The Importance of Social Supports: Family, Friends, Neighbors and Communities

"When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?

If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,

When I'm sixty-four?"

-The Beatles

 

     For CHAPTER 9, I chose to focus on intimate relationships with elders that are typically known as life-partners (husbands and wives). I found that females typically divorce at an older age for money. It makes a person feel more needed and not so alone if they have a romantic partner in the elderly years. I also found that it is unlikely that elderly people will remarry after divorce.

 

     The image I chose illustrates elderly couples who are in love, and I found that most couples who have been married for most of their lives suggest that they are more in love now than they were when they were young. These articles and the video clip support my findings.

 

 

Scholarly Journal: This article has a study that shows that there is a link between marital satisfaction and overall health. Those with marital distress are more likely to have higher risk factors for health problems such as Cardiovascular Disease.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:6233/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=126&sid=d4514baa-1bd1-4b96-ba16-c29e70a3f4d5%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=51860847

Video Clip: Longest Married Couple! This couple from Britain have been married for 77 years now, and say they are just as much in love today as the day they met. =)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1VVMInU5xk

Internet Sites: Divorce among the elderly is becoming more common. This article states that elderly people are more likely to cope with divorce well because of their maturity.

http://www.positivearticles.com/Article/Divorce-and-Old-Age/28274

 

In this next article, people claim that they have more romance when they are elderly than they did when they were young. Apparently there is a huge difference between "old love" and "new love."  

http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/what-young-love-should-know-about-old-love-11562117.html 

 

Crossword Puzzle:

http://www.variety-games.com/CW/Puzzles/10359888297587248234-puzzle.htm

Love, Intimacy and Sexuality in Old Age

"Sex at age 90 is like trying to shoot pool with a rope." - George Burns

     This entry has to do with stereotypes that our society have about sexual activities and the elderly. It focuses on sexuality of the elderly mentioned in CHAPTER 7. I chose this chapter because sexuality is something that everyone wants to experience; why should the elderly be denied that experience just because of health problems? There are several young people who have sexual dysfunctions as well!

     I chose the picture because it depicts how society views sexuality among the elderly. Most people seem to think that elderly people do not engage in sex or desire to have sexual experiences. Many people also find it taboo to talk about sexuality among the elderly. I found some articles and a video that shows how much senior citizens value sexual experiences and how it is viewed by those who are not in that age range.

Scholarly Journal: This article discusses humor toward sexuality in a nursing home; caregivers felt it was a way of relating to patients, but it appeared to be a form of control to discourage sexual behavior. This is similar to racists jokes, where one group is viewed as inferior.

http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:6233/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=126&sid=94eb4acc-5285-43e7-8302-b52d9a821e7c%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=11303637

Video Clip: Senior Citizens create elderly safe sex video! (I was unaware that ten percent of Americans who have aids are over the age of 50). They call their video "Sex and the Seniors."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlJ9DmfluFk

Internet Sites: This website talks about how elderly people have sex just as much as younger people; we are all human! Those who are in good health have sexual experiences more often, and those who have trouble with their sexual life seek help.

http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/news/20070822/older-americans-have-active-sex-lives

Elderly people do begin to have some trouble with sexuality because of declining health, so things have been done to assist them with being able to perform sexually. This article suggests that physicians target the health problem that may be the cause of sexual dysfunction.

http://www.nature.com/ijir/journal/v17/n1s/full/3901429a.html

Crossword Puzzle:

http://www.variety-games.com/CW/Puzzles/6993428767587248234-puzzle.htm

Personality and Mental Health in Old Age

"I have done so much with so little for so long that I feel like I could do anything with nothing in no time." - Unknown Author

     I chose to focus on successful aging in this CHAPTER 6, rather than mental disorders. It is difficult to define, but being successful in old age basically includes being active the community, managing your physical and mental health, and having good self-esteem. I feel that elderly people worry too much about their mental health, which could push them toward a problem at an earlier time. If they view retirement as a new adventure, it can improve mental health and stability.

     The picture I chose represents certain activities that elderly could do to stay active and happy. The video and articles that I chose illustrate things elderly people can do to avoid things like depression and premature illness.



Scholarly Journal Article: This article examines the difficulty in defining what "successful aging" is. The authors state that few older adults meet the criteria for successful aging (in accordance with Rowe and Kahn’s definition, which includes disease and disability, cognitive and physical functioning, social connections, and productive activities).
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:6233/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=126&sid=4548ea78-7b57-4e40-a04a-15bcaac27766%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=48983208

Video Clip: This video gives advice on how to stay active for those over 65; physical and mental activities are equally important. Doing mental exercises, such as crossword puzzles and sudoku, decreases the possibility of memory loss and other mental disorders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiZxB7LvQc8

Internet Sites:  This study concludes that self-esteem drops after retirement for numerous reasons, such as deteriorating health and not working anymore. Some people feel like they lose an essential part of their identity when they stop going to work, and many even feel they have become unproductive members of society.
http://www.livescience.com/6264-esteem-drops-retirement.html
This next website makes a valid point - retirement doesn't mean the end of your life, but rather the beginning of another one. It gives ten ways to stay happy after retirement.
http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/cb.retirement.htm

Crossword Puzzle:
http://www.variety-games.com/CW/Puzzles/17010629027587248234-puzzle.htm

Social Consequences of Physical Aging

"Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." - Mark Twain


     I chose to make an entry on CHAPTER 3, "The Social Consequences of Physical Aging," because all of us will experience these types of changes at some point. It is inevitable to start losing sight, smell, taste, hearing etc. because the body wears out over time - we aren't made to last forever. However, people who live a healthy lifestyle can definitely delay the occurrence of these changes.


     The photo I used illustrates how things might start to look as vision declines, and the websites and articles I chose demonstrate how the loss of these sensory functions affect the elderly and how they can even be dangerous (being able to smell when something is burning and being able to drive).

Scholarly Journal Article: This article reports that thirty percent of old Americans, between 70 and 80 years old, experienced problems with their sense of smell in the United States. This can be dangerous when it comes to smelling things like smoke if there is a fire!
http://ida.lib.uidaho.edu:6233/ehost/detail?sid=cadd145d-ba84-4cf6-a1fe-ef11c31cfa1c%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=126&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=53402793

Video Clip: Changes in the appearance of the skin is definitely a sign of aging. In this video, Dr. Schultz explains three reasons why a woman's skin tends to age worse than a man's. Do you agree?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgamTtI1NtY&feature=fvsr

Internet Sites:
There are certain things people can do to delay the decline in their sensory system as they age; these modes of treatment include a healthy lifestyle, nutrition and hormone therapy.
http://www.genf20hgh.net/decline-in-sensory-system-with-aging.html
Losing sensory functions can definitely affect a person when it comes to operating an automobile. This is a very heated issue, and this website describes how to test the vision and hearing of elderly drivers.
http://www.ehow.com/how_6927680_test-vision-hearing-elderly-drivers.html

Crossword Puzzle:
http://www.variety-games.com/CW/Puzzles/6985674027587248234-puzzle.htm