African American Elderly Problems

In conclusion, elderly Americans face many obstacles as they grow in age, such as ageism, workforce discrimination, poverty,

As a person ages, theirs body cannot perform the way it used to. This will cause many elderly people to loose their job or choose to go into retirement. Both of these options cause a loss in health care as well and a reduced or exterminated income. Here alone lies a reason that the elderly population is challenged. The elderly population also has a tendency to develop a chronic illness that can be life threatening if not treated or controlled properly. This means that need for health care treatments also increases. At least 40% of those over age 65 will have nutrition-related health problems requiring treatment or management (Gigante, 2012). It is important to realize that 10% of people over the age of 65 and will develop Alzheimer’s disease and 50% of those over the age of 85 will develop this disease (Gigante, 2012). More elderly African American men and women use government aid than white men and women. Therefore, this population will be vulnerable because of the lack of funding, proper health care and insurance.

My population of interest thus meet the definition of a vulnerable population. Most African Americans women living in Nursing homes suffer from Depression. It could be as a result from other chronic illnesses and not just a single diagnosis of Depression. Some of the most common reasons they are admitted into long-term care facilities is because of Stroke, Diabetes with amputation, Cancer, lack of care givers, lack of finances, homelessness, age, and limited social and economic resources. These are all the factor that determines ones vulnerability. African

When it comes to cultural issues pertaining to this issue, Alzheimer's disease and dementia affect all racial and ethnic peoples. Communities of color and other historically underserved groups often encounter problems when accessing services or information about Alzheimer's disease. Because of this, the local chapter is working to increase awareness of the disease and understanding about the obstacles to service for rural communities, ethnic groups, and communities of color. This though should not be a reason people do not step out on their own and seek help

Despite the laws and systems in place that perpetuated racism and discrimination, he led a very successful life. He dropped out of school in 8th grade, grew up without his father and lived in poverty, but was able to have a successful career, purchase a home for his family and lead his household. In this past I had thoughts of not wanting to grow old, but after reading about late adulthood and conducting the interview with my grandfather, I realize that it is not the depressive and uneventful period I originally imagined it to be. I also realize that late adulthood is the not the ending of life, but the continuation of new experiences. My grandfather takes great pride in his life experiences and instead of focusing on shortcomings and negatives, he chooses to highlight his success and happiness. He has lived a very long and full life and his stories encompass much of the developmental information discussed in the late adulthood period. This assessment has also awakened in me, an interest in exploring geriatric social work. There is much to learn from our elders, and additional knowledge of this group will allow me to learn how to best serve and support clients in this age

Aging Americans, like other age groups, are feeling the effects of the declining real estate and stock markets, as well as soaring fuel and food prices. Seniors’ economic security will only increase in importance as the U.S. population ages. The nation’s health and social services resources will face unprecedented demand as 75 million people in the baby boomer generation reach retirement age—some with eroded savings and retirement accounts. Aging people of color are more likely than white

The individual I interviewed was my coworker Andrena’s adopted daughter Ann. Ann came to live with Andrena when she was 8 years old. The reason Anna came to live with Andrena was due to experiencing multiple natural disasters while living in Haiti which caused her to have an unstable living environment. The last event that Ann experienced prior to moving to the US was a flood in Haiti in 2008. Ann stated she was just six years old when the flood happened. The flood was caused after several days of torrential rain. It is reported that the rain left up to hundreds people dead. At the time of this disaster Ann was living with her biological parents and two aunts. Ann refers to her biological parents as her Grandparents since Andrena and her husband adopted her. Andrena’s husband is actually Ann’s biological brother, but she now refers to him as her father and Andrena as her mother.

Choices identify who you are as a person. They determine not only one’s personality, but what their choices will foreshadow. Lily, a young fourteen year old girl, is curious about her past and is willing to leave home to find answers. She lives with both T.Ray, her father, and Rosaleen, her African American caregiver. Since T.Ray doesn’t apply to the father role, Rosaleen not only cares for Lily, but acts as a mother figure towards her. She is a strong person who fights for what she believes is right. Rosaleen is not the only mother figure in this book, as you get deeper into the story, you discover another African American woman who cares for Lily just as much as Rosaleen. August Boatwright, one of the four Boatwrights introduced in the

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

In today’s society elder people are not given much importance or care like they deserve because they are old and as some people would say annoying. Often times we as younger generation believe that older people just nag all the time and to get rid of that nagging we send them to nursing homes or to an organization that will take care of them. Elder people do not realize what they are saying or doing because a lot of them have health problem that can or cannot be treated, they are babies and as youngest generation we do not see that or understand. Most older people have hard time taking care of their self, cleaning their homes or surroundings and live in that dirty environment because they have health problems and some do not even know what generation they are living in. in the book “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey the author Walter Mosley presents a novel about an elder black man whose having memory problem and cannot remember anyone in his family, friends and himself and his been forgotten by his family. The author presents this novel in a very unique way that makes us realize that we should care for elder people especially if it is our own family member because one day we will be in their spot and we want our family or kids to take care of us and love us until the last breath we take.

The following is an illustration of a family psychoeducation session with the client, B.H., a 32-year-old Caucasian female, unemployed with some post education, from a lower

As people age they develop many special needs related to the later period of life. Many elderly people have specific physical needs where adaptations to their home are necessary or where they need specific equipment for self care. Old age also brings new emotional challenges for the elderly person when the family can be useful in helping to meet the persons mental health needs. Senior citizens experience needs in their social life; they also experience the need for activities with other seniors. Health needs also negatively affect the elderly and cause multiple physical problems. Every elderly person experiences needs that are related to each of these areas.

In the vignette, it is mentioned that the client Julie, a 34-year-old African American female, is calling about her son 12-year-old son Derik, who seems to be having an adjustment issue relating to her recent marriage to John. Although Julie indicated that she is calling on behalf of her son’s adjustment problem, she spends most of the time talking about her dissatisfaction at work and within her romantic life. When approaching this case through a solution-focused lens, I would stress to her that anyone who is concerned about the problem situation (Derik’s adjustment problem, although it is apparent there are other issues) should attend the sessions. In the initial intake phase, little information is taken, understanding that the client is the expert in what needs to change; as the therapist, my role is to help her access the strengths she already possesses.

Ms. Carrolota (N) was interviewed in my residence for 30 minutes on 10/16/2015 between 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM. I have gathered information as we were going through process, Ms.Carrolota, a native of South Dakota has got married to Greg Fowler in 2014 and currently having child who goes to middle school. Ms.Carrolota parents have travelled a lot and mom used to take care of family.

The American population is getting older which presents us with many challenges but also present us with potential opportunities. With the length of life and quantity and fraction of older persons rise in most industrialized and many evolving nations, a crucial question is whether this population will be accompanied by continued or better-quality health, an improving quality of life, and adequate social and cost-effective resources. This answer lies in the ability of peoples and societies, as well as modern social, governmental, financial, and health service delivery systems, to provide optimum assistance to older persons.