In most societies, older people are generally viewed as a group of with common characteristics and needs. Older age is usually viewed as a state, a stage or an event. In reality, older people are not a homogenous group, but rather highly diverse individuals. The factor that is common to all older people is the accumulation of more numerous life experiences over a greater period of time than those of younger people (Bowling & Dieppe, 2005). Aging is defined as the process of becoming older, a process that is genetically…
Cox, H. G. (2006). Later life: The realities of aging (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:…
Boomers' Journey, by Merrill C. Hubbard, is about how an elderly person can transform into a person of value by embracing the changes that accompany old age. Based on a lot of research and interviews with men and women of the boomer generation in America, the author reveals the means by which senior citizens can move beyond regrets and choose to live active, rewarding lives. With fascinating stories containing the author and other people's personal experiences, this self-help book teaches how an older adult can make the second half of his or her life a time for creative activities. Being a psychotherapist for thirty-seven years, Merrill provides exercises that can be used to overcome challenges of later maturity. These exercises include steps…
Rationale: “Recognizing positive aspects of one’s life may facilitate coping with an aspect of one’s life that is uncontrollable. Authentic relationships, self-representation and feelings of belonging have been identified as a client’s emotional needs in the living and dying phase” (Gulanick & Myers,…
Describe a life challenge, behavior, characteristic, or significant event associated with a developmental milestone of one of the life stages of young, middle, or later adulthood that a social worker may assist a client with. Late adulthood is when older adults look back at their lives and reflect on the meaning of their experiences, circumstances, failures, and disappointments. Once reaches integrity when they are able to accept all of the facts pf their life and face death without great fear. Those in despair live in feelings of regret and a consistent desire to have done things differently in their life.…
According to Erikson’s life stages, as people age they are faced with developing integrity or falling into despair (Carver & Scheier, 2004). At people age, the finiteness of life is realized. Some find a need to review their life, while others put up guards against what for them could be a painful experience (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2008). Successful aging is the ability to reflect back on one’s life and find meaning and happiness, as opposed to despairing from a lack of purpose and perceived failures. “To explain the contribution of reminiscence to successful aging, four processes are often mentioned: identity-forming and self-continuity; enhancing…
Throughout your life the process of ageing is constantly influencing your identity. As William Shakespeare wrote “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts,…”. Our identity is forever changing and this is because we are forever ageing. Throughout out the three main stages of ageing – youth, middle age, elderly- we don’t just age physically, we age physiologically as well. Hence as we age we mature, become wiser and more aware of the world around us. As of this our views change from each stage of life, thus inflicting our identity to change. Although some people find this transition from one stage of life to the next to be difficult and dread upon its occurrences whereas others enjoy ageing and just take it as it comes.…
Erikson felt that much of life is preparing for the middle adulthood stage and the last stage is recovering from it. Perhaps that is because as older adults we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and we've made a contribution to life, a feeling Erikson calls integrity. Our strength comes from a wisdom that the world is very large and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life.…
Death is inevitable. No matter how much an individual clings to life hoping and wishing to escape death, death always follows. Yet, in the presence of those who cling to life, there are individuals who accept that death is a part of life. Those individuals realize that from the moment of birth death is inevitable. In light of these two polar responses to death I find it important to try to understand the concept of “good death.” For the purpose of this short essay I will not dive into whether death is good. For now I will only explore the fluidity of “good death” by highlighting specific attitudes that have endured over the past 150 years and offer personal suggests for why I think these attitudes have persisted.…
Erik Erikson, who took a special interest in this final stage of life, concluded that the primary psychosocial task of late adulthood (65 and beyond) is to maintain ego integrity (holding on to one's sense of wholeness), while avoiding despair (fearing there is too little time to begin a new life course). Those who succeed at this final task also develop wisdom, which includes accepting without major regrets the life that one has lived, as well as the inescapability of death. However, even older adults who achieve a high degree of integrity may feel some despair at this stage as they contemplate their past. No one makes it through life without wondering if another path may have been happier and more productive.…
The changes that occur throughout our daily lives are preparing us for the next stage of life. As individuals age they experience new things and learn new things about themselves. Some people fear aging as they fear they will no longer be able to properly care for themselves any longer, but with the love and support from our families anything is possible. The aging process includes changes in roles and social positions, considering living accommodations with health care needs, transitioning from work…
The aging process is a complex stage of life, further than imaginable. There are several variables taking place in this stage of life, variables that range from the physical to the spiritual. As the course progressed, my initial assumptions were dissipating as my knowledge on the subject was becoming wider.…
Late Adulthood is a time in people’s lives when they come to terms with their lives and reevaluate what they have done or accomplished in the lieu of what they still would like to accomplish for the remainder of their lives. During this stage of life adults around the ages of 65 begin to experience a variety of changes in their physical appearance and a decline in their health. The process of aging in an individual occurs at different speeds and during this stage older adults are being treated as second-class citizens especially by younger adults. The skin begins to wrinkle at an accelerated rate, the senses lose their acuity, and the voice becomes less powerful. Other physical changes occur like the loss of teeth, bones become brittle, joints become stiff, and the graying of hair.…
Erik Erikson suggests that at this time it is important to find meaning and satisfaction in life rather than to become bitter and disillusioned. That is, to resolve the conflict of integrity versus despair. It has been estimated that by the year 2030, Americans over 65 will make up 20% of the population. Despite the problems associated with longevity, studies of people in their 70s have shown that growing old is not necessarily synonymous with substantial mental or physical deterioration. Many older people are happy and engaged in a variety of activities.…
In this paper I will be looking at ageism and stereotypes that associated with late adulthood, evaluating how people in late adulthood can promote health and wellness to help prevent the negative effects of aging. I will also be analyzing the importance of relationships and social interactions towards the end of a person’s life and identifying the cultural and personal attitudes about death and dignity in late adulthood.…