What is late adulthood?
Late adulthood spans the time when we reach our mid-sixties until death. This is the longest developmental stage across the lifespan.
What happens in the late adulthood stage?
As individuals age, the likelihood of infections and diseases increases. This can be because of changes to organs such as the heart and the musculoskeletal system. Along with this stamina, strength and suppleness starts to decline, alongside mobility and use of fine motor skills that control coordination and dexterity.
What are the 3 categories of late adulthood?
There have been many ways to categorize the ages of individuals in late adulthood. In this chapter, we will be dividing the stage into three categories: Young–old (65-84), oldest-old (85- 99), and centenarians (100+) for comparison.
What age is late adulthood Erikson?
Erik Erikson, who took a special interest in this final stage of life, concluded that the primary psychosocial task of late adulthood (65 and beyond) is to maintain ego integrity (holding on to one's sense of wholeness), while avoiding despair (fearing there is too little time to begin a new life course).