Emerging Issues in Social Gentrology

There are so many issues that come along with aging. Our bodies change, our minds change, our feelings change, we can't do things we used to be able to and we can do things we've never been able to at the same time. Besides physical changes, we deal with personality changes, changes to our sex drive, our appetite, our mental state. Aging is a process where change is rampant.
There are several different issues that come along with aging, besides just our own selves and how it's affecting us. When a person gets older, their family becomes more responsible for them and their well-being. It's sometimes a really hard burden for these families to carry, and sometimes they cannot (or will not) carry them. The first big issue with aging that I will discuss is this...how it affects families.
We tend to love and care for our families but we also tend to be selfish. Many people are not physically or mentally capable of taking care of their families. Those are acceptable reasons to not do so, however, I believe that family should be the main form of support for each other, so the issue that many families choose not to take in or help their elders is upsetting. We need to get people more informed and involved in caregiving techniques so that we're able to better understand the needs of our elderly population, both on a personal level and a not-so-personal level.
The second issue I believe needs to be addressed is the issue of elder abuse within institutions. This is an ever-growing problem, and too often it goes unnoticed. Older people need special care and special attention, especially those with illnesses or diseases. The people who work in these areas are supposed to be trained to help the elderly adjust to their new lifestyle. Often times these elderly people just get taken advantage of and abused rather than being made comfortable. I believe that in order to reduce the amount of elder abuse in the world, we need to keep a closer eye on the people we allow to care for our families. Whether this means more visits to ensure safety, looking into a facility in great depth before allowing a family member to enter it, or just keeping our families at home with us to be safe, something needs to be done.
And finally, we need to take a bigger look at what's going to happen to the world when a good percentage of the population has become elderly. I read articles that stated that by the year 2050, over 30% of our population is going to be elderly. That's nearly one-third of the population, yet we do not have enough resources to care for them, or to really even understand their needs. I feel that we need to start looking at ways to make their lives easier, because someday it is going to be each and every one of us personally in that position...

**Source for information: Hooyman, Nancy R. & H. Asuman Kiyak. 2011. Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, 9th Edition. Chapters 4, 6, 7 & 10.

Chapter 10: Opportunities and Stresses of Caregiving

The link below goes to an article that I found online about how to introduce the idea of care giving to your parents or other elderly people you may be caring for. It gives you tips and ideas on how to break the ice and talk about the topic without frustrations or accusations.

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/caregiving-insights/starting-points


**Source: http://agingabundantly.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/caregiver-1.jpg

The following video demonstrates and informs you of the different types of care-giving there is available, as well as giving you a few more ideas about how to start the conversation with a family member...


**Source: youtube.com


HELPFUL WEBSITES!

The website below is an awesome resource for caregivers and people interested in learning more about care giving. It has tons of statistics, FAQs, and general information about care giving.

http://www.caregiving.org

The second website that I found is similar to the first, but it focuses only on family care giving and techniques. It's very informative!

www.familycaregiving101.org

"You’re happiest while you’re making the greatest contribution."
-Robert F. Kennedy
**Source: http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/happiness.html

I chose the chapter on care giving for my blog because it’s always been something that’s interested me. I’ve often wondered what will happen when my parents need help being taken care of, as well as what will happen once I’m in that same position. This chapter was very informative for me, I learned a lot about different types of institutions and facilities that are out there to help care for the elderly, as well as the benefits and disadvantages of taking care of your family in your own home as opposed to entering them into a facility.

The information I found on this topic was very helpful and informative. I learned a lot about the risks of putting an elderly person into a care giving facility, and how to identify the signs of elder abuse. I definitely feel like this chapter had something important to offer me, as well as anyone else who is interested in the different types of care giving available out there.

Here's this sections' wordsearch! Have fun!

R D V F Q S D I O A I E R Z Y G J E B W S I Z

X D O U N F D U L R R U E T B C F D Q L Z O S

L R F N T Q F F I L N X V M V N T M D Y W F Z

I H H H C C I Z F A N D I Q R U C A A G C Q R

V H X A W Q A D E O E W G L K R S U B A S F K

I B D O W I I A S Q D O E L G S B F Y N R E F

N S I D T P X G P I R Q R W O I Q V W Q E C Q

G H U E Y H Y I A I U X A S O N G H B M X N N

A T A F A V A W N V B E C R W G X H O V B E F

L C O B N C O L R I E G K L E H X T C R A D A

O Y Y C F R B K E L V F A W Q O W Q G E I N N

N D D T W J W O S X I O D G R M Q O A A Z E Q

E R F I E V O L P Q T E S N T E S M C T I P L

H V H J A U J O I W C P U Z G U E U D F L E E

E L D E R M I S T R E A T M E N T G H Z P D S

J B K S O H I N E W J C S O E W V O A P A N I

J D G L W F M W E C B B H L E P Y K K G X I Q

W Z B R Y L I M A F O G J X E T J N Q P M Y M

B U R M Q W N Z O I O Y V Y W V T N T R U F L

V E A N R D Y P R K P X C T X K W H C P B X F

V P D I D B X E C S D I P J P C A L F S N U A

S E C I V R E S E V I T C E T O R P T L U D A

G Y S M V S D Y X X T G Q B U W Q G I W N X T

Adult Protective Services	Lifespan Respite
Caregiver	Living Alone
Elder Mistreatment	Love
Family	Nursing Home
Independence	Objective Burden

**Word-search created by puzzle-maker.com

Chapter 7: Love, Intimacy, and Sexuality in Old Age

I have a link below that leads to an article about sexuality in old age. This article goes over a lot of the stereotypes and general myths that go along with how people view sex as they get older...

http://www.kellykite.com/32/sexuality-in-old-age.html



**Source: http://torontoist.com/attachments/Jaime%20Woo/2008_05_27_3.jpg

The following video talks about the fact that even old people do have sex, and there's no shame in that!


**Source: youtube.com

HELPFUL WEBSITES!

The website below gives great advice on how to deal with the changes that go along with getting older (the ones that happen to our bodies and minds,) ESPECIALLY when it comes to sex.

http://www.suddenlysenior.com

The next website deals with love and aging in a little bit of a different light: how to continue to love and care for aging parents or other family members, especially when their partner is recently deceased. This website is helpful because many people die a little themselves when their significant other passes on, and it could be helpful to know a little about how to help cope.

http://www.aginglove.com


“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars. Translated from French by Lewis Galantière
**Source: http://thinkexist.com/quotation/life_has_taught_us_that_love_does_not_consist_in/174000.html



I chose to use this chapter as part of my blog because it’s a topic that has always kind of fascinated me. When I think of aging adults, I do not think “continued sex life”. I, like many other people out there, just assumed that once you hit a certain age, you don’t have sex anymore. This is most certainly not the case. While it may be unhealthy at some point for some aging adults to have sex due to heart or medical conditions, many older adults do continue to have sex well into their 80s.

The information I was able to find on this topic is very informative and interesting. As adults get older, they tend to look at things with a different perspective, including sex. Many adults care far more about intimacy and closeness than just the idea of sex, though. Therefore, it almost gives sex a whole new meaning.

Here's a word-search with concepts from the chapter. Good luck and have fun!

Z M H J Y L S X H V F Y L C M C V A J A W

Y D U T S L A N I D U T I G N O L E K U D

B L W E K D I K C O P O O P G P K X R E J

S M B K D D Y Z Z X E H O E Y X Z E Y U E

Q M I V J O D M P H G V E Z I K F U A V W

P M Y R P M H X I L E C Q P E R S Y O E D

A F V Z N E W M Z N N X X Y A U F L U L N

K R Y H K K R I M E T U U C Q C X Z M P U

M I P D X L L I T J F I T G W E B H G U I

I E X J W U V O M S V O M E T Y D Y F L S

Y N L H I A P X M E R G X A V B W S H O W

F D D U O M L S K Y N P S F C H M T S O I

Q S F G I G B O P K S O O T H Y X E G M J

B H L O O F P E Q D R F P C W J Z R B N W

I I I T O Y R Y C G L L P A Z X N E X T K

H P W J S I K T W K U X D X U X W C D X Q

T E S T O S T E R O N E J D J S D T D O X

N I P D X Z X B N W O R D L S K E O A T E

Q Y Q Y U N U X W J Y J D W D L E M Z R S

Y R F T C X F E D H S H B O A G T Y R A S

G X C G U J I W Y C R Z U Z Y J O D Y C Q

Duke Longitudinal Study	Love
Friendship	Perimenopause
Hysterectomy	Refractory period
Impotence	Sex
Intimacy	Testosterone

**Word-search created by puzzle-maker.com

Chapter 4: Managing Chronic Diseases and Promoting Well-Being in Old Age

Below is the link to a great article that gives the elderly different (yet mellow) ways to stay physically active. In addition to these tips, it includes tips on eating healthier, and ways to go about that if you can't necessarily afford it.

http://www.seattle.gov/humanservices/seniorsdisabled/aginginitiatives.htm

**Source: http://www.glasbergen.com/wp-content/gallery/getting-older/age-39.gif

The video below gives great advice on how to promote well-being as we grow older.

**Source: youtube.com


HELPFUL WEBSITES!

The website listed below has a list of all of the chronic diseases that are out there, and ways to cope with them, as well as ways to treat the ones that are treatable. It is not ONLY directed at the elderly population, but it's still very interesting and helpful!

http://cmcd.sph.umich.edu/


The next website is one dedicated specifically to arthritis. This comes in handy for the elderly population because arthritis is the most common chronic condition among people age 65 and up. This website goes over symptoms, treatments, ways to cope and make it less intense, etc.

http://www.orthop.washington.edu/PatientCare/OurServices/Arthritis/Articles/ManagingArthritisPain.aspx

"There are three signs of old age. The first is your loss of memory; the
other two I forget."   Unknown

**Source: http://seniors.tcnet.org/quotes_age.htm

There are a few different reasons I chose this chapter to be part of my blog. The first and main reason is the simple fact that I will be getting old some day, and I'd really like to have some tips on how to "age well". I know there's not really a way to do it right, however, I'd like to not be super unhealthy when I get older and this chapter does a good job of giving information on how to promote healthy lifestyles in the elderly population.

Another reason that I chose to use this chapter is simply because it's interesting and it relates to my life now. Where I work, we have many elderly customers coming in, and many of them are ill in one way or another. This chapter is meant to help us be able to promote healthful lifestyles, but it is also meant to help us understand the different types of illnesses and diseases that one can encounter as they age. This chapter helped me understand better some of these illnesses, and I can now relate to my customers' experiences, as well as better understand some of the special requests they may have (i.e. using a Styrofoam cup rather than a regular coffee cup because it's too heavy to hold and it makes their arthritis act up...)

Here's a wordsearch with several different concepts from the chapter. See if you can find them all!


E F I L F O Y T I L A U Q W V

A V K R V X N G N W H V J O X

R S C G M A B R S E N C U G O

T F H E A R T D I S E A S E O

H V V Z J E X M G D Q X Y B U

R Z P C T G Y O I B X N P M F

I P F U A I S E N I K O P Y H

T Z Y D E M E N T I A U R M E

I C E C N E N I T N O C N I R

S U W I N K J S F A G I N G I

J F J Y B G H G H M R E O G D

W A C U T E C O N D I T I O N

N O I S N E T R E P Y H J N E

X N I R U B P U D P Q E X Z E

W I I E P B S Y H T L A E H J

acute condition	heart disease
aging	hypertension
arthritis	hypokinesia
dementia	incontinence
healthy	quality of life

**Word-search created by puzzle-maker.com

Chapter 6: Personality and Mental Health in Old Age

Below is the link to an article that deals with how a persons' mental health can deteriorate as they get older. It talks about the importance of staying positive as a key factor of staying happy as you age.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2284402/pdf/brmedj03944-0039a.pdf"



**Source: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTE6KD69sxFZ2PABhhaaeQOgYn9zt7wFAQd03jRxTUpXu_b-Jd1-w


This is a great video that talks about the depression that many people experience when they enter a nursing home...


**Source: youtube.com


HELPFUL WEBSITES!

The website below is a great resource for staying healthy (both mentally and physically...) as you age. Not only does it go over tips for exercising and eating right as well as staying positive, but it also gives you advice on how to deal with the changes (mental, physical, emotional,) you go through as you age.

http://www.after50health.com

The following website is also a great resource for our elderly population to gain knowledge about almost any sort of information you'd want to know about aging. It's got health tips, e-mail updates for different types of medications and newsletters, as well as an archive for every single disease out there that is related to aging.

http://www.aginginplace.org

“Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.” –Confucius
**Source: http://www.likeablequotes.com/age/old-age-believe-me-is-62.html


I chose to use the chapter from the book on personality and mental health in old age because it’s something I find interesting. One of the things that I find the most interesting throughout this chapter is the fact that depression runs rampant throughout older people. I know many young people who suffer from depression, but I used to think that as you get older, that changes and you become more satisfied with life. While this can be true, it is also completely incorrect for many individuals.
The supporting materials that I provided on this portion of the blog will show you that depression really is something that doesn’t have an age limit. On the contrary, neither does a positive attitude. Those elderly people who keep themselves active and surrounded by people they love tend to have a more positive outlook on aging, which is definitely helpful in the process of getting older. Our bodies change a lot as we age, and it’s tough to deal with those changes sometimes. However, if you stay positive, chances are you’ll learn to love and accept this process along with all of the others that you’ve already embraced. This fact was one that I found very interesting about how we work as humans.


Below is a word-search puzzle with some concepts from this chapter. Good luck finding all of the hidden words!

U U A C R Q C Q I F H H B J M W Z Q

S N U J I H O Y E I L W P V E N O G

T I N R N E G J A S D R C W N J D O

I P P I S A N F Z B P U L B T L G P

A O I C M N I K N Y R C O C A T N R

R L Z G E Z T D I S E V W R L P U J

T A W O L U I E G K I Q H S H E J N

Y R O W R Y V M E E Z E A R E C L S

T D Z I H R E E B C U V X E A N R N

I E C E G O A N R U U K W M L O A E

L P R V H E P T H C M X H I T C C G

A R T U R H P I O Y Z D F E H R Z P

N E D A R T R A M U P K T H Z F L A

O S A X L E A I N R F Q G Z U L Z F

S S U O B G I W E I G M N L W E I J

R I O P K A S U T Y X X R A S S R I

E O I M T T A X T T Z V Z M G U U B

P N J Z F S L O N O I S S E R P E D

Alzheimers	Mental Health
Carl Jung	Personality Traits
Cognitive Appraisal	Self-concept
Dementia	Stage Theory
Depression	Unipolar Depression

**Word-search created by puzzle-maker.com