The Significance of Memory Complaints in Later Life
In their seminal study of 1,134 elderly San Franciscans, Lowenthal, Berkman, and their associates (1967) found complaints of failing memory so frequently that they termed them (alongside reports of decreased energy) “stereotypes of aging.” Declining memory was reported by nearly half the community residents and by even higher percentages of those evidencing psychiatric symptoms, whether hospitalized or living in the community. Though self-reports of memory decline increased with age, this pattern was not substantiated by scores on objective cognitive tests, which remained stable with age. These findings were consistent with some other reports mentioning discrepancies between patients’ performance on objective tests or measures of function and the levels of impairment that clinicians had expected to find, based on patients’ self-reports (e.g., Friedman, 1964).
This is the eBulletin from the Older People’s Commission for Wales, with updates of the Commission’s work over the last few months. Since the last bulletin from the Commission, Wales has suffered a prolonged period of adverse cold weather which has posed challenges for older people and services across the country. I have spoken with a range of people who play a key role in coordinating Wales’ response to the cold weather about its impact on older people now, as well as lessons for the future.Older People's Commissioner for Wales: Bulletin number 4 (2010) EnglishOlder People's Commissioner for Wales: Bulletin 4 (2010) Welsh