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.
Ron is my father-in-law; he is seventy-seven years young and lives in Smallville with his wife. They live independently in a sprawling 4,500 foot custom built cape style home. Ron was the oldest of three siblings and was raised in a farming town by his father who was a disabled war veteran in poor health and a feisty Italian mother. Ron had the opportunity to complete high school and receive the gift of learning to work with his hands as a master finish carpenter. He worked on many farms as a young boy during the summers of high school to help support his family; he is no stranger to working very ...
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... a better understanding of what everyone needs especially the elders over the age of 65 living in the United States. As a nation we know it is time for reform, we will get involved and make our opinions count and cry out for access and affordable health care for all.
References
Chait, Jonathan. (April, 1999). Countdown to Reform: The Great Social Security Debate. Washington Monthly. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_4_31/ai_54367642/print
Marshall, Will and Martin Schram. (1993) , Mandate for Change. New York: Berkley Books.
Reynolds, Sean.(2004). Privatization of Social Security. National Parliamentary Debate Workshop. Retrieved from http://www.willamette.edu/cla/rhetoric/workshop/DebateResearch/shaunreed.doc
Spitzer-Resnick, Jeffrey.(1987), Your Real Medicare Handbook. Madison, Wisconsin: Center for Public Representation.
The Canadian population is graying at a steady pace, adding thousands of seniors above the age of 65 in the population charts year after year. This segment of the population needs special attention due to its social, emotional, health, and dwelling needs. Continued growth in the size of aging population is putting pressure on the economy, health care system, and living space for seniors. Planners and policy makers need to pay immediate attention to the issue as it is going to affect all Canadians in the years to come.
In recent years, the number of Americans who are uninsured has reached over 45 million citizens, with millions more who only have the very basic of insurance, effectively under insured. With the growing budget cuts to medicaid and the decreasing amount of employers cutting back on their health insurance options, more and more americans are put into positions with poor health care or no access to it at all. At the heart of the issue stems two roots, one concerning the morality of universal health care and the other concerning the economic effects. Many believe that health care reform at a national level is impossible or impractical, and so for too long now our citizens have stood by as our flawed health-care system has transformed into an unfixable mess. The good that universal healthcare would bring to our nation far outweighs the bad, however, so, sooner rather than later, it is important for us to strive towards a society where all people have access to healthcare.
22. Kennith Davis, "The Birth of Social Security," in Visions of America's Past, ed. William Bryans et al. (Plymouth: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2011), 327.
"Social Security Should Be Run by the Government" by Institute for America's Future.Capitalism. Noël Merino, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2010. Institute for America's Future, The Perils of Privatization: Social Security Privatization Cuts Lifetime Benefits; Makes Senior Citizens Vulnerable to Poverty: The Impact in the United States. Washington, D.C.: Institute for America's Future, 2008. Reproduced by permission. .
In the early 1940’s Marie was born into a small tight knit family living in a small rural Kentucky town. Marie is now in her seventies and has led a very interesting life traveling the country, raising four children, and shaping her chosen profession. Our interview sessions were conducted over a period of time, as Marie is very active and has little “free time” to spare.
Mrs. Maxine represents my archetypal view of the healthy "seasoned citizen." Maxine is a Caucasian female born in rural, Mullens, West Virginia in 1926. She is the only child of a Southern Baptist, "middle class" family. Joseph Hammond, her father, was a farmer. Her mother, Ruby, was a "full-time parent" and prided herself on "running the house." Maxine explained that farmers wife's were routinely responsible for the day-to-day operations of the household. Her Southern Baptist faith was complements of her parents and minister grandfather.
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,
As the population of the United States ages and lifespan increases, the U.S. is being faced with challenges that could either hurt the country or benefit it if plans are executed correctly. By the year 2050, more than thirty-two million Americans will be over the age eighty and the share of the 80-plus generation will have doubled to 7.4 percent. Health care and aging population has become a great deal considering the impact it is having on the U.S. The United States is heading into another century with an outstanding percentage of people within the aging population. Today’s challenges involving health care and the aging populations are the employees of health professions being a major percentage of the aging population, the drive into debt, and prevention and postponement of disease and disability.
Within the health care arena there is a growing concern about the needs of the elderly.
Aging and being old was dominated by negative characteristics and conditions such as illness, depression, and isolation for a long time (Eibach, Mock, & Courtney, 2010). At first glance the terms “success” and “aging” seem to be in conflict to each other. When asking people about aging, their answers have many facets that are also found in psychological definitions: successful aging is seen as health, maturity and personal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generativity, coping, and acceptance of age-related limitations. In the psychological sense successful aging is also often seen as the absence of age-associated characteristics (Strawbridge, Wallhagen, & Cohen, 2002). It seems that successful aging means is not aging.
...er as they dread the aftermath of joining the care centers more so when they consider autonomy. Nonetheless, with changing times and administration of the checkpoints above, the feeling and approach of geriatrics is bound to change and individuals will henceforth look forward to old age.
This psychosocial theory is one of the main reasons why ‘changing the way America ages’ is what American Senior Assistances Programs is all about. Many elders want to look back on their life and enjoy what they have done. However, not everyone is as fortunate to grow old and healthy. This could mean that many elders begin to see signs in decreasing health and become incompetent. Therefore, caregivers, care managers, or even guardians have to be appointed in order to take care of the elders
The lifespan stage I would find most difficult to work with in a health and human services setting would be older adulthood. Older adults have been born and developed within a different generation which means it can be hard for someone like me to connect with their beliefs, language and culture. Older adults often have a lot of experience which can be intimidating. Their levels of experience could then lead to them not valuing my opinion and service that I am providing. Most times that I talk to older adults I am listening as I attempt to absorb as much of their wealth of knowledge on life that I can. Older people often have stereotypes of being ‘the angry old man’ or ‘the angry old woman’ who continues to be angry no matter the situation. Older people are often vulnerable to memory loss but also behaviour changes which could impact my
The results of this project were derived from a series of interviews and surveys that were distributed among selected local health care institutions such as Assisted Livings, Nursing homes as well as group homes. Reports were also gathered from online sources such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration site. As America's population ages, the need for mental and behavioral health services continues to increase. Public Health professionals are playing a critical role in addressing this situation and part of this is to determine any correlation with lifestyle or socio-economic background.17 Psychologists are studying and treating the mental and behavioral problems associated with growing old, such as loss of spouse, loss
The phases that elderly people go through in their life leave them exposed to physical and emotional vulnerability. The elderly face many challenges in day to day life, from physical and emotional difficulties to stereotypes propagated in the media. In the face of such stereotypes, the elderly population often behaves in a way expected of them. The elderly are forced to devise methods to cope with these challenges if they are to fulfil the last stage of their life journey in a positive manner. Either by putting a positive spin on situations or by receiving support of family and healthcare professionals, the elderly must learn to live with the unique challenges that face them at this critical stage of their life.