LO3 P5 - explain the physical and psychological changes which may be associated with ageing

Through the ageing process, many physical and psychological changes may be encountered. Physical changes can include loss of hearing and menopause and psychological changes can include financial worries and loss of a partner.

A physical change which may be associated with ageing can be the loss of hearing. As people grow older, their hearing becomes progressively worse. At around the age of 40, most people begin to experience a small loss of hearing, this then increases throughout the ageing process. By 80, most people will have evident hearing loss. For example, a man who is 70 years old will most likely have significant loss of hearing due to his ageing process, whereas another man who is 40, might only have minor hearing loss which does not largely affect his hearing (NHS, 2016).

Another physical change associated with ageing can be the process of menopause. Menopause is when a woman's period stops and usually starts between the ages of 45-55. The physical changes which occur during menopause are as follows: hot flushes, sweats, anxious and low moods and memory and concentration problems are also factors too. As the woman ages, her periods will eventually stop as a result of a drop in oestrogen levels within the body. For example, a woman who is going through menopause may experience a hot flush at inconvenient times during the day as a result of physical changes (NHS, 2016).

A psychological change which can be associated with ageing may be the loss of a partner. The loss of a partner is most likely to affect a person negatively as they will experience feelings of upset and possible loneliness. The loss of a partner can change a person psychologically as emotions may be unstable and they may not socialise with friends and family due to the loss, therefore