Humanity has come a long way as we evolve and adapt to the changing environment. Through the years, we have managed to overcome several limitations, which in the past were nothing more than dreams. We succeeded in landing on the moon and communicating over long distance, yet there are still some boundaries we have yet to cross despite our best effort. Aging is an inevitable process of nature. While we cannot stop the ticking clock in our body, we have made it possible for aging to be delayed and relieved to a great extent through advance technology and modern governance. High-tech equipments and medications are available for the treatments of more illnesses as our understanding of medicine improves and governments nowadays are doing more for the elderly population in their society.
With more emphasis placed on healthcare by governments today and the advancement of our medical technology, people get to live longer. Cancers are not as deadly as in the past and new vaccines are constantly being developed. People, including the elderly, are made less vulnerable to the incapacitation of diseases, and in a way, we become biologically stronger. This also means an increase in the productivity of the aged, physically. McClatchy Newspapers (2008, October 20) suggested that with the miracle of modern medicine, 60 might be the new 40. However, most treatments do not come cheap and chronic illnesses, especially, take a toll on their finances as people live longer. "One hospitalisation, for example, a stroke can set you back at tens of thousands of dollars,” as stated by Associate Professor Paulin Straughan, sociologist, National University of Singapore in Channel NewsAsia (2009, August 19). In fact, most elderly are not rich and ma...
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...rce to support the economy and generate enough money for healthcare subsidies and government pension as mentioned previously. While there are temporary measures to alleviate this problem, such as rising the retirement age and importing foreign workers, the key is still to increase the fertility rate.
The aging process has been eased with the modernization of our society as better healthcare technology and government welfare are available to serve the elderly. However, this revolution has generated a rising aging population which would be a problem to all levels of the society. Governments in developed countries should look beyond temporary solutions to rising aging population and focus on getting people to reproduce. While there are initiatives like maternity welfare and baby bonus to encourage reproduction, I believe more can be done and hope for the better.
An aging population is indeed a problem for the society and will possibly cause many social and economic difficulties in the future. According to David Foot (2003), professor of Economics at University of Toronto, an effective birth rate of 2.2% against current 1.75% will be necessary to replace the current work force in the near future and the government’s policy of bringing in more immigrants will eventually fail (Foot, 2003, 2). However some people predict that the increased size of an aging population will drive growth in the home, health care, and many other industries resulting in job creation and economic growth (Marketwire, 2013, 1). Majority of the people are of the opinion that the issue will be mainly in the health care and economic activity. As humans age, they start to develop health problems, leading to more visits to a medical clinic putting extra burden on health care system.
There are two theories of ageing. The disengagement theory is when the elderly unfortunately start to give up with activities or social life. They become withdrawn from society. This is when you disengage from any way of contact or interaction. The reason for disengagement theory may be because physical functions deteriorate. There are three phases of disengagement theory. These are shrinkage of life space is when you are not working or have no contact with friends and family. You don’t get to meet new people. You decide not to take up any hobbies or activities. The second phase is increased individuality. This is when you become independent and what others do does not matter to you. The third phase is acceptance. You start to accept things the way they are. You accept that it is the last stage of life and don’t try to fight it.
Ageing is a natural process, which presents a unique challenge for all sections of the society. With gradual improvement in health-care delivery services, people in the UK are living longer, but not necessarily healthier lives. As a result, the number of people who require care in their old age is increasing dramatically. There are currently three million people over 80, and this number is expected to almost double by 2030. There are also an increasing number of elderly people living on their own, increasing the demand for specific elderly care.
Aging is a phenomena we are all familiar with, a trait characteristic of all humankind, in fact, of all living organisms. What are the effects of aging, especially those which go beyond the biological aspects and effect the social aspects of changing roles, seniority, and treatment of the aged? What was the original human condition before high-tech medical interventions redefined death and dying, before the industrial age changed the nature of the nuclear and extended family? Going back still farther, what can the behavior of chimpanzees tell us about the origins of our responses to the aging of those around us?
After World War II ended in 1945, veterans returned home to get married and start families which resulted in a “baby boom.” This generation, which has been dubbed “Baby Boomers,” was born between 1946 and 1964. In 2011 this generation will begin to reach age 65, which is a pivotal age for senior adults. In 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million, more than double its projected population of 40.2 million in 2010. The baby boomers are largely responsible for this increase in the older population, as they will begin crossing into this category in 2011. (US Census Bureau, 2010). With our population shifting to an older demographic, ageism will weigh heavily on our society and the importance of researching, discussing and finding solutions to ageism will come to the forefront.
Aging in place refers to remaining in one’s home and community throughout the aging process (Siebert, 2007). Additionally, it can mean living in a supportive environment that allows participation in meaningful activities, and increases quality of life (Siebert, 2007). Home modifications help facilitate participation in meaningful activities, decrease falls, and support aging in place (Siebert, 2007). Home modifications are adaptations to the environment that meet the needs of an individual, and increase safety and independence (Siebert, 2007). Although aging in place is more than home modifications, the focus and the purpose of my project is to research how affordable home modifications can support lower socioeconomic status older adults, with aging in place. There are three objectives to determine if the purpose of this project has been achieved. The first objective is that the educational presentation and booklet were effective in increasing the participant's knowledge of low-cost options and funding sources for implementing home modifications. The second objective is that the
Elderly people, as a whole, use up much of the nation's healthcare budget; six times as much money is spent by the federal government on health services for those over 65 than those under 18 (Callahan, 1997). More people are entering into this age group than are dying due to medical advances that can now prolong life for years, using up hundreds of thousands of dollars on one feeble life that could possibly help hundreds of younger people and thereby prevent future health expenses (Caplan, 1987). America's healthcare budget is not large enough to support every patient adequately- instead of a few getting sufficient healthcare, many are merely getting a half-way supported (Callahan, 1997). With so many last- ditch efforts available, th...
The world is said to reach a population of 9.2 billion people in 2050. The economy of a country is affected in multiple ways; one of the factors affecting the progression of an economy is the life expectancy. In the past decade, the sizes of families are decreasing due to many reasons such as low fertility rates, economic reasons, high education, and etc. causing an increase in the elderly population. Over the years, the life expectancy is continuing to rise at a phenomenal rate as the technologies advance to protect myriads of lives. The increased ageing population has been putting constant pressure on the economies to provide for the sick and the unemployed. In turn, this hinders the progress of the economy. But on the contrary, the increase in older citizens in an economy has also benefitted t...
When we are young we never think about what we are going to be like when we are 80 or 90. We just think of the present. Aging is something almost everyone experience’s in their lifetime. Everyone ages at their own rate and time, thus no one has the same experience. Some theorists believe that as we age we become disengage from society, others believe it’s the choices we make that cause disengagement from society. It’s something psychologists have argued for a long time. There is not a lot of research done on how adults age because of participant drop outs for a numerous amount of reasons; for example health issues, death or forgetting about the study all together. Older adults do not choose to become disengaged from society; the choices they make are the ones that fit their personal lifestyle the best.
“The Golden Years? You've got to be kidding...(Nelson)” Ageism is the main influence for how older people view the aging process. Despite stereotypes, today, for the first time in history, most people can expect to live into their sixties and beyond. A longer life represents an important opportunity, not only for older people and their families, but also for societies as a whole. Additional years provide the chance to pursue new activities such as further education or a long-neglected passion, while continuing to make valuable contributions to family and community.
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
It is apparent that in the present generation and century, the older Americans’ population is growing faster than ever before and it is also proven that they are living longer than there before according to The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (2010: 17). The report further says that the 65 years old Americans can now look forward to live an average of 18.5 more years which accrues to four years more than the previous indications in 1960s. Further, for those who live to the age of 85 years women have 6.8 years on average to live while men have 5.7 years.
Sometimes the best way to learn is through experience. I have not experienced the aging process. My knowledge of the aging process has only come from what I have observed from the older people in my life and things picked up from various media. However, I have never discussed with someone, who has gone through so much of life, the process of aging and how they have managed it. Mr. Blackman taught me plenty about how to live life as it advances. I also have not had much experience working in group composed of people involved in nursing and social work. While I have experienced working in group, particularly working in a restaurant, this was a unique experience and one from which I have learned. Ultimately, this experience, these SAGE visits, helped to teach me about the importance of having a
Aging brings on the experience of senescence a process of aging. This is a time where the body begins to become a bit weaker and less efficient. (Berger, 2014, p.576) Interestingly enough the physiological factors of aging actually protects adults. The heart and lung begin to lose the reserve capacity each part of the body begins to accommodate the changes that are happening in the other parts of the body. Whether or not a person is old or young the lungs still maintain the oxygen capacity. The brain does however slow down with age and even shrink a bit, but most of the time this goes unnoticed. If there are any severe losses before the age of 65 most often it is attributed to one of these four factors; drug abuse, poor circulation, viruses and genes. The outward appearance also changes skin becomes more wrinkled (unless of course you try Botox regularly) and hair gets grayer and thinner along with may other things. (p.579) The body senses begin to compensate for each other the sight with the hearing and the taste with the smelling. After age 50, it is almost impossible to be able to reproduce without extra hormones. Besides sexual arousal usually begins to slow down or even stop at or after age 60. (p.580-581)
Family planning should be a very important factor in economic development of the nations, because it controls population growth. According to Gertler, Paul and Molyneaux, “Population control is a key element in a country’s ability to maintain and improve its economic and social welfare.”(Gertler, Paul, and Molyneaux) If a country’s population exceeds its economy, the people of that country suffer. Many countries, especially those which are underdeveloped, are exploring several methods to control their population growth. Their goal is sustainable population growth and a healthy economy.