Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Aging population introduction
Aging population introduction
What are the problems of senior citizens
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Aging population introduction
Beverly Sills, a well-known singer once said, “In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us.” (qtd. in Brainy Quote). This statement is relevant to the situation most elderly people in United States face today. With the increase in elderly population, people in the age group of sixty-five and older face problems that sometimes make life miserable for them. In the United States, some elderly people deal with problems in nursing homes, with retirement funds, and with medical bills due to insurance.
One problem that affects the elderly population is complications due to violations in nursing homes. Nursing homes are care facilities that help sick elderly. The majority of people in the United States sixty-five and
…show more content…
For example, the structure of nursing home buildings can cause problems, specifically during extreme weather. If water from rainstorms seeps through the exterior of nursing homes, mold and fungus could sprout and cause allergic reactions from home residents (Avery). Another violation, though not on inspection sheets, is the restrictions of rights. Reports have been made of people not being able to practice religion freely. Also, the recreational schedules of elderly living in nursing homes are limited. Residents of nursing homes have complained about not being able to choose the time and type of recreational activities and say freedom is rare in their lives …show more content…
Many elderly live on a retirement fund, which means they receive the same amount of money each month. This is a result of retiring when the only source of income a person has is Social Security, a program set up by the government to help support the retired. During their working years, people set aside money in a government fund to use later in life. The money set aside for each month may not be enough to support a person (Yager 231, 240; Poo 179). Supplemental Security Income, another government fund, provides some help to people who earn 8,600 dollars a year or less, but this help is usually not substantial enough to get out of poverty (Yager 99-100). Therefore, poverty is very probable for older
Aging and old age for a long time presented as dominated by negative traits and states such as sickness, depression and isolation. The aging process is not simply senescence most people over the age of 65 are not Senile, bedridden, isolated, or suicidal (Aldwin & Levenson, 1994). This change in perspective led the investigation of the other side of the coin. Ageing is seen as health, maturity and personal Royal growth, self-acceptance, happiness, generatively, coping and acceptance of age-related constraints (Birren & Fisher, 1995). Psychological und...
Many people confuse nursing homes with assisted living facilities, but there are several important differences between them. There is a very thin border, which separates the nursing homes from the assisted living facilities. The primary purpose of both of them is to provide medical care and assistance to the residents. However, there is a difference in the level of care provided in each of them, their eligibility criteria, privacy provided, their cost of living, amenities, social activities, and the coverage by the insurance.
Upon growing older there are many decisions to be made. Among one of the most difficult and perhaps most important decisions is where the elder person will live and how long-term care needs will be met when he/she is no longer capable of doing so independently due to the incapacity that accompanies many with old age. Nursing homes seem to be the popular choice for people no matter the race, gender, or socioeconomic status with 1.5 million Americans being admitted to them yearly.[3] Because nursing homes are in such a high demand and are not cheap, $77.9 billion was spent for nursing home care in the United States in 2010 alone, they are under criticism of many professions including the legal profession, which is in the process of establishing elder law as a defense to issues with in the elder community. Nursing homes have a duty to provide many things to the elderly including medical, social, pharmaceutical, and dietary services so that the individual may maintain the highest well-being possible.[4] Stated another way 'a nursing facility must care for its residents in such a manner and in such an environment as will promote maintenance or enhancement of the q...
We all know someone who has been placed in a health care setting such as a rest home or hospital because their needed care is out of their families own ability; whether it’s our own grandma or the neighbor’s great aunt. Many people in this day and age are getting care from health care workers on a daily basis and need constant watch and care. Many of those in the older population are put into rest homes where they can spend the rest of their lives in comfort, while others are placed in hospitals to recover from a stroke or a mental illness. At times, many patients become abusive or unresponsive by choice or not. Because of this abuse and also less control over thoughts and feeling restraints are used to keep them safe. Many believe that last statement; that they are completely safe. With my knowledge, the use of physical and chemical restraints in geriatric health care settings, such as rest homes, should be lessened because they cause injury, require patients to need more care and they take away necessary freedoms.
Many seniors are sitting on more money than they need while family members no longer living with them are destitute or have financial problems.
No one ever expects to live out his or her later years in life in a nursing home. When people are young they may not realize the obstacles in life that may cause them not to have a place or person to spend their older years in life with. Regrettably, many of the elderly are not treated with the care and respect they deserve. “Poor quality of care is endemic in many nursing homes” (Fernandez, 2011). It is the responsibility of the younger generation to make sure that the elderly are taken care of and that neglect does not happen. Nursing homes have too many patients and not enough care-givers compared to home care that has familiar one on one care. Home-based
They also develop painful and life-threatening decubitus ulcers, and if they are not fed properly, they’re not given sufficient fluids. They are also over-medicated or under-medicated, and dropped causing painful bruises and fractures, are ignored and not included in activities, are left in bed all day, call lights not answered. These are all forms of negligence, performed daily in nursing homes. Nursing homes who receive federal funds are required to comply with federal laws that specify that residents receive a high quality of care. In 1987, Congress responded to reports of widespread neglect and abuse in nursing homes during the 1980’s, which enacted legislation to reform nursing home regulations and require nursing homes participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs to comply with certain requirements for quality of care.
The thought of aging is not void of hesitance given it produces questions deprived of answers in the absence of a crystal ball. Subsequently, aging parallels the unknown; thus, faced with uncertainty adopting a positive perspective remains elusive. Although, it’s preferred to view aging optimistically one cannot escape its negative connotations. Will I be an active agent or isolated burden remains a noteworthy unknown that enervates my optimism. Another consideration leading to my vacillating view on aging is, not knowing to what degree personal competencies and capacities will carry forward, thereby affording autonomy in the elder years. However, as research suggest, the aging process transforms healthy adults into frail ones; thus, dashing one’s hope that such traits will endure (Friis, 2010). Incidentally, at age 48, these lingering questions will soon be answered. In the interim, there is an inherent responsibility to prepare physically, psychologically, and financially for entry into the aging population. Ideally, the goal is to
Taking care of the individuals that are getting older takes many different needs. Most of these needs cannot be given from the help of a family. This causes the need of having to put your love one into a home and causing for the worry of how they will be treated. It is important for the family and also the soon to be client to feel at home in their new environment. This has been an issue with the care being provided for each individual, which has lead to the need of making sure individuals have their own health care plan.
With the aging population growing faster every year many families must make a difficult decision whether their loved ones should live in assisted living or nursing home facilities. I can relate because I made the decision to care for my mother at my home. Some people do not have the money or resources to care for their parent so they must live in a facility for health and safety reasons.
Consequently, there are abuses constantly occurring in assisted living facilities. Since abuse occurs throughout assisted living facilities, state and federal governments should establish regulations to inspect employees’ criminal record, have surveillance of the areas that do not affect patient privacy and promote family visits. People need to realize that he elderly have emotions like everyone else, they should not be getting mistreated in assisted living facility. Instead they should be getting help and enjoying the life they have until it is time for them to go. If these people are constantly abusing elderly’s, the law enforcement should arrest the employees. The employees should get life in prison.
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,
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
Late adulthood should be a time in a person's life where they feel fulfilled. They can look back on their memories and be happy with the way they have lived their life. Now, too many elderly people are not satisfied and look at this stage as depressing. Most fear death of either a loved one or for themselves. This topic is interesting to me because elderly people should make the best of their last stage of life. This topic discusses about getting older, the life changes that they go through physically, emotionally, and mentally. We should know more about it so that we can help our family and friends get through one of the best, yet toughest part of our mortal life.
America is a country where everyone is free to live however they like, but it is possible for some people to live a happy life, if no one is around to take care of them. Nearly three hundred million people reside in the America, and out of those three hundred million populations, senior citizens make a 12 percent of the entire population. A senior citizen is commonly known as a person who is over the age of 65 and living on retirement, or known as social security benefits (Census Bureau). Ever since Franklin D. Roosevelt implied the act of Social Security in 1935, seniors are regularly provided a financial help, but seniors, along with financial help, seeks also accompany of someone who can look after them. Because of constantly growing needs of senior citizens, government as well as many non-profit organizations is working on helping seniors. Therefore I decided to research on this particular issue in my community, and I found that 64.5% of seniors are living alone in metropolitan area of Atlanta.