Age Friendly Environment Within Ecological Perspective Essay

“Ageism has been called the ultimate prejudice, the last discrimination, the cruelest rejection,” Stein (unpublished). We as a people have defeated for the most part racism and sexism, but we have allowed the third great “ism” to remain unchallenged. “This widely practiced prejudice has gone on for generations and is known as ageism,” (Palmore, Erdman, Ballagh (1999). By definition, according to Webster’s Dictionary, it is discrimination against person’s of a certain age group. Ageism includes both positive affect and a negative connotation with any given age group. It is predominately seen as a reflection on the elderly. Positive aspects of ageism on the elderly include medical care, discounts and tax

Growth and development is an essential part of the life cycle, which leads to the occurrence of different phases like childhood, teenage and late adulthood. Aging is the period which is characterized by the onset of personal, cognitive and social changes. They feel hard to adjust the changes. Like rest of the world, the US also falls in the list of countries which have the highest population of elderly people. According to the Population Reference Bureau report, Americans ages 65 and older has projected to increase more than double from 46 million today to over 98 million by 2060, and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population will rise to nearly 24 percent from 15 percent (Mark Mather). The

Relatively new to this research are the correlations found between living environments and improved health and well-being for the people who live there. Employment and business opportunities also arise to support and maintain services for this vastly growing cohort. Ideas are being put forth now to create urban communities for senior living that will embrace continued learning and service opportunities. Aging-In-Place models, where seniors remain at home and in the community in which they have always lived is argued in research entitled, Innovative Models of Aging in Place: Transforming our Communities for an Aging Population (Bookman). Membership in a community can build relationships and identify common interests and purpose, as well as integrated settings to help promote meaning in the “golden years”. Bookman states that this is a global phenomenon and that in 1950 only 8% of the world population was over 60. Less than 70 years later that has changed dramatically, with the largest increase occurring in the most developed nations. The many benefits are people who are not only living longer, but leading active and healthy lives into ones 80’s and 90’s. The wisdom, experience and skills of this older population are available to family, friends and the communities for many decades. On the other hand, there are also

To compensate for this, many are looking towards helping older adults stay in their home for as long as possible, even if they experience functional or cognitive impairments. This idea is known as aging in place. In the USA, 95% of adults over the age of 75 want to age in place. There are benefits and challenges to aging in place. The benefits of aging in place are that it improves perceived quality of life and is cost-effective, whereas the challenges include declines in cognitive and functional abilities of older adults, as well as time pressures on formal and informal caregivers who must visit older adults in their homes throughout the community (Connelly, Laghari, Mokhtari, & Falk, 2014).

One out of every four homeowners in the United States is 65 years and older (Golant, 2008). The majority of aging adults would prefer to continue aging in place by remaining in their homes and neighborhoods (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2011). As a result, moving is typically a last resort. According to Golant (2008), “When the older occupants of these homes also have low incomes, the physical inadequacies of their dwelling especially increase their health and safety risks, and they become financially burdened by even routine maintenance costs” (p.5). As elderly homeowners age, it may become necessary to install modifications such as widened hallways or doorways for wheelchair use, ramps, and specially equipped bathrooms. It can be difficult for those with low incomes to find reliable and affordable professional labor to complete these improvements, especially when these individuals may be financially suffering from the weight of property taxes, insurances, and mortgages as well. Older adults with low-incomes typically reside in physically declining neighborhoods, which also puts them at greater risk for health problems, social isolation, and psychological distress (Golant, 2008). The financial burden of maintaining a home has numerous effects on the biological, social, and psychological aspects of a person’s life while

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Thus, such communities will require the appropriate conditions to handle the needs of the aging. In terms of physical environment, this includes such features as safety, open spaces to promote walking, and age-appropriate leisure activities Seniors in rural communities identified the need of “walkable” sidewalks or accessible buildings as it not only supported older people in the form of physical exercise but also easier commute to attend social or personal needs (Public Health Canada, 2009). In a Study by Bascu et al, in 2012 about 40 percent of seniors experienced fall and related functional limitation. The study revealed that seniors’ safety and security concerns tend to relate more to a poor physical environment which adds to the number of accidents, including falls and complications. Seasonal conditions such as icy, wet pathways that hinder mobility increase fall and isolation. Creating a safe physical environment enables seniors to live independently and recreate personal identity in the face of the challenges of aging (Keating, Swindle & Fletcher, 2011). It may, however, be challenging to create this environment. An underlying issue is that funding is needed to ensure the availability of the resources

Older adults are at a stage in life where they have to come to terms with their “inevitable decline” (Gladding, pg. 301). Older adults may suffer from “loneliness, fear and loss” (Gladding, pg. 302). They have been facing “chronic health problems that require increased attention” (Gladding, pg. 302). Many older people have difficulty transitioning to a “retirement lifestyle and long for their professional roles” (302). Many elderly also experience “limited socialization and interpersonal activities” (Gladding, pg. 303). Depression “affects 121 million people worldwide and is the leading cause of disability” (Pépin, Guérette, Lefebvre & Jacques, pg. 117).

Physical development continues to decline as one ages, typically experiencing weakened immune systems and a lessened ability to hear, see, smell and balance as well as before (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). Because of such challenges, older adults are more prone to failing and hurting themselves, which can compound physical challenges and require adjustments to go about accomplishing once was normal daily life tasks.

As adults age there are many changes that one may be challenged with. Aging adults begin to face cognitive, physical, and emotional issues that can present a challenge to health care professionals who are providing care. As one enters older adulthood, he or she is faced with potential memory loss. A struggle of forgetfulness can be a daily challenge that comes with aging. Degradation of the body can make everyday tasks increasingly challenging. With this degradation, simple activities such as walking, dressing oneself, eating, and showering can be limiting and difficult. Depression, loneliness, and a sense of

This suggests that older adults will soon overwhelm the number of caregivers available to assist them. To compensate for this, many are looking towards helping older adults stay in their home for as long as possible, even if they experience functional or cognitive impairments. This idea is known as aging in

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.

Out of the rapidly inclining population in the world, there are people who develop dementia every 66 seconds(“2016 Alzheimer’s Disease”). Being such a common disease in the elderly, there are 47.5 million people in the world with this disease(“2016 Alzheimer’s Disease”). Once families start to realize that their parents and grandparents have developed this, they start to wonder if they are able to live on their own. Within a few months, a decision is made whether if it is best for them to be put into a nursing home. Most often, those with dementia do happen to end up in nursing homes. Many wonder if being put into a nursing home will actually cause their dementia and their ability to live on their own to worsen. With the effects of activities, this could change. Activities help slow the deterioration of the brain(Smith). The activities and exercises performed by nursing homes to help improve the overall cognitive development in dementia patients. Nursing homes should induct purposeful daily activities to improve cognitive, social, and psychological development in dementia care

As aging is a stage of development that cannot prevented, the question of “can one’s aging be more successful than another?” is posed my many. Researchers continually consider the differences between aging successfully, and aging unsuccessfully. As researchers work to complete their studies, many find a reoccurring basis of successful aging. A basis of successful aging can be set including: physical health disease free, chronic illness free, mental health disease free, among many others. The only problem with this basis is the difference from person to person in terms of what makes aging successful. As individuals age, their mental state is a large predictor of how the person will age. A positive mental state about aging, will have a more positive effect on a person’s aging process. Many factors may influence the positivity of aging, such as negative aging stereotypes and discrimination because of older age. These negative aging stereotypes include but are not limited to: older adults are not as smart, older adults are angry all the time, older adults are bad drivers, older adults are isolated and never socialize. In adult aging and development, having a positive outlook on aging will lead to better mental and physical aging.

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.