Dr. Colin Depp of the UCSD Stein Institute on Aging presents on overview of our aging population and why elder abuse will rise during a powerful presentation at the June 7 Glenner Symposium on Elder Abuse and Neglect Training for health care professionals.

1. Demography of Aging
Colin Depp, Ph.D.
Stein Institute for Research on Aging
UCSD Dept. of Psychiatry

2. Aristotle 384-322 BC

3. Aristotle on Older People
“They have lived many years, they have often been taken in,
and often made mistakes; and life on the whole is a bad
business; The result is that they are sure about nothing
and underdo everything. They “think” but they never
“know” and because of their hesitation they always add a
possibility” or a “perhaps”, putting everything in this way.
They are cynical, they tend to put the worst construction
on everything. They are small-minded, not generous,
because money is one of things they must have. They
are cowardly. They are too fond of themselves. They are
not shy, but shameless rather…”
Birren, J.E. & Schroots, J.J.F. The History of
Geropsychology. Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. 3-28,
2001.

4. Humoral Theory of Aging
• Aging
– Intrinsic process (disease)
– Drying and cooling of the body (lamp
metaphor)
Treatment = Add heat and water!
Birren, J.E. & Schroots, J.J.F. The History of Geropsychology. Handbook of the
Psychology of Aging. 3-28, 2001.

5. Cicero 106-40 BC

6. Cicero’s View of Aging
• Cato Major De Senectute (On Old Age) 44 B.C.
• “Old age withdraws us from active pursuits but
one can [fulfill advisory functions]”
• “Memory is impaired, that is, if you do not
exercise it”
• Aging is…
– Not a disease, per se
– Determined to some extent by behavior
Treatment = Adapt
Birren, J.E. & Schroots, J.J.F. The History of Geropsychology.
Handbook of the Psychology of Aging. 3-28, 2001.

9. Life ExpectancyINDICATOR 14

10. Life ExpectancyINDICATOR 14

12. 1900
(in
millions)
MALES FEMALES
21st Century
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
80+
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
75-79
AGE PYRAMID IN USA (Olshansky, 1997)
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
80+
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4

13. Age Pyramids in Japan

14. Rapid Changes in Health of Older
People: The Civil War Studies
Fogel et al., 1998

15. Characteristics of the Civil War
Cohort
• 25% died in infancy
• 40% died before age 15
• Leading causes of death were infectious
disease
• Food clothing and shelter accounted for
75% of costs (now 13%)
• 3100 hours of work per year and two
hours per day of leisure (now 50%)

16. The Rate of Aging Differs in Step with
Adaptations
100+ yrs
30 yrs
2-5 yrs
3 yrs

17. Christensen et al. Nature Reviews Genetics 7, 436–448 (June 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrg1871
20 to 30% variability in longevity due to
heredity
A Proportion of Variation in
Longevity is Due to Genes

18. Kirkwood, 2000; Nature
Some Aging Phenotypes May
Avoid Selective Pressure
Maximum Reproductive Age

19. Some Variation in Lifespan is
Random
Lifespan in genetically identical worms raised in constant
environments (Kirkwood, 2005)

20. Peak ages of physiological
performance
• Hearing peaks at 5 years old
• Smell peaks at 10 years old
• Taste peaks at 10 years old
• Flexibility and balance peaks at 13 years old
• Muscle strength peaks at 18 years old
• Tissue repair peaks at 13 years old
• Short term memory peaks at 20 years old
• Immune response peaks at 13 years old
• Lung capacity peaks at 20 years old
Cutler and Mattson (2007) Ageing Res Reviews

21. Incidence of Elder Abuse
• 1998: National incidence of elder
abuse study (U.S.)
– 236,000 reports of Elder abuse in the
home in 1 year
– 50,000 reports of Elder abuse in the
nursing home in 1 year
– Estimated that only 1 in 5 cases are
reported

22. Elder Abuse: Demographic
Trends in Risk Factors
Risk for elder abuse is increased
among:
• Women
• “Older” older adults (over 80)
• Those diagnosed with dementia or
MH problem
• Those who are socially isolated
• Those with a caregiver in the home

24. Depressive SymptomsINDICATOR 19

25. Depressive SymptomsINDICATOR 19

26. Behavioral Determinants of
Successful Aging
• Exercise
• Diet
• Cognitive stimulation
• Optimism/resilience
• Social integration
• Positive attitudes toward aging
• Stress reduction
Depression

27. Functional LimitationsINDICATOR 20

28. Functional LimitationsINDICATOR 20

29. Sources of IncomeINDICATOR 9

30. The Successful AGing
Evaluation (SAGE) Study
N=1006 Randomly
sampled San Diego
adults aged 50-99;
Jeste et al., AJP, In
Press

31. DRM Studies

32. DRM: Top 3 Activities in terms
of Positive Affect Ratings
Age
15-25
Age
26-35
Age
36-45
Age
46-55
Age
56-65
Age
66-75
Age
76+
Exercise Exercise Exercise Socializing Exercise Exercise Socializing
Relaxing/
Thinking
Eating/
Drinking
Socializing Exercise Eating/
Drinking
Socializing Working
Reading Socializing Eating/
Drinking
Eating/
Drinking
Socializing Working Eating/
Drinking

33. DRM: Bottom 3 Activities in terms
of Positive Affective Ratings
Age
15-25
Age
26-35
Age
36-45
Age
46-55
Age
56-65
Age
66-75
Age
76+
Work Work Work TV TV TV Relaxing/
Thinking
TV Computer TV Computer Computer Computer TV
Computer Reading Computer Work Reading Relaxing Exercise

34. Estimates of TV and Non-TV
Leisure Activities by Age (n=3982)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76+
Age
PercentofEpisodes
Non-TV
Leisure
TV
Depp et al., 2010 AJPM

35. Positive Emotion by Time Spent
Alone, with Spouse or with Others
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76+
Age (banded)
with anyone else
with spouse
alone
Mean
Pos
Affect
Rating
Depp et al.,
Unpublished;
Princeton Affect
and Time Use
Survey

36. Percent of Waking Time Alone
(n=3982; DRM Study)
0
20
40
60
80
100
15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-75 76+
Age (banded)
Male
Female
% of
Time
Alone
Depp et al.,
Unpublished;
Princeton Affect
and Time Use
Survey

37. Thanks!