Unfortunately, during our geriatric years, much of the change in sensation is
associated with a decrement or loss in ability. With old age, our senses become
less acute, and we have trouble discriminating between subtle differences and
sensing details. For example, our sense of smell decreases, and this partially
contributes to the loss of taste.
Answer the following questions:
What is the normal range of human hearing, and how does this
range change with age? Why is it that younger people can hear high-pitched
ringtones but older people cannot? How is this used to the advantage of younger
people (e.g., when choosing cell phone ringtones)?
What happens to the human eye as a person gets older?
Consider what happens to the ability to perceive images at different distances
when the lens becomes more rigid. How might a person with myopia benefit from
changes with time?
How do the changes in smell and taste interact? Discuss the
different types of taste. Are there any specific tastes that are relatively
preserved with age? Do food preferences change with one’s ability to taste
different things? How does this impact food choice?
chapter covered:
Vision
The other sensory systems
Vision
Hearing
Olfaction
