Getting older can bring new challenges to life. Challenges that most will never fully understand until personally experienced. What we once were able to do gracefully now nrequires assistanvce. Independence is gradually being removed and sometime taken. Acceptance can be extremely difficult to a person who feels there is more left in their tank. Although retirement is enevitable, and exciting and productive life can still be lived if properly planned and resources are used effectively.…
Typically, when most people retire he or she expects to remain independent, and live life as he or she always has in the past. However, because of some unforeseen illness some individuals may lose some of his or her independence, and need assistance from family, friends or home care facilities. When this occurs many older people experience emotional stress, and physical problems whereas some does not. Here the study of gerontology comes into place. Gerontology can help many individuals “understand current social issues,” (Novak, 2009, p. 2) that occurs from aging.…
Mrs X is an 84 year old British lady. She has type 2 diabetes, hypotension and she is also MRSA positive. She was admitted to her local hospital where she was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and pulmonary oedema, but has now been transferred from her local hospital to this current care setting because of this diagnosis. After admission patient Mrs X had an angiogram, via right femoral approach, which has shown multi vessel disease (LMS, LAD, LCX and RCA). She had a failed angiogram via right radial approach. Mrs X has also had an Intra-aortic balloon pump inserted via right femoral approach. On arrival to the ward significant, vital observations were taken, these were blood pressure, O2 saturation, respiration rate and heart rate, her blood glucose level was also measured as she was diabetic. An admission ECG test was also done.…
Henry David Thoreau’s point of view on the elderly, based on a passage from Walden, is almost completely false. To say that the elderly have no worthy advice to give the young is absurd. While younger generations will always advance themselves further in technology and life, they cannot do this without the help of their seniors.…
After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous housing options geared towards the graying population, such as Retirement Villages, and assisted living. However, the subjects of Long Term Care, Social security reform and government involvement in health care reform were subjects he regarded with very strong negative emotions. During the interview these issues as related to his experiences with health care were discussed with zeal and frustration.…
In some societies the wisdom of old age is valued so those individuals feel they are making a contribution to their communities. But if this is not the cause it can make people feel that they are just a drain.…
After reading chapter 17, there are many stereotypes that are placed on older individuals in our culture. Which can be described by ageism which is defined as the prejudice and discrimination directed at older people. Some examples of the most common stereotypes are that it is almost impossible for the average old person to learn something new, Older workers usually cannot work as effectively as younger works, and that at least one-tenth of the aged are living in long-stay institution such as nursing homes. Each stereotype listed above is completely false. For instance, I work at a urology clinic and most of the workers employed including the doctors are well over 60 years old. In my opinion, each of them are very trustworthy, hardworking,…
Speaker notes: According to Martin (2007), “Ageism typically involves any attitude or behavior that negatively categorizes the elderly based either on partial truth (often taken out of context) or on outright myths of the aging process” (pg. 142). There are nine basic myths that show cause to an individual having the label of ageism: “(1) poor health, illness, and disability; (2) lack of mental sharpness and acuity, senility, and dementia; (3) sadness, depression, and loneliness; (4) an irritable demeanor; (5) a sexless life; (6) routine boredom; (7) a lack of vitality and continual decline; and (8) and inability to learn new…
I grew up with my grand parents who needed a lot of help from me. I used to help them in many ways at home and out side. After I came to USA, I always wanted to work with elderly people. Two years ago, I took a CNA class and started working in a nursing home. I was very happy for being able to help older people because it gives me satisfaction and I feel like I am doing for my grand parents. Now I see my self working in a extended care facility as a nurse and it is very exciting for me.…
Aging is the length of time during which a being or thing has existed length of life (Webster dictionary). Growing old and becoming an elderly person can be challenging but, yet it can be very rewarding, it can bring a lot of good and bad. Aging has its rewards, but it presents the challenges of all stages of life. Growing old consist of gradual, ongoing changes in the body, changes such as shrinking in height in which the elderly tends to get shorter as he or she age. Elderly people tends to have less appetite which causes them to lose weight, and a decline in strength and vitality, which can sometimes make them feels very weak at times and needs either a cane or a walker or even someone to help assist them in walking.…
Often times, I have realized that senior citizens are described in terms of their pathology, such as being a social problem or requiring adjustments. Despite this common place perception, and the fact that the population of senior citizens is on the increase I have noted substantial efforts in evaluation the inherent potential of older adults. The idea of active aging is increasingly being discussed and…
Aging is portrayed as a time of manifestation, rest and an opportunity to do things that one was unable to do during their vigorous years due to occupations and family responsibilities. For example, the elderly experience a loss of financial wealth, control of their own lives such as disabilities in comparison to hearing, loss of sight or any other physical abilities. These issues lead to negativity, depression or anxiety and how social society perceive the elderly. These elderly misconceptions or stereotypes are glimpse as feeble, greedy, cranky, and acting like children. Variety of people depict the elderly as useless and helpless victims that are unproductive. These misinterpretations are often taken for granted and displayed in the media…
Late Adulthood is a time in people’s lives when they come to terms with their lives and reevaluate what they have done or accomplished in the lieu of what they still would like to accomplish for the remainder of their lives. During this stage of life adults around the ages of 65 begin to experience a variety of changes in their physical appearance and a decline in their health. The process of aging in an individual occurs at different speeds and during this stage older adults are being treated as second-class citizens especially by younger adults. The skin begins to wrinkle at an accelerated rate, the senses lose their acuity, and the voice becomes less powerful. Other physical changes occur like the loss of teeth, bones become brittle, joints become stiff, and the graying of hair.…
In most societies, older people are generally viewed as a group of with common characteristics and needs. Older age is usually viewed as a state, a stage or an event. In reality, older people are not a homogenous group, but rather highly diverse individuals. The factor that is common to all older people is the accumulation of more numerous life experiences over a greater period of time than those of younger people (Bowling & Dieppe, 2005). Aging is defined as the process of becoming older, a process that is genetically…
When I arrived to Brunswick Novant Medical Center, it was a nice day, the sun was out and the flowers were in bloom down the pathway leading up to the main entrance. When I walked into the hospital, wearing my scrubs there was a cool chill to the air much different from the outside. It was pretty chilly in there and the building smelled like hand sanitizer. The main lobby was very welcoming with chairs and magazines on the little end tables. The receptionists at the desk welcomed me with an inviting greeting, “May I help you”. I went towards the hall on the left that led to the elevators that took me to the second floor, where the nurse I was going to interview worked at.…