Working With The Elderly Population

Elderly people (women and men age sixty-five or older) (Macionis, 2005), Have many obstacles to face as they grow older, many of these obstacles involve social inequality. Not only do the elderly have to learn to deal with many forms of Ageism (the stereotyping and prejudice against individuals or groups because of their age), some also have to deal with the fact that they do not have enough savings or pension benefits to be self supporting, for most people over sixty-five, the major source of income is social security (Macionis, 2005). This forces many elderly Americans back into the workforce to continue to earn money to support themselves and or spouses. Although many elderly Americans may choose

Generally, social work is affiliated with the younger population or topics of abuse and neglect in the home. While this can be a vital part of the job description, social work is a diversified field with many other career opportunities. A social worker’s ethical job responsibilities are outlined in NASW Code of Ethics (1999). The following sections will review these responsibilities in relation to aging populations and a social workers practice.

The challenge America now faces is the number of people reaching retirement will double in number by 2030, and the U.S. population will increase almost 20 percent ("Our Aging Nation," 2015). The goal is for the elderly to maintain and live with independence and dignity, as well as, provide a wide range of professional health and social service expertise, home care, and residential support and services that will be needed ("Our Aging Nation," 2015). Since the number of caregivers needed for this population will not be able to meet the demands other resolutions are considered necessary.

Aging is very complex and highly individualized process which begins at conception and end with death. Variables such as physical or cognitive impairments, socioeconomic aspect, cultural values, and beliefs make an aging process unique to each individual. I interviewed an elderly woman using a set of guided questionnaires on the topic to further explore her aging experience. For the purpose of this assignment, I will refer to the client interviewed as a D.L., a changed name for a reason of privacy and confidentiality. During the interview, we explored a D.L. strategy to stay healthy, significant accomplishments of her life, hobbies and activities, retirement, and finally the goals for the future.

My advanced practice specialty area is adult through gerontology primary care. At age 16, the love of my grandmother led me to apply for a housekeeping position in the nursing home she resided. Toileting my grandmother, performing evening hygiene, and placing my grandmother into bed after work every evening was an honor. My grandmother’s nursing

I chose a learning plan topic that would increase my nursing practice competency as a senior nursing student, would be relevant to my placement setting, would build on my knowledge obtained from completing NSE417 – Nursing Practice IV class and NSE407 – Nursing: Professional Issues and Trends class, and was approved by my Primary Preceptor and Faculty Advisor (FA). With a global trend of an increasing senior population and having a placement in a nursing home, it was important to choose a learning plan that focused on the challenges and trends in senior safety. My Overarching goal for my learning plan was to expand my knowledge and critical thinking skills related to expertly assessing and managing elder frailty in a long-term care setting by Tuesday, March 1, 2016. By completing this learning plan, I have fulfilled and demonstrated the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)’s Continuing Competency Standard by performing a self-assessment of my knowledge, developing and implementing a learning plan, and evaluating the outcomes of the plan (CNO, 2002). Ultimately, the goal is to enhance geriatric care at my placement setting and advance my competency in delivering safe, ethical, competent client-centred care.

P3: Explain ways in which health and social care workers support the independence and wellbeing of older people. M2: Assess ways in which health and social care workers support the independence and wellbeing of older people. D1: Evaluate ways in which the sectors work together to support the independence and wellbeing of older people. Doris has stayed connected with her friend Frieda who lives on her own independently but recently she has had a fall and she has been referred to the local authorities. P1& M2 When promoting independence and wellbeing in older people it has to be done in a way where the person feels that they are able to do what they are being asked to do and if they say that they don’t

There is a documentary from 2006 on PBS called Living Old from Frontline that interviews many elderly patients and their care-takers about living longer and the effect it has on them. It was very interesting to watch because it showed both sides of many problems facing the older adult and their families along with the potential decisions that will need to be made by them as people are living so much longer now. The purpose of this discussion is to address something I learned that I did not previously know, review what I found the most surprising, and what piece of information that will most likely affect my nursing practice after viewing this documentary.

More people are living much longer lives than in years past. People are very surprised to be living much longer lives than they thought they would. Health care has played a large part in patient longevity. There are many normal changes that come along with aging, however, because people are living longer these normal changes can become chronic problems. Common aging problems that can make the older adult a vulnerable population are reviewed in Gerontological Nursing (Tabloski, 2014) and can include nutritional needs, medication management, sleep changes, oral or mouth care, renal problems and musculoskeletal concerns. According to A Profile of Older Americans: 2013 (http://www.hhs.gov), there are a large amount

Experience working in the field of health care lends insight to the growing needs of the older adult population, and the barriers which impede our capacity to meet them. As the Baby Boomer age is approaching older adulthood, the rise for financial,

Because of “the baby boomer generation” is reaching 65 years old, the elderly population has increased since 2010; consequently, it is said that the older population will continue to grow until 2030 (Mauk, 2014, p. 30). Understanding what are normal or abnormal in aging as well as people’s view toward aging are extremely important for us, as health professionals, since the majority of people who need medical assistance would be those elderly. The movie “Cocoon” is describing several gerontological perspectives and issues, which are useful to learn the necessary points for developing nursing care plans of older adults.

After reading The Age of Dignity by Ai-Jen Poo, I realize that she brings out many good concerns and information about where our country is heading in the upcoming years. Throughout her book we discuss our golden years and the care that we should be able to receive and how crucial it is for our personal wellbeing, independence, and securing our own futures. The 85 plus age group is one of the fastest growing demographics in the US and Poo talks about the possible solutions that need to be created in our infrastructure before we have an even bigger crisis on our hands. It’s a fact that the elderly baby boomers cohort is growing faster than we can care for them, this shows that we need to implement a new system that will be able to care and support our many elders in their life, and how we can do it with financial competency and dignity.

The objective of this study is to examine the evolution of programs and services for aging population over the last fifty years. Toward this end, this brief study will conduct a review of literature that addresses these shifts and changes in policy. The timeline of the history of the services and pogroms for the aging population in the United States is shown in the following timeline and an explanation for these develops will next follow the timeline.

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

According to Statistics Canada, aging population has steadily increased since the mid-1960. The age of 65 and older comprised 15.7% of the country’s population. Promoting health in these aging population is very crucial to minimise the severity of health complications that might occur in the long run. Gerontological Nursing involves the care of aging people and emphasize the promotion of the highest possible quality of life and wellness throughout the lifespan (Eliopoulos, c2014 p73). Aging people need Gerontological Nurses who are knowledgeable and willing to promote health and optimum quality of life with the consideration of their core needs such as physiological balance, connection and gratification (Eliopoulos, c2014 p78).