Category: Aging

Introduction

Most people start complaining about distress and pain when getting older. Trying to recover their health, the elderly consult different doctors and take various pharmaceuticals. Very often they forget the number of the pills they have already taken or decide to take some more if the discomfort does not pass off immediately. In such cases, the problem of polypharmacy occurs.

Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy is defined as the excessive use of unnecessary medications. The research shows that elderly people take more unprescribed medications than prescribed ones. About ¼ of all cases when a person was hospitalized happened because of the overuse of pills. Of course, we got used to the fact that elderly people take more pharmaceuticals than those who are younger, but we cannot live this problem without attention.

There are different reasons for polypharmacy, for example, people may practice self-medicating. It is possible that they experienced side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, and the doctor, considering them to be the symptoms of some other illness, prescribes new ones. Maybe the patient consults many doctors in different hospitals. Or there might be some misunderstanding between the physician and the patient (Pervin, 2008). The appearance of a range of new medicines helps doctors to choose the best option for each client, but it is also a reason why they prescribe more drugs. Herbal therapy becomes more and more common and these medicines can be taken without consultation. It is also possible to take the same pills in different pharmacies (Wooten, Pharm, & Galavis, 2005).

With aging polypharmacy increases the probability of drug interactions and adverse drug reactions, disability and cognitive impairment, falls and fractures, malnutrition, hospitalization and institutionalization, mortality, and rising health care costs (Nobili, Garattini, & Mannucci, 2011).

The problem is likely to be solved when patients consult one and the same physician every time they get to the hospital. With age, some processes in a humans body suffer changes. Medicines are distributed into fat or water, and as the elderly have less water in the body, drugs get into the blood. They damage the kidneys, the liver, and a person starts taking new pills in order to throw off the illness but ruins ones health even more. Some precautions should be made to help the elderly overcome this problem.

Care Management

Geriatric care management provides help for the elderly and their families in various situations. A care manager is a person who works as a nurse, counselor or social worker.

Care managers assist the elderly in their everyday life. To find the most appropriate manager, one needs to understand clearly what is to be improved. They can make an assessment or a plan with recommendations; they can arrange services or check what one needs (McCullough, 2009).

To prevent the repetition of polypharmacy and to reduce its negative influence, care managers should check the quality of communication between the patient and the physician. They are to understand which medicines should be taken by an elderly person and which should not. The notes for monitoring the pills are preferred. Care managers should notice the time when the medicines are taken. Finally, they should try to explain the harmful consequence of polypharmacy.

Conclusion

Taking everything mentioned into account, it can be said that the majority of the elderly faces the problem of polypharmacy. To prevent the serious negative effect, families may refer to the geriatric care manager. This manager will monitor the medicines the elderly person takes and assist him/her in everyday life.

References

McCullough, L. (2009). The case manager: An essential link in quality care. Creative Nursing, 15 (3), 124-126.

Nobili, A., Garattini, S., & Mannucci, P. (2011). Multiple diseases and polypharmacy in the elderly: Challenges for the internist of the third millennium. Journal of Comorbidity, 1 (1), 28-44.

Pervin, L. (2008). Polypharmacy and aging: Is there cause for concern? Gerontol Update, 6 (1), 6.

Wooten, J., Pharm, D., & Galavis, J. (2005). Polypharmacy: Keeping the elderly safe. RN, 68 (8), 45-51.

Individuals in the contemporary world are living much longer and therefore, many of them experience aging and the issues associated with it. The improved living conditions and good health services are the reasons for this. Nevertheless, the aged are facing challenges in society and they need more attention to make life easier. The elderly need support from the young population for them to age with honor; some of them need more care while remaining self-reliant. An interview was conducted to determine the change and challenges that the elderly face as they grow older. An analysis is needed on the aging challenges ranging from health issues, caregiving, retirement, and its preparation.

Lifestyle

From the interview, when the interviewee was asked to explain about the changes that occurred in her adult life regarding leisure, eating habits, working and workout, her response was amazing. She takes that her lifestyle has improved greatly as she got older. She began engaging in swimming daily together with the husband and changed her eating habits by taking in more vitamins so that she stays healthy in her aging process. The response of the interviewee relates to the lessons learned in the course and other studies. The teachings from the course and study reveal that for senior individuals to improve their wellbeing, they must make up their minds to live a healthy lifestyle (Valle et al. 1560). This is done by abandoning harmful habits but instead focus on eating nutritious meals, engaging in simple forms of exercise like going for daily walks and swimming and get enough sleep. The elders are also to find ways of staying happy every day as this promotes a physical outlook and improves both psychological and physical health. All this and many other changes in lifestyle are aimed at ensuring that older adults are healthy and live comfortably. The changes were applied in the life of the interviewee and this guarantees a good elderly life for them.

Health

Aging is associated with changes in health conditions that are common in old age and include arthritis, depression, cataracts, high blood pressure, neck pain, and many others. Individuals have a possibility of experiencing more than one condition at the same time especially when preventive care is not put in place. According to the interviewee, she resolved to take care of herself and the family as she grew older. This is the response she gave when she was asked about changes in her health in terms of having chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, her frequency of seeing the doctor, and whether she had to take medicine. She explains that she with the family kept using natural medicine as a way of mitigating risks of sicknesses and for preventive care. She goes to visit the doctor more often to add up to her preventive care and not as a result of her having any problems, she also reveals to be eating as healthy as possible.

There are some variations in the older individuals that are a result of genetic inheritance but many are due to their environments; both physical and social. These environments have a strong impact on their healthy behaviors; for example, eating habits, engaging in consistent physical exercises, and abstaining from drugs. These habits influenced by the physical and social environment have a direct contribution to ones physical and mental health. Supportive environments allow individuals to engage in what is profitable to them (Caldeira et al. 7). There has to be a commitment to making healthy aging to be a possibility; this can be done through raising awareness on the importance of it and develop actions to articulate policies that support the capabilities of the elderly (Sluggett et al. 26). The health systems also need to be made in such a way that they align with the requirements of older populations to enhance their intrinsic capabilities.

Mental Abilities

The older people get the great change experienced in their mental abilities. In the case of the interviewee, she claims that her mental ability has not experienced many changes. What she experienced in life is her perception about life as it grew more beautiful as a result of her raising her kids to be beautiful humans. However, from the course, some changes occur to mental ability during the aging process. The processing speed of the brain changes in terms of how fast it processes information and offers feedback. The processing speed decreases in adulthood and becomes significantly low when people get older and so they take much time to take in information and then give appropriate answers; some struggle with complex tasks.

The ability to remember also gets affected due to the difficulty of encoding and promptly retrieving information. Older persons also experience a change in concentrating and focusing on a specific thing. They have selective attention whereby they choose to concentrate on specific things even though some other things exist (Schmidt-Hertha et al. 210). They also lose the ability to multitask and instead remain concentrated on a thing for a longer time. They get easily distracted and need more effort to concentrate in busy situations. To prevent some problems with mental abilities, one can take actions that can help in maintaining the functioning of the brain like getting enough sleep and engaging in regular physical activities. It is also important to be cautious while taking medications since some affect brain function. Significant considerations are to be made so that one makes some practical accommodation to the aging brain by giving the elderly more time to contemplate complex decisions and make an effort to avoid busy situations.

Memory and Problem-solving

The interview conducted reveals that there is a relationship between aging, intelligence, and problem-solving. The interviewee was consulted about her thinking on her smartness with age, her memory, and her problem-solving abilities. She said that she got smarter as she grew older, she felt that in life she had beautiful experiences and she has no struggles with daily problems. Her memory is good since she remembers all the beautiful things in her life and has been able to handle problems with precision. Older individuals have been seen serving in high positions in governments, this means that they have good decision-making abilities (Clark et al. 138). Some decisions tend to be easier for them due to their experiences in life; they know a lot of things. They do not think hard about decisions they ever made before since they already know what needs to be done based on experience; they have more skill in making decisions.

The elderly also tend to make sound decisions since they can regulate their emotions since as age advances, emotion regulation improves. When dealing with decision-making, aging is not a disadvantage since it needs experience and emotional competence that advances with age. Successful aging is associated with sustaining the capability to solve daily problems. For this to be possible, an individual needs complex behavior needed for self-governance. Middle-aged adults can practically handle everyday problems; this is evident in the life of the interviewee (Li et al. 6). This is as a result of their experience and crystallized abilities that are important tools in problem-solving.

These two aspects were present in the life of the interviewee that is why she claimed that she did not face any struggles while solving problems even though her kids were hurting due to those very problems. Although individuals tend to lose the ability to remember things, memory delay can happen at any age. The respondent reduced memory loss in her life by maintaining good health habits. She used to do regular exercises, eat healthy food, and use natural medicine. Studies reveal that memory lapse can be prevented by engaging in good overall health habits through healthy eating, working out, and seeking medical advice. Mental functioning can also be increased by continuous learning, taking care of ones health, and making use of the brain only when it is needful.

Support Systems

The respondent was also questioned about the support systems in her family and basic information about the family. She had been married for forty years with three kids who were currently young adults, she had no grandchildren. She meets up with her children regularly at least once a month and she is always excited to see them (Rew et al., 1228). Whenever they meet, the children are always ready to offer help to their mother. She states that she is confident that her kids will give her the best care she would need when she gets older; all the kids will be more than willing to take care of her. When it comes to caregiving, she says it will depend on the living condition to know the most suitable child to live with but all the children will be involved in the care.

Her responses directly relate to the issues learned during the course regarding family support and aging. Many seniors are lonely and they have a sense of being separated from society and families. Adult children invest in their personal lives and they end up forgetting about their parents, yet their parents need support from them. This makes more of them receive services from aging care providers but that cannot replace family support; it is very important. Family support is important, since when seniors can communicate and walk, only family members can understand them. Assistance from family also helps them to feel they are still belonging to the family and this helps in preventing depression. The interviewee states that she is certain of receiving full family support when she gets older. This means that she will retain her sense of belonging and depression will be far from her.

Family members such as the children of the interviewee can offer support in different ways. They can visit their older ones daily and spend time with them, updating them with the latest happenings and news. They can also keep visiting as much as they can and then bring along their children and partners; this helps in making them feel still recognized as a part of ones life. The respondent made good relations with her family and this is key in encouraging future support. Aging can lead to poor relationships in a family, since the older people needing care are largely taken care of by their family (Kendig et al. 18). The more they live the more they impose burdens on their families in terms of physical and financial support. Family disputes arising from who is supposed to give what kind of care to the elderly result in poor relations. When the respondent is disabled, care from her family will make her remain at home, since she will receive full support from her family. Receiving support from family is a matter of how individuals relate in that family and it is the best service that can be given to seniors needing help.

Retirement

One of the key features that determine successful aging is saving up for the future. This means that individuals need to invest in their retirement years to conquer worries about financial life as they become older. The interviewee says that she invested in real estate together with her husband as a means of securing her future and that of her children. Their investment was meant at creating comfort for the kids. She did not worry about her future financial status since she had done a great job in saving. She claims that assisted living will be unnecessary for her since she has children to take care of her. Planning and preparing for retirement is important for everyone expecting to live long. During planning, the focus is on finances and the individual; personal planning dictates the level of satisfaction one will experience during retirement. Individuals need to identify how they would like their retirement to look for them to thoroughly plan (Sahadeo 68). Retirement planning helps an individual to avoid depending on children, serves as a contribution to the family, helps in handling complications like health emergencies, and in fulfilling ones aspirations. Preparing for retirement helps in leading a stress-free life during old age.

Just as in the life of the respondent, there are steps that one has to take to show that they are preparing for retirement. One needs to first determine the investable age, estimate the expenses, make a decision on the asset to invest in and then start investing as early as possible; the money saved for retirement is not to be used at any other thing. The interviewee decided to invest in real estate and that is where her retirement benefits will be coming from. The funds from the retirement will be used to meet her physical and health needs in case they are; this means she will not become a burden to her children.

Government Support

In addition to social security and Medicare support, older people still need support financially from the government. The interviewee feels that the elderly especially those unable to work have to receive support from the government since the two supports are not enough for them. Governments, therefore, have to be responsible and offer long-term financial support to them. The government can develop pension schemes for its citizens and pay for the pension for those who are incapable of working. Government agencies can be actively involved in funding organizations that offer care services for the aged. Governmental institutions provide various payments and support to the elderly community using ordinary programs accessible to the aged. The programs include the following; pension, assisting in paying for rent and disability charges, offering residential services to the aged, and providing medical benefits. The government also can provide public housing for the aged who have no homes and also offer support in terms of giving care both at homes, in the community, and hospitals. The government also can offer support to those providing support by making payments for them and offering them support services.

Governmental institutions can also offer various services including offering financial counseling, supporting consumer organizations, giving retirement assistance to farmers, and making available information relating to government programs. States can also provide welfare and health services for older adults. From this information and that from the respondent, it is clear that the government has a big role to play in offering support to the elderly (Ogura and Mihajlo 335). In as much as older people may be receiving help from other individuals and institutions, that is not enough for them to have a comfortable life. The government, therefore, has to make support for the elderly its responsibility to offer required services.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being Elderly

As one gets older to an age of about fifty years and above, they tend to have the best experiences and worst experiences as a result of their age. As people age, they tend to have physical and emotional changes in their lives. Not everything about growing old is bad; the aging process has both advantages and disadvantages. Physical changes are the initial ones to be seen; wrinkles can develop, bones shrink and become more vulnerable to breakage and the heart slows down. Aging people develop health conditions like hearing loss and this can be prevented by avoiding loud noise. Generally, the experience of aging varies from person to person, to some it is positive and to others it is difficult. The aged may suffer emotionally when they face retirement and lose a spouse or a member of the family and this is the major cause of loneliness and anxiety; these are some of the disadvantages of getting old (Wahl et al. 13). From the interviewee, the worst thing about aging to her is that her children are getting older making them not be kids anymore.

There are also advantages of aging as seen by the elderly in the society. They are the happiest people since they have developed in their perspectives and can cope with different circumstances. They also experience the joy of being grandparents and that it offers them a chance to pursue their dreams. The opportunities of participating in voluntary activities are many, they gain more wisdom during the process and have a guaranteed income especially for those who planned for their retirement. When people grow old, they also attain a sense of accomplishment and gain a positive attitude towards life (Turner et al. 109). The interviewee states that the best thing that happened to her was seeing her kids doing well and growing into mature people.

Aging is an important stage in everyones life and therefore, it needs preparation. People can start by making up investments for the future and then developing positive relationships with family members. As people age, most of them usually need care services from different individuals but help received from the family is the most important one. Children, therefore, need to be there and support their parents when they grow old, this will instill in them a sense of belonging. To know more about what the elderly grow through, one can interview them concerning the same; this helps in offering the best support services.

References

Caldeira, Clara, et al. Senior care for aging in place: balancing assistance and independence. Proceedings of the 2017 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. 2017.

Clark, Robert L., Robert G. Hammond, and Christelle Khalaf. Planning for retirement? The importance of time preferences. Journal of Labor Research Vol 40.2, 2019, pp. 127-150.

Kendig, Hal. Australian developments in ageing: Issues and history. Ageing in Australia. Springer, New York, NY, 2017, pp. 13-27.

Li, Junxin, Michael V. Vitiello, and Nalaka S. Gooneratne. Sleep in normal aging. Sleep medicine clinics Vol 13.1, 2018, pp. 1-11.

Ogura, Seiritsu, and Mihajlo Michael Jakovljevic. Global population aging-health care, social and economic consequences. Frontiers in public health Vol 6, 2018, pp. 335.

Rew, Jehyeok, et al. Skin aging estimation scheme based on lifestyle and dermoscopy image analysis. Applied Sciences Vol 9.6, 2019, pp. 1228.

Sahadeo, Christine. Planning for Retirement. Financial Literacy and Money Script. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018, pp. 67-79.

Schmidt-Hertha, Bernhard, Marvin Formosa, and António Fragoso. Active ageing, social inclusion and wellbeing: Benefits of learning in later life. European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults Vol 10.3, 2019, pp. 207-213.

Sluggett, Janet K., et al. Medication management policy, practice and research in Australian residential aged care: current and future directions. Pharmacological research Vol 116, 2017, pp. 20-28.

Turner, James E., Vitor A. Lira, and Patricia C. Brum. New insights into the benefits of physical activity and exercise for aging and chronic disease. 2017.

Valle Gottlieb, Maria Gabriela, et al. Impact of human aging and modern lifestyle on gut microbiota. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition Vol 58.9, 2018, pp. 1557-1564.

Wahl, Devin, et al. Aging, lifestyle and dementia. Neurobiology of disease Vol 130, pp. 2019, pp. 104481.

Introduction

The American society is concerned with the growing population of elderly individuals and how to help them practice successful aging. Moreover, modern society especially the American society views aging as something that should be either denied or concealed. However, according to Moody (2010), society should put in place models that will make elderly people to be actively involved in economic and social roles.

Body

Alternatively, Moody (2010) adds that women and men age differently which becomes less differentiated in both feminine and masculine predilections. For instance, men accept the interdependence of women. Additionally, women in their old age days become more active and dominate roles and responsibilities that were previously dominated by men.

Consequently, Moody (2010) holds the view that the elderly need to be kept both creative and active. This can only be achieved if they are provided with other alternatives that can change their social life and redefine their life experiences. Moody suggests that it is vital to pay close attention to vigorous and newer models that put in place better methods for successful aging as it is a varied situation. Moreover, it is essential to consider that promoting productive aging in society cannot limit the actions and worries on present personal responsibility. The latter is still an issue of concern in modern society. Furthermore, there are growing numbers of individuals who are between 60 and 80 years. Hence, the possibility of the elderly living in healthier conditions and being valued by society should always be taken into account.

In the United States of America, the concept of aging was established in 1980 by legislators, seniors, militants, and scholars. According to Moody (2010), this group of people was not satisfied with existing negative stereotypes in aging. This is because stereotyping notion could not result in accommodation of diversity found in relatively active and healthy old individuals.

According to Moody (2010), new models should be put in place to encourage old individuals to live longer. Furthermore, better social positions and roles should be put in place by society to improve both their economic and social lives. This is because active and creative living makes the old people live longer for approximately 20 more years after their retirement age.

Moody (2010) points out that the productivity concept should go beyond the existing financial sphere of the elderly but instead consider the role they play in the family, personal life, community, and intimate relationships. Moody further suggests that there are risks involved in making the elderly to be actively involved in economic production. This is because making them economically productive will make them not practice and enjoy positive elements of successful aging. Therefore, according to the author, the best concepts of productivity aging are less related to economic concepts but more to leisure ones. Hence, the productivity concept in successful aging in the American context needs to begin from the identified goals at both collective and individual levels in identifying essential social opportunities for the old in the society. Therefore, values such as self-management, creativity, citizenship, autonomy, and personal development should be included in the development concept. This is because the model recognizes the last days of a persons life as part of ones life.

Conclusion

In conclusion, successful aging in American society is a new trend among individuals who are working with the elderly. Just like Moody (2010) observes, professionals working with the elderly are also emphasizing the importance of putting in place early intervention and preventive measures that can hinder productive and successful aging.

Reference

Moody, H.R. (2010). Aging Concepts and Controversies. (6^th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Palliative care is a vital service that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses, with the goal of improving the quality of life for patients and their families. However, as the demand for palliative care services continues to grow, healthcare providers are facing increasing challenges in terms of patient load, utilization, and reimbursement. Addressing the increasing patient load and improving utilization and reimbursement for palliative care is crucial for ensuring that patients receive the high-quality care they need, and for a better overall healthcare system.

I would approach the topic and the challenges it poses for healthcare delivery in the US, specifically by focusing on how to handle the increasing patient load and improve utilization and reimbursement for palliative care. The aging population is a growing concern in the US, as the number of older adults is projected to rise significantly in the coming decades. According to the US Census Bureau, the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to nearly double to 95 million by 2060, representing nearly one-quarter of the total US population (Maddox 45). As the number of older adults increases, there will likely be greater demand for healthcare services, particularly for chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. This demographic shift is expected to place significant strain on the healthcare system, particularly in terms of managing chronic conditions and end-of-life care.

I will be focusing on the current state of long-term care services in the US and the barriers to access and utilization. This includes examining the current reimbursement models for long-term care services and how they may be inadequate in addressing the needs of older adults. This involves assessing the limitations of fee-for-service reimbursement, as well as exploring alternative reimbursement models such as bundled payments, value-based payments, and accountable care organizations. Furthermore, I will be looking at the impact of reimbursement challenges on the delivery of palliative care, including the effect on patient outcomes, and provider participation. I will also be exploring the potential solutions to improve access and reimbursement for long-term care services such as expanding Medicaid coverage, implementing pay-for-performance models, and incorporating long-term care into accountable care organizations.

The impact on health or healthcare delivery in the United States will be a central focus of my research. By understanding the barriers to access and utilization of long-term care services and exploring potential solutions, we can improve the quality of care for older adults. Furthermore, we can ensure that the healthcare system is better prepared to meet the needs of the aging population.

In conclusion, the increasing patient load in palliative care presents a significant challenge for healthcare providers and systems. However, by taking steps to improve utilization and reimbursement for palliative care services, we can ensure that more patients receive the care they need during serious illness. This may include increasing awareness and education about palliative care, implementing effective communication strategies between healthcare providers, and developing reimbursement models that better support palliative care services.

Work Cited

Maddox, Samuel. Cartographies of Care: Urban Development in Mexico in Response to a Graying America. Care and the City. Routledge, 2021. 43-53.

Old age is an issue that almost every person eventually has to face in their life. Even though sometimes the aged are depicted as senile and debilitated by the media, many of them still retain much energy.

To find out how elderly people are depicted on TV, we viewed three different TV shows (two American ones and one from British television). Two of the programs focused on intergenerational topics, concentrating either on the differences between the elderly characters and the younger ones or how they can find some mutual points. Jimmy Kimmel Live (2015) simply showed a competition between an elderly woman and a young girl who had to answer questions about the cultural phenomena popular among the generation of the other contestant. The old woman was portrayed as a person from a different cultural epoch. Age Gap Love (2015), on the other hand, depicted several couples from different countries who married despite considerable age differences; a remarkable couple consisted of an elderly woman Carol (aged 69) and a younger man Paul (aged 43). The man had a severe health condition, so the woman had to care for him more than he had to care for her (Age Gap Love, 2015, 24:30). Therefore, Carol was shown as a person in a better shape than Paul. Munchies (2014) portrayed an old lady who grew marijuana for medical purposes on a farm and cooked various meals using cannabis oil. The woman was described as a person who, despite her age, is still active.

While Jimmy Kimmel Live (2015) was mostly built around the stereotype that older people are representatives of an entirely different epoch, Age Gap Love (2015) challenged the popular myths according to which the people of great age are usually lonely, have a severe health condition, and are incapable of doing things on their own (Stewart, Chipperfield, Perry, & Weiner, 2011). In Munchies (2014), the old woman was also portrayed as an active person who looks after her crops, actively communicates with her family, and does jobs in the house; it was also contrary to the popular beliefs that the elderly are passive and cannot do anything by themselves.

In our opinion, a person becomes elderly indeed when, due to their age and the diseases associated with it, they are no longer capable of using their body to be completely self-reliant, and thus have to depend on other people to support them. Such conditions can be connected to muscular weakness, deteriorated cognitive functions, etc. It is impossible to define a particular age when this happens, though, for the period varies for different people. Our opinion, however, is consistent with a definition of aging given by Rose et al. (2012): a persistent decline in the age-specific fitness components of an organism due to internal physiological deterioration.

It is noteworthy that nowadays, the process of (social) aging is also dependent on the ability of a person to keep up with new technologies. Given the pace of technological development, many people grow old in this respect earlier than they do in the others (Cole, 2014).

Different people behave in various ways when they reach old age. Some of them simply give up and want help and attention while they could be somewhat active and independent. Others try to carry on, sometimes quite successfully. However, most of them eventually become physically and/or mentally weak before dying and reach a point where they require assistance.

An aged person I know is my friends grandfather. He is 73. Despite his age, he is still in good shape. He goes running every morning and is somewhat active. Unfortunately, his hearing has deteriorated significantly over the last few years, so one has to speak loudly while talking to him. Other than that, it is quite hard to call him elderly.

To sum up, it should be stressed that some TV programs portray the aged according to popular stereotypes while others do not. It is also noteworthy that many people still have a rather energetic lifestyle despite the old age.

References

Age Gap Love. (2015). Age Gap Love | Season 2 Episode 1 | Full Episode. Web.

Cole, T. R. (2014). Whats the point of aging? Does philosophy make a difference? The Gerontologist, 54(3), 519-521. Web.

Jimmy Kimmel Live. (2015). Generation gap. Web.

Munchies. (2014). Weed grandma shows us how to 420 braise it. Web.

Rose, M. R., Flatt, T., Graves, J. L., Greer, L. F., Martinez, D. E. Matos, M.,&Shahrestani, P. (2012). What is aging? Frontiers in Genetics, 3. Web.

Stewart, T. L., Chipperfield, J. G., Perry, R. P., & Weiner, B. (2011). Attributing illness to old age: Consequences of a self-directed stereotype for health and mortality. Psychology & Health, 27(8), 881-897. Web.

Aging is one of the important social issues that society should be concerned about. Aging refers to the gradual changes that happen with time in the life of an individual (Kaplan, 2006, p. 196). A multifaceted process involves changes in terms of psychological, physical, and social changes.

Various dimensions during old age change as one continues to live. For instance, wisdom and knowledge of the world’s events expand with aging while time to react to certain situations declines. However, it is also true that old people may continuously grow in terms of their physical, social, and mental capabilities.

Aging is therefore an imperative aspect in the lives of people, as it is an indication of the natural modifications happening to human beings. It also defines collective and ethnic patterns of the society. Society is able to grow and progress because of the values and conventions that the elderly pass on to the upcoming generations. Aging is categorized as chronological, which is time bound (Leahy, 2006, p. 21).

All people must pass through the state that is measured from the time an individual is born. Social aging is based on culture, and concerns believes and perceptions of people when they age (Leahy, 2006, p. 21). Biological aging concerns physical states. An old person exhibits some physical characteristics such as wrinkles on the face, grey hair, and weak body.

It is also important to note that, regardless of people being old, they may have different physical and mental capabilities. Various governments have different ways of classifying old people. They also have different policies to look after them.

Population aging arises due to increased rate of migration, decrease in birth rate, and the increase in life expectancy due to low death rate (Kaplan, 2006, p. 196). Aging has significant implications to the society. Their needs are different from those of young people. For instance, they do not involve in criminal activities.

Sociology is an important field that studies behaviors and the way human beings live and coexist with one another. It is therefore a very essential area when it comes to understanding the society. Aging is one of the important characteristics that are part of the society.

People or every society has a share of the aging people. Therefore, aging is an important aspect in sociology. One of the sociological theories that fits or applies to aging is the social conflict theory. The theory postulates the civilization results from fighting for power and that various groups must struggle to gain access to the limited resources (Ritzer & Goodman, 2004, p. 32).

The society is also structured to benefit the few while the majority is not considered. These kinds of inequality lead to conflicts that in turn lead to social misunderstandings. This theory helps people understand the society in a bid to trigger change. In most cases, old people have been secluded and are not involved in critical decisions making of the society.

Therefore, it is important for the society to support these people besides providing them with the needs that they require. For instance, they are entitled to good health, opinion, and good life. This is the only way that the society can be able to alleviate these inequalities.

Structural functionality is yet another theory that is in line with aging. Old people should be included in the functions of the society to promote stability and solidarity (Ritzer & Goodman, 2004, p. 34). This will ensure that the society functions fully and as a whole, as every person’s views, opinions, and needs will be considered.

Aging is one of the issues that the society knows though it does not give it its due attention. Various issues are known about aging. One of the things that are known about it is that it is an inevitable result of the time spent on earth. People perceive aging as a process that arises to those people who have stayed for longer period.

Secondly, it is the duty of the society to accord respect to the elderly people. People who are disrespectful to the elderly in society are not received well. Furthermore, most of the aging people are viewed to have a high level of wisdom and ones who are aware of the cultural aspects by which the society should abide (Kaplan, 2006, p. 196).

Therefore, in most cases, the society consults such people for advice. During conflicts, they are used as arbitrators due to their knowledge and skills. On the other hand, most people do not know that elderly people require good care.

Many people have failed to provide both material and financial support to the aging people because they believe that they have the ability to look after themselves. Another thing that people do not know is that aging is one of the causes of death for elderly people. Their bodies do not function as required. Therefore, they end up developing diseases, which claim their lives quickly.

Sociological research is important in these areas. In a broad sense, research is essential because it helps one to have different views and perspectives on different things that happen in people’s lives. Sociological research is important because it helps in highlighting the various issues pertaining to aging.

Elderly people have various characteristics. Therefore, it helps to understand the way they behave and ways in which they can be helped to co-exist well with other people in society. For instance, it may help to improve the lives of the elderly by investigating on problems that they go through. There are practical implications of sociological inquiries.

Some of these implications might be positive while others are negative. For instance, when an inquiry is carried out about the problems that the elderly face such as stigmatization, the findings can be used to create awareness to educate the larger society on the need to embrace and accept the old people in the society. Therefore, such initiative may lead to unity and cohesion among people in the society.

Reference List

Kaplan, M. (2006). Aging as a Social Process: Canadian Perspectives, 4th edition. American Review of Canadian Studies, 36(1), 196-198.

Leahy, S. (2006). Simone Signoret: Aging and Agency. Studies in the Literary Imagination, 39(2), 21-42.

Ritzer, G., & Goodman, D. (2004). Sociological Theory: Sixth Edition. London: McGraw Hill.

Sociological theories are the key components of sociology as a discipline. They function as guides for researchers and also guide practitioners who conduct intervention strategies. Sociological theories are defined as a set of concepts which are interrelated. They explain, describe and predict the relationships among different parts of the society.

The theories are made up of ideas and concepts that have close relations and are scientifically tested and brought together to expand, clarify, magnify and enlarge how human beings understand people together with their unique behaviors and the society in general. The theories assist sociologists to perform different types of studies with particular questions that examine the assumptions in the theories (Ritzer 110). This is a concept explaining paper that focuses on the concept of sociological theories.

In the following example, two researchers, Henry and Cumming conducted a study that focused on the process of aging. They developed an aging theory that comprised of assumptions. In the theory, they assumed that once elderly people realize that they are about to die, they stop their youthful actions.

At the same time, the members of the society shift their focus from them. The researchers tested their theory by using a large number of aging people and found out that the generalizations and findings they had devised resulted did not support the theory. The theory was therefore abandoned since the findings did not support it. This showed the importance of research in determining the validity of sociological theories.

Theories are used to study millions of people in societies and even at other levels. When they are used to study large groups of people, they are referred to as macro theories.

On the other hand, when theories are used to study small groups of people such as families, couples or teams they are known as micro theories. The macro theories are basically comprised of functional and conflict theories while the micro theories include social exchange and symbolic interactionism theories. In most situations, most theories are used at both the micro and macro levels.

There are two broad categories of theories. The first category is referred to as the grand category of theories and focuses on universal qualities of social issues or problems. Its basis is abstract concepts and ideas as opposed to specific evidence. Such theories include symbolic interactionism, conflict, and social exchange theories.

The second broad category of theories is the middle-range category of theories. These theories are formed on the basis of scientific findings which are specific and centre on the interrelation between or among concepts in a specific social problem or process.

Conflict theory is an example of a macro theory. A macro theory is used to study issues that affect larger groups of people. The founder of the theory was a German economist, philosopher and a sociologist known as Marx. He was disappointed because the educated people in the society mistreated the less educated and the poor.

He could not tolerate the capitalist ideals that allowed the powerful individuals in the society to exploit the poor and perpetrate inhumane acts on them. The theory was later developed by Max Weber and took a moderate ground. In the development, he conducted a thorough study of capitalism but did not agree with Marx on rejecting the theory.

Conflict theory is very important when trying to understand poverty and wealth, war, revolutions, slavery, child abuse, domestic violence and political strife among others social issues. The theory asserts that the society is constantly in conflict and people always compete for scarce resources.

It assumes that individuals who have wealth in the society strife to earn more of it at the expense of those who do not have. It is usually a power struggle that favors the elites and the wealthy while the poor become the victims of hard situations. Power is the capacity of individuals to seize whatever they want even when they face strong opposition.

The second type of grand theory is the structural functionalism or functionalism. Functionalists argue that society must sustain a state of balance as the different components of the society perform their functions. This theory has a relationship with ecological and biological concepts.

The functional and non-functional systems in the society are analyzed the same way the human body is analyzed to detect problems. Some of the processes that express functionality in the society include romantic relationships, growth or decline of the population, socialization, religious practices and friendship among others.

Functionalists agree with proponents of conflict theory that the society experiences some breakdowns and that mistreatment of the poor in the society is a reality. The societal breakdowns are referred to as dysfunctions and threaten the stability of the society. However, functionalists exhibits a more positive and optimistic attitude than the conflict theorists.

They acknowledge the fact that societies experience problems just like the body does. Functionalists study the parts and processes of the society to find out how societies maintain their stability in the wake of factors that make society unstable.

The third type of theory is symbolic interactionism. Interactionism takes place as either social exchange or symbolic interaction. Symbolic interaction theory argues that people in the society interact with one another on a daily basis.

It is a useful theory that is used to improve communication, understand people, and impart skills among individuals of different cultures and foster good relations in the society. Generally, the theory is used to understand most of the aspects that make up the society. It is a theory that provides a magnified understanding of meaning.

The fourth type of theory is called the social exchange theory. This theory argues that in the society, individuals constantly interact as they try to maximize rewards and incur minimal costs. Its assumptions resemble those of the conflict theory.

Human beings exhibit rationality since they have the capacity to differentiate between the good and the bad after they have learnt the advantages and disadvantages of every choice. People look at the available options in every situation and figure out how the rewards can be maximized and costs minimized. One of the most outstanding features of the theory is its equity concept (Axelrod and Cooper 10).

All the sociological theories are applicable when it comes to conducting studies on collective and individual behaviors. However, some theories are best suited in some circumstances because they handle certain issues better than other theories. A particular issue may be studied through several theories in order to establish certain aspects of the issue. Sociological theories are important since they are used by researchers to establish various societal facts and solutions to specific problems.

Works Cited

Axelrod, Rise and Charles Cooper. St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. New York: Bedford Books, 2007.Print

Ritzer, George. Sociological theory. New York: McGraw-Hall, 2000.Print

Introduction

Ageing comes with many challenges and if not properly managed, it may turn chaotic. People need to anticipate and plan for ageing for it is inevitable, whether planned for or not. Amongst these challenges are retirement benefits; something that Canada will grapple with in near future if drastic measures are not taken. Older people are mostly depressed; however, there are certain things that could bring satisfaction to this group of important people in society. There have been cases of assisted suicide amongst older people and even other groups of people; however, this has raised several ethical concerns. Nevertheless, death is the ultimate event in one’s life. Death is a psychological event and this is why Kubler-Ross deeply analyses the stages involved in dying process. This paper addresses aging issues running from retirement benefits in Canada, through satisfaction in old people and assisted suicide to Kubler-Ross model for the psychological processes of dying.

Discussion

In contemporary Canada, there is an impeding crisis in senior citizens benefits. The crisis is that the Citizens Benefits might not be in a position to pay every retiree appropriately. This crisis is inevitable for one simple reason; the number of potential retirees will surpass the number of tax-paying workers in the near future. This fact owes it roots to ageing baby boomers. According to Bender, “In about 10 years, Canada may have more people at the age where they can leave the labour force than people at the age where they can begin working” (Para. 4). This means that, the Citizens Benefit would not have enough money to compensate retirees hence the crisis. Unfortunately, there are no many options to obviate this impeding crisis; however, concerned authorities might think of encouraging workers to defer their retirement age. Institutions should consider offering more working hours and come up with restyled pension plans that address the impeding crisis. Older people would also think of investing in private businesses to supplement their retirement benefits.

As aforementioned, depression is a major problem amongst older people; fortunately, there are treatment therapies to deal with this disorder. Commonly used treatment strategies are medication and psychotherapy; they can be used individually or as a combination. The available medicines antidepressants like celexa, prozac, luvox, and paxil among others. On the other side, commonly used psychotherapies are, “cognitive-behavioural therapy, supportive psychotherapy, problem-solving therapy and interpersonal therapy” (Alexopoulos, Katz, Reynolds & Ross 5).

Nevertheless, prevention is better than cure and depression in older people could be prevented by, realizing early symptoms, engaging in support and socialization groups, volunteering in different activities to keep mind busy, exercising, maintaining good diet and finding new hobbies.

If older people continue to work, they would be successful in workplace. Provided these people are healthy, their productivity would remain relatively high and would be satisfactory. Advantages of older adults to employers are that these people have the necessary experience; therefore, employers would not incur expenses in training younger workers. Moreover, older people are mature and they give employers easy time for they know what has to be done, when. However, employers are concerned about older people’s health status hence, productivity. Ailing person cannot perform efficiently and employers fear that these old people may have health problems leading to reduced productivity. If I were an employer, I would hire older people because they have the necessary experience and are easy to deal with courtesy of their maturity.

Determinants of satisfaction amongst the elderly are economic well-being, education, spirituality, and social networks. According to Santrock, Mackenzie-Rivers, Leung, and Malcomson, a 1999 research shows that “elders with high economic well-being, low subjective health status and formal education and connected to social networks reported high levels of life satisfaction” (476). For instance, if an elderly person were not faced with the issue of terminal illness, he/she would be satisfied given the fact that many people are not prepared for death, which looms largely around old age. Moreover, if an individual is economically stable, he/she is not worried about children’s education, or health issues for his/her money takes care of these issues.

Active and passive euthanasia are among the four types of euthanasia. The two differ in that active euthanasia involves “taking specific steps to cause the patient’s death, such as injecting the patient with poison while passive euthanasia is withdrawing medical treatment with the deliberate intention of causing the patient’s death” (Gorman 12). Therefore, whilst passive euthanasia involves withdrawal of medication, active euthanasia involves ‘introduction’ of medication especially overdose. Passive euthanasia involves ‘taking away’ while active euthanasia involves ‘introducing’; nevertheless, the results are the same; death.

Assisted suicide compares strongly with Euthanasia; however, there are several issues surrounding assisted suicide with some people supporting it and others rejecting it. Supporters argue that assisted suicide helps those in need of it and it should be allowed. However, critics say that, “problems are not solved by getting rid of the people to whom the problems happen” (Gorman 14). In summary according to critics of this issue, assisted suicide is murder and to some extent, this move approves murder in society whilst supporters of it argue that assisted murder is a reprieve to those in need of it like the terminally ill.

Kubler-Ross model; commonly known as five stages of grief, expound what people undergo during tragedy or grief. The stages are “denial, anger, bargaining depression, and acceptance” (Kubler-Ross 92). In denial, people deny the fact that they are in the situation they are in and mostly they say, “This can’t be happening, not to me” (Kubler-Ross 93). Unfortunately, denial can neither last nor justify anything and as the reality sets in, the involved people resort to anger, the second stage. In anger, people ask many questions including why should it happen to them and not others. Rage and envy sets in and Kubler-Ross fears that, it may be hard to care for such people, enraged and envious people. In addition, as envy, anger, and resentment continue, these people enter into bargaining stage. Here they hope to postpone their death and they start promising what they would do if they had some few more years to live. Kulber-Ross notes that, these people are saying, “I understand I will die, but if I could just have more time…” (96).

Nevertheless, this does not change the inevitability of death and as this reality sets in, dying people enter into depression; the fourth stage. At this point people become withdrawn and antisocial preferring to spend time alone either crying or grieving. Finally, the final stage, that is, acceptance, sets in. At this point dying people accept that they can do nothing about death and so they give up the fight against it. Acceptance brings with it tranquillity and thoughtfulness. Kubler-Ross calls this stage, “the end of the dying struggle” (109).

Kubler-Ross’ model has come under criticisms and George Bonanno is one of such critics. After 20 years of rigorous study, Bonanno indicates that there is no sufficient information to validate Kubler-Ross’ claims. Moreover, research performed by Yale University shows that some of Kubler-Ross’ arguments are inconsistent. Other people have also written in different journals questioning validity of the five stages of death model. Despite these critics, this model has helped those working with the terminally ill to know how to handle the patients.

Conclusion

Old age brings with it both positive and negative issues. In Canada, an impeding crisis is set to plunge Senior Citizens benefit in to chaos. Due to the large number of baby boomers set to retire in the next few years, the senior citizen benefits would not be in a position to compensate retirees. This is because the number of tax-paying citizens would be lower than the number of retirees depending on this scheme for livelihood. Nevertheless, people may consider prolonging their retirement date and investing in private businesses to avert this crisis. Depression is another problem associated with old age; however, depressants and psychotherapy is used to treat the same. Despite the many problems that come with old age, older people area valuable asset in any workplace due to their rich experience. Research indicates that economic stability measures as one of the satisfaction factors amongst the old people. Old age precedes death and Kubler-Ross gives five stages of dying viz. “denial, anger, bargaining depression, and acceptance” (Kubler-Ross 92). Nevertheless, this model has come under criticism with critics arguing that it lacks sufficient information to substantiate these claims.

Works Cited

Alexopoulos, George, Katz, Ira, Reynolds, Charles, and Ross, Ruth. “Depression in Older People.” Comprehensive Neuroscience, Inc. 2001.

Bender, Rosemary. “Canada is Ageing, Thanks to Baby Boomers.” 2007. Web.

Gorman, Daniel. “Active and passive euthanasia:the cases of Drs. Claudio Alberto de la Rocha and Nancy Morrison. 1998. Web.

Kubler-Ross, Elizabeth. “On Death and Dying.” Britain; Tavistock Publication Services, 1970.

Santrock, John, Mackenzie-Rivers, Anne, Leung, Kwan, and Malcomson, Thomas. “Life-Span Development.” Montreal; McGraw-Hill Ryerson Higher Education, 2005.

Introduction

The terms used to denote aging include old, elderly, and aged. These terms usually find different applications in diverse social settings. The age of senior members of the society can be distinguished into two (Regmi 30). First, we have the group of those elderly members of the society who portray the ideal physical distinctiveness of old age and who can continue working. Secondly, there are those who are unable to carry out any tasks and including those eligible for homemaker services.

Policies concerning the aged vary from one country to another. For example in Nepal, the retirement age for an individual is 60 for government employees and 63 for university employees. In different communities, age determines a person’s qualification for special responsibilities. For instance in Nepal, when a man attains more than 50 years of age, he is entitled to some powers, such as for executive responsibilities of the land resource and agrarian wealth of the family, having dominion over the continuation of laborers as well as tenants. This authority is attributed to the authoritative role of the father and the grandfather in the presidency of the emotional and economical demands of their generation group (31).

How socio-cultural aspect of a community influence aging

The old, as well as the young, detest features associated with aging. These symptoms include wrinkling, short-sightedness, hearing impairment, graying, and baldness. This attitude towards aging was displayed in an interview with senior men. In their response, they were concerned with their impression and other people’s opinions about them. They seemed more verbal about their body evaluation and self-impression than their female counterparts.

In addition, they were more likely to bitterly dwell on their physical handicaps resulting from old age. Essentially, they were nostalgic about their memorable agility during their youth. The waning of the vibrancy and beauty associated with youth is usually accompanied with pain and sadness (Delaney 205).

One characteristic associated with aging is the confusion manifested in the utility of addressing the terminology (Sokolovsky 46). For instance, the use of lung (uncle) or ui (grandfather) regarding a senior in Thai was determined by the estimation of the man’s age by the addressor. Contextually, ui denotes a member of senior generational class who is a retiree and portrays symptoms of old age. Despite the respect attached to such terms of address, a majority of the seniors are of the opinion that they rob the addressee of the authority associated with adulthood. This was supported with the dissatisfaction expressed in switching from the term pa (dad) or mae (mum) to ui by the majority of the informants.

Therefore, presumptuous reference of these terms usually triggered embarrassment on both the addressee and the addresser. This has made the younger person to approach the matter of address with caution to avoid causing embarrassment to self and others. Changes in power status associated with growth cycle within a family claims the responsibility of the tension connected with the transformation to another age class, and the subsequent term of address (206).

According to Thai parents, grandparents usually interfere with the societal interactions and punishment of the minor. This situation leads parents to develop the notion that the grandparents incline their affection towards their grandchildren. Often, grandparents don’t support the penalty imposed on the grandchildren, on the account of disrespect or attrition of the individual command. On the other hand this conflict of authority is perceived by the younger members as overreaching authority and hindrance by the seniors (207).

Further, in regard to family secrets and correspondence within the family, the younger members were of the notion that seniors are indiscrete about discussing family secret issues with foreigners. These tendencies often cause the young adults a great deal of embarrassment amongst their age mates (209).

How Biological and psychological factors contributes to ageing process

In an interview between Veronica and Dr. Chopra, I was able to learn how ancient mind/body philosophies integrate with the contemporary anti aging studies to proof that the symptoms of aging are greatly avoidable. The deduction I made from the interview was that an individual’s awareness and perception about aging processes in turn determines how he/she ages. This was evidence in Chopra response to Veronica’s queries explained in the proceeding paragraphs (Chopra Ans.1):

In the interview Chopra began by refuting the myth that aging is fatal phenomenon which eventually leads to ones death. The misconception that ageing is irreversible is invalidated by innate mechanism which allows for reversal of the ageing processes. Age reversal can be initiated by various changes in lifestyle including; making dietary incorporation of antioxidants, elimination of body toxins, physical work outs, meditation, and yoga alongside breathing techniques (Ans. 1).

He further argues that personal manner of thoughts, behavior, and diet, affects own life by age 30 – 50. Majority of the people believe that ageing is universal, which is not the case since some organisms do not age. Further, the informant refutes the belief that aging is painful, because it is a well proven fact that pain is an element of disease which is avoidable. He advocates for a change of their notion of aging for them to enjoy the benefit accompanying it, accounted for by the available scientific evidence. These benefits are; change in the perception of ageing which will make them embrace aging process and grow wiser, to attain improved ingenuity, and to become the facilitator for ingenuity and prosperity. Essentially, perceptional change will be accompanied by a change of personal reality since it is an attribute of perception.

According to Chopra (Ans. 4), people’s bodies are a reflection of their system of beliefs and experiences which have their respective biological attributes. For instance, feeling of anxiety is associated with production of cortisone and adrenaline; feeling of tranquility with valium; and that of joy and elation with interferon and interleukins which are efficient anti-cancer agents. Thus, the body converts ones experience into bio-chemicals.

Moreover, he portrays the ageing process as the product of own aspiration and values. For instance, he believes that live full of passion, dreams, and purpose leads to a satisfactory ageing. Further, there are three ingredients of purpose of life; (1) to identify true self by discovering God, (2) service to other humans, which is the reason of our lives, (3) to exercise own unique spontaneous abilities and in so doing one looses focus on time (Ans. 7).

According to his answer to query 8, he describes the spiritual aspect of ageing. He, beliefs a person can forge spiritual existence in the mind, and be arbitrary elusive to change. The most important, aspect of the human spirit is its powerful and everlasting nature, which when attained will allow a person to appreciate the present and the entire human lifetime as a glimmer in eternity.

Chopra argues that as oppose to living the present moment which is associated with experience of eternity, most people do not live in their precious present moment; instead they are more concerned with the past and their future. By so doing they miss out on the essence of eternity and are more prone to ageing because their bodies do not release biological metabolites momentarily experiences such as laughter and excitement (Ans. 11). Meditation decelerates biological ageing because it has a quieting effect on the mind which in turn quiets the body leading to acceleration of the healing process (Ans. 12).

Chopra argues that love in the sense of experience of conscious unity with everything in the universe. Further, a person becomes a being capable of attaining different disguise with every individual. Thus, one who attains that experience is unable to hurt other people and will be protected from hurt by others.

How we can achieve longevity from the people who have lived the longest?

According to research findings, nearly 90% of an individual’s life expectancy largely depends on the habits of such an individual, as opposed to genes. About 6% of a person’s lifespan are determined by the parents’ endurance. According to Buettner and colleagues, the global longevity hotspots (blue zones) include; the Barbagia area in Sardinia district in Italy; the society of the SDA community of Loma Linda in California; and the Nicoya cape of Costa Rica.

The team of experts observed in each of the blue sports individuals attain age 100 at comparatively higher rate than the rest of the world’s populations, and generally they attain prolonged healthier lives. Nevertheless, they suffer a small degree of the fatal illnesses suffered by Americans. Buettner (81) attributes their longevity to reliance on food grown from their farms (Reynolds 5).

According to their findings, the natives in the blue zones have their unique cultural practice which account for their tendency to attain greater longevity relative to the rest of the world’s population. Some of the cultural practice which favors longevity are; drinking averagely two cups of wine every day, reliance on medicinal plot of ginger, turmeric and mugwort, and drinking unique hard water. Other interesting elements of the cultures of the natives include; doing things spontaneously, decreasing calories by 20%, consuming proportionately big plant-based diet, and identifying with a spiritual community, and determining own live purpose on earth (#. 6).

Buettner (81) disputes the belief by most of the developed world populations that diet pills help to improve ones longevity. Instead, he advocates for incorporation of a few powerful habits as well as surrounding self with the right people, in a person quest for longer live expectancy (#. 10).

Kluckhohn’s orientation vs. ageing

In her essay on the orientation of varian and dominant value, Kluckhohn has identified five general challenges faced by humans (Kluckhohn 346). Further, she claims that human personality every time reflects a complex integration of the common and diverse elements of live. Here she implied that different individuals share some general behaviors by virtue of common ancestry. Nevertheless, they depict variation in behaviors.

Works Cited

Buettner, Dan. The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the longest. New York: National Geographic Books, 2008. Print.

Delaney, William. Socio-cultural aspects of aging in Buddhist northern Thailand: social context and adaptation of the elderly. Urbana, Illinois: 1964. Print.

Kluckhohn, Florence. Dominant and variant value orientations. Personality in nature, society, and culture. NY: Alfred A. Khopf, 1953. Print.

Regmi, Rishi. Socio-economic and cultural aspects of ageing in Nepal. An exclusive interview by Veronica, Hay with Deepak Chopra, n.d.

Reynolds, Laura. The blue zone: lessons for living longer from people who have lived The longest. Washington, USA: Reynolds Public Relations Inc., 2008. Print.

Sokolovsky, Jay. The Cultural Context of Aging: World Wide Perspectives. Santa Barbara: Greenwood Publishing Westport: Bergin and Garvey, 2008. Print.

The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging (PPACGA) provides services to Americans over the age of 60 under the OAA. This regional center provides free counseling on guardianship, insurance, assistance, ombudsman, and Medicare health programs (Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging, 2021). Colorado Division of Aging and Adult Services (CDAAS) provides skilled health care for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, and their spouses (Colorado Division of Aging and Adult Services, n.d.). CDAAS also investigates neglect, exploitation, and harmful activities and provides legal, food, and employment assistance to the elderly.

El Paso Adult Protective Intake Line is designed to help older people at risk of neglect or financial exploitation. The Colorado Department of Human Services is the highest department over CDAAS and provides the same services. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program focuses on a broader range of services, including recreational, and economic counseling, to ensure an older person’s high standard of living with dignity. The Colorado Legal Services Colorado Springs Office is available to handle legal and bureaucratic issues related to government benefits, wills, discrimination, pension claims, and housing and long-term care counseling (“ElderCare Locator,” 2021). It is best to contact the State Health Insurance Assistance Program to get adequate information about problems with Medicare and other agencies, such as guardianship for the elderly.

In general, the Colorado Springs region has a relatively wide range of free services for the elderly. In addition, programs for the adaptation and involvement of older people in public life would be beneficial in the regional community, as they are only partly done by the Long-Term Care Ombudsman in counseling matters. Finally, raising the status of older people in the public mind is possible through centers for counseling on civil rights issues, such as voting.

References

Colorado Division of Aging and Adult Services. (n. d.). Web.

ElderCare Locator. (2021). Web.

Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging. (2021). Aging. Web.