Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
Aging raises the problem of consistent changes in the lifestyle of people and the quality of living. As a rule, aging is associated with the deterioration of the quality of life and emergence of diverse problems. However, aging is not necessarily a negative issue. As the interview of an older person has shown, aging may have its positive aspects, which though are, to a significant extent, overshadowed by challenges and difficulties people confront as they grow older. At the same time, the elimination of biases concerning the aging is very important, while the study of the aging helps to understand this process as the natural one that may involve the preparedness of aging people to challenges they are likely to confront. In fact, aging is a complex process that involves the development of numerous health problems and deterioration of the quality of living with the consistent change of the lifestyle and consistently larger free time, but people should use it effectively.Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
Discussion of the interview
The interview with an older person has revealed several important issues that are distinct feature of the aging of the person involved in the interview. First of all, the interviewed old man places emphasis on the fact that aging is the inevitable process and he does not try to become a younger but what the aging has taught him is the important of physical activities. He told that because of his health problems, he had to start walking everyday to rehabilitate and regain his physical shape. However, he now is aware that the change of his lifestyle earlier could have prevented some of his health problems. Nevertheless, he feels being satisfied with his achievements in his life and his current health condition allows him to perform basic activities he is accustomed to.Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
At the same time, the main issue the old man confronts at the moment is his health since it has started to deteriorate consistently and it is extremely difficult for him to maintain his health. He has already developed a chronic illness and conducts its regular treatment to prevent the further progress of the disease with the possible risk of dying. In addition, the old man regretted that he cannot do his job anymore because he likes his job but his health does not allow him to do his job on the regular basis.
Furthermore, the main issue that is particularly challenging for him is the end of life issue. He pointed out that, in the course of aging, it was extremely difficult for him to become aware that his life is ending and it is only the death of his friend that made him confident that one day he will die too. On the other hand, he pointed out that, at the moment, he cannot tell that he is afraid of death because he is totally accustomed to the inevitability of the end of his life and he is ready to live the normal life and reject negative thoughts.
Literature review
Existing studies (Smith, 2000) reveal the fact that aging leads to consistent changes in the quality of life of individuals and they may have difficulties with the steady degradation of their quality of life. At the same time, the deterioration of the quality of life occurs mainly because people neglected the healthy lifestyle before. Even though they were active in the past, they could not maintain those activities at the present.
Adjustment to the stressors of late life is an essential step toward the preparation of the older population to aging. People grow old being absolutely unprepared to their aging. This is why psychologists should work with older patients to deal with the many life stressors that accompany aging, such as decline in health, loss of loved ones, and relocation to a new living situation (Quadango, 2013).
Furthermore, aging patients face the high risk of the development of such health issues as dementia. Psychologists help individuals who are in early stages of dementia build coping strategies and reduce distress through psychotherapy and psychoeducational support groups (Marton, 1981). Therefore, older people need additional training to come prepared to their aging and challenges associated with this process. Aging is a natural process and older people should perceive it in a natural way as an integral part of their life. However, as the interview has proved, after years and decades of social and economic activities, aging people may face difficulties with the adoption of the ewne lifestyle and social relations.Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
At the same time, older patients face the high risk of the development of other psychological problems, such as depression. Depression in older adults is a very treatable disorder (Takahashi & Yamanaka, 2006). However, symptoms of depression in older adults are often overlooked because they are inaccurately assumed to be a normal part of aging or may coincide with medical illnesses or life events that commonly occur as people age (Longjian, 2002). Depression is a challenging condition for older people because they cannot always cope with depression on their own and they need the assistance of a health care professional who can offer an effective strategy to overcome depression through physical activities and rapid change of the lifestyle.
Finally, aging people inevitably face end of life issues and this is the most challenging part of aging, according to my interview. Psychologists assist older adults and their families with advanced care planning. They counsel terminally ill patients and their families on how to manage feelings, decrease distress, and manage pain, and after the death, grief (Kwon, et al., 2006). Psychologists can and do help people, who confront end of life issues, but in health care environment older people are often helpless in face of end of life issues. They have psychological difficulties because they grow aware of the fact that their life is coming to the inevitable end and there is no one to help them. In such a situation, psychologists help people to tackle their psychological problems and come prepared to the end of life issues.Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
Conclusion
Thus, aging turns out to be a challenging process. In this regard, the adjustment of the patient to the consistent change in his/her life is very challenging. Often patients are unwilling to change their lifestyle. However steadily the slip to pitfalls of aging and are incapable to resist to the process of aging. In this regard, the assistance of psychologists and health care professionals along with the family support can decrease numerous risks and challenges associated with the process of aging.
References:
Bowling, Ann (2005). Aging well: quality of life in old age. [Milton Keynes]: Open University Press
Jenkins, Kristi Rahrig et al., “Informal Caregiving and Body Mass Index Among Older Adults,” Journal of Gerontological Nursing 33, no. 4 (2007): 42-51.Aging | Discussion with an Older Person
Kwon, J. et al., “Risk Factors for Dietary Variety Decline Among Japanese Elderly in a Rural Community: An 8-Year Follow-Up Study From TMIG-LISA,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 30, no. 3 (2006): 305-11.
Longjian Liu et al., “Undernutrition and Risk of Mortality in Elderly Patients Within 1 Year of Hospital Discharge (abstract),” Journal of Gerontology 57, no. 11 (2002): M741-46.
Lopez, A.D., et al. (2006). “Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001: Systematic analysis of population health data”. The Lancet 367 (9524): 1747–57.
Marton, K. I.et al., “Involuntary Weight Loss: Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance,” Annals of Internal Medicine 95 (1981): 568-574 Aging | Discussion with an Older Person