Field Of Gerontology

It is apparent that age discrimination is prevalent in today’s society within health care. This section will further explore ageism and provide ways to overcome it. According to Potter and Perry (2014) ageism is defined as “discrimination against people because of increasing age” (p. 376). Ageism has the ability to undermine self-confidence in older adults, limit their access to care, and even distort health care providers’ understanding of the uniqueness of each older adult. The Canadian Special Senate Committee on Aging has concluded that ageism in Canada is delicate and pervasive and immediate action is required (Potter & Perry, 2014). Ageism can result in over- treatment or under-treatment. For example, over-treatment can include “overuse

I have always admired the senior citizens who are wondering how they have passed such long journeys of their lives. They not only have accomplished achievements, but also have done memorable works that deserve admiration, respect, and priority in today’s society. These old people may look incompetent and unexciting in somebody’s eyes and thoughts, but not everyone realizes that they are the people with greatest knowledge and experiences beyond their masters of life. From my own experience, whenever I see an old mister or mistress looking for help or in need of help, I can never ignore him or

Older people also suffer from more chronic health conditions than their younger counterparts, making their care much more involved and complex. For this reason, many health care professionals develop negative attitudes towards providing care for elderly. Their ageist attitudes can be expressed and experienced as microaggressions, making elders hesitant to seek and follow medical advice. Interestingly, nurses view working with elderly patients in a much more positive light. It is postulated that this is because the mission of nursing includes caring for people rather than seeking to cure them (Chrisler, Barney & Palatino, 2016).

Experience working in the field of health care lends insight to the growing needs of the older adult population, and the barriers which impede our capacity to meet them. As the Baby Boomer age is approaching older adulthood, the rise for financial,

After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous

Starla, I agree with your statement that the older adult is a part of the vulnerable population. I also agree that more resources need to be available to them with education and that this could aid in the reduction of hospital readmissions. One of the articles I summarized, Risk Assessment and Intervention for Older Adults (Culo, 2011), also said the older person may have ‘red flags’ such as repeat emergency room visits or admissions, putting off medical problems, and not taking prescriptions as directed. Frequent assessments for risks and home visits could curb their health care costs. There should also be more involvement from family if available.

According to the Administration on Aging, people age 65 and older currently represent 12.9% of the population of the United States as of 2009, with that number expected to double in the next 15 years (Administration on Aging, 2014). Along with the continued rise in the population of older adults comes an increased need for services specifically addressing the needs of this population. Despite the increasing needs for services for older adults, seniors are among the most overlooked and underserved populations in the United States.

“The national attitude toward old people has made a 180-degree turn” in recent years (p. 86). This is an indicator that society now recognizes their value. Additionally, society now has ample data to support that with improved technology and pharmaceuticals

After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous

Aging is a universal phenomenon and humans are no exception. Gerontology deals with the psychological, social and biological aspects of aging process. A recent study shows that people aged 85 years and older are expected to augment from 5.3 million people to 21 million as the world reach 2050. In today’s world Gerontology has an enormous role to play so that the senior citizens could be analyzed and their needs may be addressed with compassion and empathy.

It is important to understand that patients have been experiencing aging bias for a very long time. It is also evident in the medical profession as well, and one needs to do more to ensure that everyone is treated fairly especially the elderly patients. The elderly patients need to treat with the utmost respect and dignity. One needs to understand that the elderly are the ones who pave the way for the younger generation. Therefore, it is important that one takes the time out of their busy assignments to listen to what the older patients have to say and respond to them in an appropriate manner. This paper will discuss how aging has impact one nursing practice, aging bias that one has witnessed during their nursing practice, and a community plan to discuss aging bias.

Prior to starting the My Sage process, the main interactions that I have had with elders have been with my grandparents. When thinking about it, I still have had limited interactions with elders as of recently because I have not been talking to my grandparents as often as I should. Through taking this course, I have kept my grandparents in the back of my mind as learning the different aspects of things that elders encounter on a daily basis. The readings, guest speakers, class discussions, and lectures have helped me to accumulate the appropriate knowledge that is needed when working with elders as a social worker. The field of gerontology and working with elders is booming in the social work profession. More people are living longer

Aging is highly stereotyped it play a role on how they interact with individuals. First, dementia is part of aging. It’s a health condition and it occurs, and should be followed as medical condition not a normal part of aging, “Said Patricia Harris, MD. Second, aging is depressing, and it make seniors grumpier. Aging leads to loneliness especially the seniors that has no mobility, who have recently lost a love one. Sometimes they have volunteers come do activities with the seniors take them down to Walmart to do shopping. Activities and visits help seniors stay active and happy. Seniors enjoy getting out of bed everyday it makes them happy to see individuals care about them.

Ageism can be noticed at all levels of society but I do believe that there is a strong positive trend towards senior empowerment. One example of this occurred at a public pool near my house. In addition to swimming classes, lane swimming was added; the pool is split into 3 lanes based on speed. This allows individuals of all ages to participate in any lane they see fit. So an older individual can choose to swim in the fast, leisure or slow lane without facing ageism and disturbing others. Another good example of positive support towards older people is Toronto Transit Commissions (TTC). When I commute using the TTC positive support is expressed by all individuals by giving up their seat for seniors, pregnant women and people with disabilities.

Upon starting this Gerontology course, I was overwhelmed with the course expectations, having to complete an Older Adult Review project, weekly discussion board posts and comments with precise APA format (which I was horrible at) and lots of supplemental reading to fulfill the learning outcomes of this course. Nevertheless, I overcame all those obstacles and have obtained newfound knowledge of what it is like to age, firsthand, coming from one of my favorite patients which has cleared many of the stereotypes I had on the geriatric population. Thanks to this course and interviews with Mary, I have a better understanding of the geriatric population which will benefit my future career as a Registered Nurse.