America’s view of aging is of quintessential of successful aging. As discussed in class, successful aging is setting goals of attaining youthfulness. (Aldwin & Gilmer) The younger one looks and, more importantly feels, the better one is aging. Aldwin and Gilmer state there is only one way to age successfully and it must be without illness. Maintaining peak performance across mental, cognitive, physical, and emotional health and wellbeing encompasses a holistic approach to caring for ones-self with age. Not allowing for chronic illness or age related limiting factors, successful aging requires peak performance. Actively participating in giving back to the community in which one lives is a vital component to theories of successful aging. Theories …show more content…
Wisdom is the act of gaining knowledge and knowing how and when to use it. Acquired with experience it is generally associated with aged people. Aldwin and Gilmer discuss the fact of wisdom generated into the ideas of aging. According to them, wisdom is included in the optimal aging theory, but not even considered with successful aging. Typically the word wisdom brings images of older people to mind. Because it is so closely related to age, it needs to be integrated into a way we discuss how well we are aging as an individual. As previously discussed diversity is also present in optimal aging, but not in successful aging. Diversity allows each person to be who they are and to decide if they are aging well, even when living with limitations. Successful aging would state individuals with limitations, such as chronic diseases or age related changes affecting everyday life are no longer considered to be successfully …show more content…
For me, to be able to take care of myself with minimal assistance into old age is optimal aging. However it is important to note, this may change as I get older, gaining more experience. Eating a healthy diet and preventing diseases and feeling good due to proper nutrition will be key to aging well. Obtaining my degree and working my dream job are all essential to gain life experience. I would love to make it to retirement so I can spend more time with family and volunteer to give back to the community. Being able to do all the activities and travel I love to do now, will still be very important to me as I get older. Most importantly, learning to keep a positive attitude for any illness or hurdles I do face will be vital.
The attitude or mind set of aging can influence how well one ages. With a poor mind set people tend to not care for themselves as well, simply because they do not care. When you have a positive outlook, even through tough times, you try to care for your well-being. Optimal aging is about how well you rate your aging process and prevention of diseases. Having a good outlook on life will let you perceive a higher quality of aging. With a good attitude you are more likely to take care of yourself by eating healthy, exercising, and visiting the
old age, is a risk or a benefit, and what is the true purpose of
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...
Takamura, J.C. (1999). Getting ready for the 21st Century: The aging of America and the older
An interview was arranged with an older adult to discuss issues related to aging. The interview was designed to gain appreciation and understanding of an older adult. One theory of aging came into mind when I thought about this topic. Erik Erikson Life-Course and Personality Development theory, “Erikson described the task of old age as balancing the search for integrity and wholeness with a sense of despair.” NS is the older adult that I conducted the interview with. I’ve decided to pick NS to interview because she is very positive about life and her age. Everything that I have come across about aging is negative such as depression, isolation, and illness.
Becoming older is a natural progression of life. Late adulthood is the period of life in every individual that follows the period of his or her life after he/she turns 60 years of age. Being active, eating healthy foods and handling stress have been shown to greatly improve the quality of life for senior citizens.
With healthcare in the United States advancing so rapidly, there are new ways to treat just about any kind of illness every day. With being able to treat illnesses in new ways, and also the advancement of medical equipment, comes the possibility of a lot more people living up into their 90’s, and maybe even getting to reach 100. The aging population, which keeps growing every so rapidly, will be using up a lot more sources as the years go by. This means, that we need to educate more doctors and nurses, etc., and also make more living facilities for older adults. The question that comes up in my mind, is when is “old” actually”. Most people stereotypically consider ages 75 and older old, but that doesn’t mean they are actually “old”, does it?
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
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
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 conclusion, there are several benefits to thinking about ageing as a lifelong process, and not just as something which affects older people. Combating ageism at any age, celebrating the diversity amongst our ageing population, and the importance of having a healthier lifestyle in the present to prepare our bodies for the challenges posed by ageing are all valid strengths to this reasoning. It is also important to be able to relate these benefits in terms to your own experiences as this knowledge gives you a greater empathy with
Studies about aging are relevant in today’s society because the aging process happens to everybody. Humans want to enjoy life with their family and friends and many look forward to their retirement so they can enjoy their time doing leisurely activities. Research on trying to find a cure for different cancers and slowing down the aging process is important if humans want to live a longer and more enjoyable life. By eating foods with antioxidants, exercising on a daily basis, challenging oneself with memory and critical thinking activities, avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, managing stress, and by surrounding oneself with a good support system can all contribute to a longer and happier lifespan.
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.
Ageing is a continuing life cycle, it is an ongoing developmental event that brings certain changes in one’s own psychological and physical state. It is a time in one's own life where an elderly individual reminisce and reflect, to bask and live on previous accomplishments and begin to finish his life cycle. There is a significant amount of adjusting that requires an elderly individual to be flexible and develop new coping skills to adapt in the changes that are common in their new life. (Dhara & Jogsan, 2013).
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.
The abstract nature of the word wisdom allows for broad interpretation of its context. To limit the vagueness of the definition, many interpret wisdom as the accumulation of knowledge. In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena was known for her wisdom. Additionally, the personification of animals as possessing wisdom also heavily influenced Greek lore. Owls, for example, are synonymous with wisdom; likewise, foxes, with their cunning nature and ability to outsmart their prey, are considered insightful animals. Age plays a prominent part in the accumulation of learning. In many societies the elderly receive top status as preservers of both culture and knowled...