Growth and development - Early and middle adulthood: Nursing

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Introduction0:00–0:58

Adulthood is the longest stage of life spanning from 20 years of age until the end of life. Adulthood is further divided into three consecutive phases early adulthood between 20 and 40 years old, middle adulthood between 40 and 65 years old, and late adulthood from age 65 and onward.
Now developmental psychologists involved in studying development of early and middle adulthood include Jean Piaget, Eric Erickson, and Lawrence Kohlberg.
First, it's important to note that growth and development are two different concepts. Growth refers to physical changes in height, weight, and the appearance of the body, whereas development refers to the acquisition of complex motor, cognitive, and social skills.
All right, now, compared to other stages of life, adulthood is a time of minimal physical growth. By this point, physical maturation is complete, although height and weight can increase slightly.

Growth0:58–2:18

Young adults are at their peak in terms of physical abilities, including muscle strength, endurance, reaction time, and cardiac function.
Though poor lifestyle habits such as smoking, as well as an unhealthy diet, or lack of exercise can increase the risk for future illnesses or trigger the onset of chronic conditions at an early age.
The aging process actually begins during early adulthood, although very slowly and continues through middle adulthood. Around the age of 30.
The lens of the eye begins to stiffen and thicken, affecting the ability to focus on close objects, a condition known as presbyopia.
Hearing can start to decrease as well, called prespicusis. Hair can start to thin out and become gray as early as the age of 35.
The skin becomes drier and less elastic. Wrinkles start to appear, and reproductive capacity starts to decline.
Later, the basal metabolic rate decreases, so it's more difficult to gain muscle mass, while at the same time, fat tends to accumulate, particularly on the abdomen and lower body.
Now cognitive development remains relatively steady throughout early and middle adulthood. According to Page, early and middle adults continue from adolescence in the formal operational stage.

Development2:18–4:31

During this stage, individuals begin to look at ideas from multiple angles and understand that problems can have more than one right or wrong answer.
They also develop the ability to think rationally, meaning they can use logic to solve concrete as well as abstract problems.
Compared to previous stages of life, young adults are more pragmatic when solving problems and making life changing decisions and tend to be less reckless than in their teenage years.
This is usually the time where they may choose to pursue additional education or identify their chosen career, which further enhances problem solving skills and the capacity for creativity.
Moving on to psychosocial development, according to Erickson, the early adult period is called intimacy versus isolation, a time when individuals form long term partnerships and friendships and make decisions concerning marriage and parenthood.
If the young adult is unsuccessful in forming meaningful relationships, a sense of intimacy will not be developed. On the other hand, during middle adulthood, individuals transition to the generativity versus stagnation stage, which is characterized by the need to engage with the next generation through tasks like parenting, mentoring, or teaching, as well as fulfilling obligations to society at large.
During this stage, preoccupation with one's self can lead to stagnation in life. In terms of moral and spiritual development, young and middle adults are situated in the post-conventional stage of moral development.
During this time, individuals have developed their own moral compass, and they develop moral reasoning that is based on universal ethical principles and a commitment to justice.
Often during this state, they identify themselves with a political affiliation, and they may either commit to their family's religious tradition or start taking on new religious practices different from the ones they were brought up with.
OK, moving on to client and family teaching. Begin by providing guidance about the physical changes they may begin to experience, then discuss lifestyle modifications that can promote health and prevent future illness.
Encourage them to engage in regular physical activity. Also talk to them about how a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber, and foods low in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugar can help prevent weight gain as well as chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

General client & family teaching4:31–5:38

Also be sure to remind them that adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Then teach them about the benefits of decreasing stress, review relaxation techniques, and talk to them about strategies they can use to deal with stressful situations.
Finally, review the importance of limiting their consumption of alcohol and caffeine and to avoid any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and chewing tobacco.
Provide them with counseling and refer them to resources for support if they need help quitting smoking. All right, as a quick recap, adulthood is the longest stage of life spanning from 20 years of age until the end of life.
Adulthood is further divided into three consecutive phases early adulthood between the ages of 20 and 40, middle adulthood between the ages of 40 and 65, and late adulthood from age 65 and onward.

Review5:38–6:41

All right, now compared to other stages of life, adulthood is a time of minimal physical growth. The aging process also begins during this time and includes changes in vision and hearing and a decrease in the basal metabolic rate and reproductive capacity.
Cognitive development also remains relatively steady throughout early and middle adulthood, and young and middle adults are more pragmatic when solving problems and making life changing decisions.
Psychosocial development in early adulthood involves the formation of long-term partnerships and friendships, whereas middle adulthood is characterized by engagement with the next generation through tasks like parenting, mentoring, teaching, and fulfilling social obligations.
Moral development during this time involves further development of moral reasoning based on universal ethical principles and a commitment to justice.
Client and family teaching emphasizes health promotion and prevention of chronic disease.