Physical Development In Late Adulthood

Main Body

In this assignment I will be comparing Mary’s personal development with the average progression of somebody her age. I will also try to establish the reasons for this by analysing her physical, intellectual, emotional and social (PIES) development. Finally, I will identify her needs and make suggestions to amend any problems she may have and recommendations to improve her quality of life.

• PIES of development during late adulthood

Using the Human Growth & Development notes from the National Learning Network, I’m going to look at the projected physical development of people in late adulthood.

Physical – Senescence, which is biological ageing, causes deterioration of bodily functions. These declines obviously differ from individual to individual but generally they include;

 Lower energy levels

 Less flexibility in the skin and emergence of wrinkles and brown spots

 Thinning and greying of hair

 Declining eye sight and hearing ability

 Height and weight loss

 Slower reflexes

 Weakening muscle strength

Some aspects can’t be predicted but have a major effect on physical well-being like strength of immune system, nutritional intake and whether the person has a minor or serious illness or physical disability.

Intellectual – The National Institute of Health explains how as you age your brain shrinks and decreases in weight.

But flash forward six years and she grimaces at the thought of going back to work. She informed me that she is financially comfortable and was considering employing a maid to help around the house for a few hours a week. I learned that Mary doesn’t attend any social events and is currently not a member of any social group. This was particularly worrying considering she doesn’t normally get any visitors and her only son lives in Australia. She admitted to being lonely sometimes but also tries to remain