Ageism: Late Adulthood And Death

Improved Essays
Late Adulthood and Death Ageism refers to the discrimination or prejudice against people depending upon their old age. One of the major reasons for ageism is negative cultural reviews related to growing old. Various negative false beliefs and stereotypes related to the elderly, such as poor coordination, confusion, inability to learn new skills, tiredness, inability to remember new information and many others. Most of the younger adults ignore the opinions and advice of the elderly, thereby forcing them out of jobs and denying promotions in spite of their qualifications. Most of the individuals express ageism through patronizing language, such as being overly polite, loud, slow and simple, which imply that the elderly are infirm although they …show more content…
Controlling the emotions through intellectually stimulating activities delays or prevents the onset of anxiety and depression. Positive emotions and personal happiness boost the chances of living a longer life and avoids the negative effects of aging. Since organ systems begin showing a reduced efficiency, it is important to ensure medical care from time to time. Consuming a low-calorie diet rich in recommended amount of proteins, fat and carbohydrates, as well as the intake of nutrient supplements are some of the healthy habits, which help mitigating the negative effects of aging. Preventive medicine and regular dental checkups keep the individuals away from illnesses in their late adulthood. It is very important to be away from alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, which are harmful to …show more content…
The relationships during late adulthood focus on support and companionship, making the elderly healthier and happier. On the other hand, deprivation from social interaction leads to loneliness, physical inactivity, higher blood pressure and depression. Positive familial relationships show a decreased rate of mortality. Although the frequency and number of relationships decline as adults grow older, it is yet important to maintain ties with friends and family. Stronger social interactions help to maintain stable and consistent personality traits in the elderly in spite of their aging. Such interactions also help them to accept the physical and mental changes, and be prepared for death. The elderly who maintain societal ties during their late adulthood tend to possess emotional control and closeness with

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Over time our body structures and cognitive capacities decline and it is in this decline where perspectives on life changes affect the overall successfulness of aging. The aging population now has the opportunity to live longer, happier lives. This increase in life expectancy is a product of culture which has illuminated progresses in science, technology, health care and wellbeing. There are challenges that are associated with living longer such as changes in social status, increased dependence, loss of roles and habits, and changes in life style. The…

    • 1928 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Acct 553 Week 4 Paper

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Aging is stage of life when someone feels alone and wants an increase in behaviors which are socially good. Social involvement at later stage of life is very important because feeling of helplessness and loneliness become severe when social activities of old age people are less. With the help of these podcasts, I also got an idea about the healthcare services for elderly people and how race and ethnicity impact the life of old people in a family. Different cultures have different family…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Becoming older can cause older folks to eat alone, become depressed, and not want to cook, (especially for just one person). In the case of my grandparents, my grandmother who is healthy and active is very sociable. On the other hand, my grandfather who passed was not healthy and was not very social.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Tanya, great analysis of the Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) instrument in your article. With my experience working in the nursing home for several years, I think that the perceived satisfaction with social support and frequency of social interactions are important to the psychological wellbeing of older adults with chronic illness and functional impairment. Although such health difficulties may have a critical impact on quality of life via the stressful experience of loss of role status, impaired sense of well-being, and disruption of social support, I find that it may be possible to lessen such adverse psychological consequences by increasing perceived social support and promoting social…

    • 107 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This number is drastically lower than the number of elderly people living in nursing homes that have depression. Part of the cause of nursing home depression is that many residents feel as if they have no one to talk to about their problems and concerns. They often feel lonely and begin to ruminate on their self worth due to a lack of hobbies and meaningful relationships which ultimately leads to depression (Gan 1). Studies have shown that social interaction can help to reduce depression like symptoms in elderly residents. Weiss’ developed a social support theory that consisted of six different types of social interactions that could potentially help lessen these negative feelings nursing home residents were experiencing (Dragesey 873).…

    • 1190 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Relationships with an emotional foundation tend to have longevity, whereas more peripheral relationships are less stable, and dissipate over time (Hutchison, 2015). During adolescence, one is apt to learn as much as they can about the world. Thus, adolescents tend to have many relationships which changes in middle adulthood. Middle-aged adults report having fewer friendships than their younger counterparts, however, these relationships can still be impactful. For example, having close friends at the age of 50 for men predicts better physical health by age 70.…

    • 1149 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    My Late Live Aging Describe the impact on you physically, emotionally, socially, and Financially (as much as you can imagine the impact). Living with a chronic condition such as arthritis in late life would feel as if I am held captive within the walls of a prison cell with no way out. My condition will be a constant reminder of not being able to physically experience life’s voyage because it is now a struggle to accomplish even the simplest task, such as tying my shoe lace or walk up a flight of stairs. If arthritis is my condition, I could only imagine the aches and pains invading my joints and body experiencing limitations making it hard to maintain normalcy and independence. Simply put, my level of activity will decrease, however,…

    • 1592 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ageism In Retrospect

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It is possible that it was not Knisley’s intention to portray her grandparents as such, but it does not change the fact that throughout the story they are often only seen in her company. Therefore, their dependence on their granddaughter leaves themselves “transformed into passive objects”, enabling her to portray them unconsciously into one-dimensional characters rather than actual people (Biggs 4). While a comic may intend to hold certain elements fictitious, it is hard to decipher Knisley’s goal when she places a picture of her grandparents and herself to validate that they are real (Knisley 116). In retrospect, through her narrative she imposes a perspective of her grandparents, which is the stereotypical view of elderly characters. Following Biggs’ idea, Knisley also then applies in her story the “recognition of respect and stigma of lost personal control” in the way she handles her grandparents (Biggs 10).…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The most common illnesses are heart disease, cancer, stroke and pulmonary related issues. These illnesses lead to 25% of the elderly experiencing one or more limitations in activities of daily living (Anderson, 2010). Not surprising, the elderly also experience a significant amount of loneliness, social isolation and depression due to their conditions. This tends to decrease their quality of life, which often exacerbates their physical conditions. Social interaction has been shown to increase physical activity and health outcomes resulting in an increased quality of life (Karelina & DeVries, 2011).…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Aging Population In Canada

    • 1788 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Social Isolation Seniors: An Emerging Issue. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2004/Social_Isolation_Among_Sen iors.pdf Brownie, S., & Horstmanshof, L. (2011). The Management of Loneliness in Aged Care Residents: An Important Therapeutic Target for Gerontological Nursing. Geriatric Nursing. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/ehost/command/detail?sid=5876156 f-9f32-4b4f-ad16-db68c8dae34a%40sessionmgr107&vid=4&hid=128 Chiang, K., Chu, H., Chang, H., Chung, M., Chen, C., Chiou, H., & Chou, K. (2010).…

    • 1788 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Brilliant Essays
  • Brilliant Essays

    Hps302 Assignment 1

    • 1757 Words
    • 8 Pages

    This theory is incorporated into this review. Evidence from various sources has shown how an individual’s happiness and wellbeing is influenced by social relationships. It has been found that elderly individuals usually maintain smaller social network connections compared with younger individuals, and that they traditionally rely on family members for support (Chang & Hsu, 2015). In the elderly, a lot of individuals are dealing will illness and functional limitations, and it is important for them to have strong relationships to help them cope with this (Sintonen & Pehkonen, 2014). It has been found that strong bonds are based on communication, emotional intensity and mutual trust.…

    • 1757 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Brilliant Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the American society, there are many myths about aging. Novak stated, “Some years ago, Robert Butler coined the term ageism to describe these negative attitudes toward aging (3).” These negative attitudes toward aging come from common sources such as, the media, magazines, advertisements, literature, and popular culture (23). One example of this is the television show, The Simpsons. The show depicts Grandpa Simpson as ignorant, forgetful, and timid.…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Older Adult in Work Place The late adulthood is a developmental stage with its own special issue and task. Usually, older adult after their 65s retired from the work does not have much to do as we consider. However, it is the precious time for them to reexamine their life and complete the unfinished things and career. For example, a lady age 73 was an army nurse when she was younger.…

    • 904 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Both concepts however promote active and healthy aging. Older adults with better social network experience better emotional, mental and physical health; those who guide and nuture the younger generation derive satisfaction and motivation which also enhances the aging process. Both concepts are also useful in understanding grandparenting today as they underline the approaches and styles of grandparenting. Transition to grandparenthood now occur in midlife resulting in variation in age of grandparents, grandparenting approach and motive although it has been reported that the prime significance of grandparenting is biological renewal and/or continuity and emotional self fulfillment (Hooyman & Kiyak, p.361). While younger grandparents tend to use the involved or authoritative style of grandparenting, older grandparents use the remote and individualized…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Stages Of Human Life Essay

    • 1360 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The stages of human life Every human being born, grows, matures, grows old and dies. These stages are a process of continuous physical, psychological and intellectual changes. It is an irreversible and permanent evolution of changes, our body has stages of growth, maturation and degeneration.…

    • 1360 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays