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Most middle-aged people are in good physical, cognitive, and emotional condition. They have heavy responsibilities and multiple roles and feel competent to handle them.
Middle age is a time for taking stock and making decisions about the remaining years

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The Seattle Longitudinal Study found that most basic mental abilities peak during middle age. Fluid intelligence declines earlier than crystallized intelligence.
Some theorists propose that cognition takes distinctive forms at midlife. Advances in expertise, or specialized knowledge have been attributed to encapsulation of fluid abilities within a person's chosen field. Expertise also depends on the social context.
Postformal thought seems especially useful in situations calling for integrative thinking.
The ability to solve practical problems is strong, and may peak, at midlife.

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Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation (Middle Age)

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Generativity vs. Self absorption or Stagnation (Middle Age)

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Career and work are the most important things at this stage, along with family. Middle adulthood is also the time when people can take on greater responsibilities and control.
Major life shifts can occur during this stage. For example, children leave the household, careers can change, and so on. Some may struggle with finding purpose. Significant relationships are those within the family, workplace, local church and other communities

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Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is a theory of motivation. It is concerned with supporting our natural or intrinsic tendencies to behave in effective and healthy ways.

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Late adulthood is generally considered to begin at about age 65. Erik Erikson suggests that at this time it is important to find meaning and satisfaction in life rather than to become bitter and disillusioned, that is, to resolve the conflict of integrity vs. despair.

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Researchers believe that age‐related decrease in working memory is the crucial factor underlying poorer performance by the elderly on cognitive tasks.

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Erikson believed that much of life is preparing for the middle adulthood stage and the last stage involves much reflection. As older adults, some can look back with a feeling of integrity  that is, contentment and fulfillment, having led a meaningful life and valuable contribution to society. Others may have a sense of despair during this stage, reflecting upon their experiences and failures. They may fear death as they struggle to find a purpose to their lives, wondering “What was the point of life? Was it worth it?”

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The emotional and intellectual stages you pass through from childhood to your retirement years as a member of a family are called the family life cycle. In each stage, you face challenges in your family life that allow you to build or gain new skills. Gaining these skills helps you work through the changes that nearly every family goes through.
The stages of the family life cycle are:
Independence.
Coupling or marriage.
Parenting: babies through adolescents.
Launching adult children.
Retirement or senior years.

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Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

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Physical and Cognitive Development in Middle Adulthood

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Most middle-aged adults compensate well for gradual, minor declines in sensory and psychomotor abilities, and loss of endurance due to slowing of basal metabolism. Losses in bone density and vital capacity are common.
Most middle-aged people are healthy and have no functional limitations.

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In later adulthood, a variety of physiological changes may occur, including some degree of atrophy of the brain and a decrease in the rate of neural processes. The respiratory and circulatory systems are less efficient, and changes in the gastrointestinal tract may lead to increased constipation. Bone mass diminishes, especially among women, leading to bone density disorders such as osteoporosis. Muscles become weaker unless exercise programs are followed. The skin dries and becomes less flexible. Hair loss occurs in both sexes. There is also decreased sensitivity in all of the sensory modalities, including olfaction, taste, touch, hearing, and vision.

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Dementias are usually responsible for cognitive defects seen in older people. These disorders, however, occur only in about 15% of people over 65. The leading cause of dementia in the United States is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, eventually fatal disease that begins with confusion and memory lapses and ends with the loss of ability to care for oneself.

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Life-span developmental theory provides a framework for understanding human aging. The main purpose of theory in the study of aging is to provide a context for describing and explaining the regular transformations that occur with time to representative organisms living under representative conditions. Theories in general aid the process of articulating meaningful patterns from observations that would otherwise be disconnected pieces of a puzzle and less meaningful .

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Broderick, P. C, & Blewitt, P (2015) The Life Span:  Human Development for helping professionals (4th ed) Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:  Pearson Education Inc.
Houghton, M (n.d) Developemtn in late adulthood. Retrieved from:https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/psychology/psychology/developmental-psychology-age-13-to-65/development-in-late-adulthood
Web MD. Family Life Cycle. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/family-life-cycle-topic-overview