aware of their potential sources of stress, the health risk factors associated
with this stage of life, and the concerns typical of midlife.
 Many need and want information related to chronic illness that can arise at this phase of life
(Orshan, 2008).
 Reinforcement for learning is internalized and serves to reward them for their efforts.

You might also like