Current Theories of Aging and Psychological Considerations for Clients

This essay explores the current theories of aging, including activity, disengagement, and continuity theories, and their relevance to the psychological well-being of aging clients. It highlights the adverse effects of skin aging, which is often the first visible sign of aging, and how it impacts an individual's self-perception, leading to feelings of inferiority, depression, and anxiety. The essay emphasizes the psychological burden associated with skin issues, such as blemishes and discoloration, and how societal attitudes and misconceptions about aging can exacerbate these problems. The study focuses on the Australian senior citizen population, considering the social and psychological effects of aging, with references to communal programs and the role of mental health in successful aging. The essay also examines the importance of addressing these psychological needs to improve the quality of life for older adults, stressing the need for societal understanding and support.

Running head: CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS
Current Theories Of Aging And The Psychological Considerations For Aging Clients
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1CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS
Aging is the slow process, which makes a person old. Aging causes several changes in
the body. It leads to aging of skin; other organs start to lose its immunity power, people start
becoming weak and there are several changes in the psychology of the person. The paper is
based on the current theories that leads to aging and the psychological changes that aged
people in Australia undergoes due to the changes in their skin after aging (Kahana & Kahana,
2018). A large number of population of Australia is above the age of 60, thus, a study of the
Australian senior citizen will help in the assassination of the effects of aging skin and its
psychological issues. Aging has an adverse effect on the person as well as on their families.
The skin is the largest organ of our body and people start to face issues with the change in
their skin.
There are three major theories of aging. They are activity aging, disengagement
theory and continuity theory. The activity theory of aging is also known as implicit theory of
aging, lay theory of aging and normal theory of aging. Robert J. Havighurst has first
introduced the activity theory. It was developed in the year 1961 (Bengtson & DeLiema,
2016). He proposed that when older adults have an active social life and social interaction,
successful aging takes place. In the year 1961, Cumming and Henry in the book “Growing
Old” first coined the theory of disengagement (Bengtson & DeLiema, 2016). In the book it
has been said that it is natural that old people will have a psychological change and will be
slowly withdrawing from the society. As a result, interaction with the society will be
decreased. The maintaining of the usual activities, behaviours and relationships are stated in
the continuity theory. This theory states that living a life that people live in their middle ages
and working accordingly, with which they connect. This theory can be considered as micro-
level theory. It was being coined because most of the older people tends to get detached from
the society and suffers from psychological issues.

2CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS
In the book of George L. Maddox namely “Middle Age and Aging: A Reader in
Social Psychology” in the year 1968 was first introduced the theory of continuity, which was
formerly proposed by Robert Atchley in the article "Retirement and Leisure Participation:
Continuity or Crisis?" (Bengtson & DeLiema, 2016).
As researched from by the gerontological researchers, most of the aging people suffer
psychological issues due the esthetical abeyance. In the process of aging, the skin is the first
organ where aging is visible. The skin acts as an envelope of self and that is where our
emotions are being displayed. Our skin reflects the blanching, sweating, blushing and all the
feeling. Various diseases make the skin look aged and aging of skin does not look good or
makes one feel good. When a person is not happy with their skin, the skin becomes
burdensome. Skin problems such as blemishes, discoloration, lose does not make one look
good (Coleman & O’Hanlon, 2018). They start to feel uncomfortable and creates distress on
the person. People due to skin aging starts to feel inferior. Often it is found that with aging
people starts to suffer from depression and anxiety.
With aging skin becomes rough, dry and itchy. Maximum people over the age of 70
suffers from at least two of the skin diseases. From surveys, it can be said that most of the
aging is caused due to excessive stress and aging people are more bothered about their skin
aging rather than their health (Davison, 2016). In fact, the prime source of skin disease is
stress and discomfort that have an impact on the life. With skin diseases, people start to face
embracement and loss of self-confidence. This skin issues can hamper a person’s personal as
well as work life. Depression, dementia, anxiety and various other psychological
dysfunctions are the reason of aging.
Aging varies from person to person, some people age successfully than others. The
psychological handling of the aging also depends on the personality and attitude of the

3CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS
person. The psychological burden of skin issues depends on various factors (DeLiema &
Bengtson, 2017). Pain, itching, fungal infections have a severe psychological effect on the
person this skin issues are generally not exposed by the people. The present psychology also
effects aging. People with good physic is more attractive and the society accepts them more
heartily. The good-looking, attractive people are accepted by the society easily than other
people. Thus, aged people are afraid to lose their social acceptance. They have the
misconception that they will not be accepted by the society with the aging of their skin
(Bengtson & Settersten 2016). As the active aging theory mentions that while people and
society detaches themselves from each other there is a difference created and the person is
left alone.
Our society has been treating skin diseases, as a punishment of a crime and that is the
reason people start to feel left alone when they face issues related to skin (Franzese & Rurka,
2016). Often people with skin issues are not allowed in swimming pools, salons, communal
function, as it may be contagious. Moreover, there are also nurses those who misbehave with
patients with skin diseases. Thus, the fear of being left alone is the reason of several
psychological issues that people of old age suffers from. There has been several communal
programs arranged for the senior citizen in Australia in order to entertain them arranged by
the government as well as by WHO (who.int 2019).
Aging has various effects on mind and body. The way a person handles aging
depends on the person’s attitude of accepting the fact of aging. However, there are people
those who suffer from depression and anxiety due to skin aging. People takes their looks
more seriously than their health. With the passage of time, fit physic and look starts to erode.
Often, the people cannot handle this and they start to believe that they are not socially being
accepted, thus, they go through depression and various other psychological issues.

4CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS

5CURRENT THEORIES OF AGING AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AGING CLIENTS
Reference list
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[Accessed 9 Aug. 2019].