The dictionary defines self-empowerment to mean an individual who is in control of his or her life and views the trials they face in life in a positive way. It is also about building self-esteem and confidence. With the right kind of motivation, a person can be empowered to have a happier life as they move through the transitions of aging. To be truly self-empowered means that you have the ability inside yourself to know what is really best for you. Therefore, your actions reflect the power of your own strength that you take from making your own decisions. If one is empowered, it is the same as having a clear vision of where to go and how to get there. This knowledge also implies self-belief, self-trust and self-leadership. As unique as we are throughout our lifetimes, we are just as unique in how we age. Some people age with minimal aches and pains, fully conscious mentally and engaging in life to their last breath. For others, aging is not so easy a task. Individuals that are challenged throughout the aging process sometimes forget who they once were due the loss of control they feel when making their own daily decisions. Continued research in the field of self-empowerment might then be focused on how we can teach continued empowerment to all individuals, no matter what stage of their life they are experiencing, in order to lead happier and more fulfilling lives as they move through this final, and hopefully best part of their lives.
In his article entitled, The Centenarian, author Henry J. Aaron notes that by the middle of this century, there will be more than one-million people living in the United States who are over 100 years-of-age. In 1960, there were one-million 85 year-olds. At the beginning of the twentieth-cen...
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Several studies also asserted that loneliness is correlated with aging itself (Tijhuis et al, 1999; Victor et al, 2000) and that there was a gradual increase in loneliness up to the age of 90 (Holmen, 1992). This increasing trend can be attributed to interactions with other factors due to additive nature of risk factors for loneliness and social isolation (Victor et al, 2000).
Stuart, G. L., Moore, T. M., Elkins, S. R., O’Farrell, T. J., Temple, J. R., Ramsey, S. E.,
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
Ornstein, R., Rosen, D., Mammel, K., Callahan, S., Forman, S., Jay, M., Fisher, M., Rome, E., &
...s by being role models of self-empowerment.” (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014, p. 520) There are many constraints and issues which can affect the empowerment process. As nurses, we must address the “social, political, and environmental factors affecting empowerment” in order to provide the highest quality of nursing care. It is important to remember that “empowerment is an essential part of nursing care.” (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014, p. 521)
These two theories are mainly concerned with the social aspects of aging.They both incorporate the importance of social context and individual variation. Attention is given to the contextual environment thus involving social aspects such as relationships with others and the impact of social trends such as cohabitation.
Empowerment is the feeling of control, the ability to make our own decisions, the confidence to achieve autonomy and well-being.
Older adults are a very knowledgeable population and have had a lot of life experiences. As people age, things start to change physically, mentally, and socially. It’s important to understand the process of aging, so that older adults can be taken care of properly. I interviewed P.R. who is a 71-year-old male that lives alone in his home. P.R. is a retired coal miner, and is currently living off his social security and savings. He lives close to both his daughter and son, who frequently help him out with things that are needed. P.R. was able to give me a lot of insight about specific challenges that he has experienced in his life that is associated with aging. I will be discussing challenges that P.R experienced physically, mentally,
Pichert, J. W., Moore, I. N., Catron, T. F., Ross, J. C., Westlake, M. W., Karrass, J.,
There are many ideas about what it means to be a senior adult based on both fact and assumption. Entering the older adult stage of life affects individuals in ways that cover every aspect of life psycho-socially, emotionally, and physiologically, and it is valuable to be aware of these effects before entering into a group counseling setting.
Therefore, for nurses to see themselves as empowered, they must be free of oppressive leadership, work in a structurally empowering environment, as well as, believe they are capable of providing patient care independently (Rao, 2012, p. 400).