Final answer:
Middle adulthood is a period marked by physical and cognitive changes and an increased awareness of mortality, making the learning to cope with loss a key developmental task for middle-aged individuals. Older adulthood is characterized by a continuation of physical decline and increased risk of cognitive impairments, but individuals age in various ways both biologically and psychologically.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing the developmental tasks of middle-aged persons versus older adults, the nurse should infer that learning to cope with loss is most common during the middle adult years. This is suggested by the fact that middle adulthood, ranging from the mid-30s to the mid-60s, is a period where individuals may start showing physical signs of aging and experience physical declines. They may deal with the onset of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and encounter cognitive losses, leading to an increasing awareness of mortality and an encounter with various forms of loss. Additionally, this stage is characterized by generativity versus stagnation, wherein individuals focus on contributing to the development of others and seeking meaning in life, often through work and family life. However, suggesting all individuals fear and resent retirement or that all older adults will need nursing assistance to deal with loss would be overgeneralizations and not accurate.
On the other hand, old age, which begins in the mid-60s, is marked by continuity in physical decline and an increased risk of serious illnesses such as cancer or cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease. While social supports and staying mentally and physically active can contribute to healthier aging, there is great individual variation in how older adults experience this stage. Therefore, option B is misleading because it suggests that all older adults age in the same way, both biologically and psychologically, which is not the case according to research that highlights the individuality of the aging process.