The evolution of modern medicine has dramatically lengthened the life expectancy of human beings. In many cases, the quality of those life years are satisfactory, and elderly individuals enjoy life. However, there are also many people experience terminal diseases or tragic accidents that reduce their quality of life to the point they no longer want to live. In these cases, patients may plead with their doctor to end their life. Naturally, a physician ending the life of her patient is morally…
My mother once said that "The older you get, the faster time will fly. How true that is! Perhaps this is why people try to cram as much into their day as possible. However, when you become too busy and forget to set aside adequate time for yourself, it will take its toll on you physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. Signs that you should slow down can include, but are not limited to, frustration, anger, a short temper, exhaustion, depression, skin rashes, and illnesses. This article provides…
Over a period of many decades, the treatment of those with disabilities has changed majorly. How they are portrayed and treated on a day to day basis has gradually become fair and just. While looking back at the past treatment of certain individuals is difficult, there is now a much better perspective on what it is like to live a day in their lives, whether or not they have a visible disability or an invisible disability. During the 1800’s, those with disabilities were seen as pitiful…
In “Ageism” by Keri DeJong and Barbara J. love, they write that ageism is based on societally constructed ideas of different age groups rather than “biological realities” (535). They quote Robert Butler on the definition of ageism, which they write is “a process of systematic stereotyping of, and discrimination against people because they are old.” They then build on this idea of the oppression of people due to their age, by stating that adultism is “the systematic subordination of younger…
A movie or book review can be something that is not easy to do unless you find one that is interesting and really keeps your interest. I chose to watch the movie Quartet and do my review on it. Quartet is a heartfelt movie that grabs you from the beginning with the witty conversations and zaniness of some of the characters. When you add in the music and the plot you cannot stop watching it once you start. Quartet is a British based movie set in a retirement home that is named after a well…
Imagine waking up every day, secluded to a nursing home, constantly following the same monotonous schedule, and regularly having a feeling of despair. Joint facilities aim to eliminate the stereotypical life inside of assisted living and better the lives of elderly. Their solution is children. Not only are the elderly gaining from this experience, but the impact made on the youth as well is miraculous. The idea for combining these two unalike generations stemmed from the 1970’s. A man in Japan…
This book written by Atul Gawande is a journey through the process of death. The author uses interesting stories to illustrate his points in every /chapter. He takes us through the process of aging, and eventually dying, in a graceful and peaceful way, pointing out several problems in the way that end of life care is done as well as the way we as a society treat our elderly, providing historical and current evidence to support his points. He even draws in a personal connection by discussing the…
In the “Mirror”, by Sylvia Plath, shows the lack of confidence women face with image/reflection and the hours associated with aging through personification and metaphors. The author is accomplishing numerous forms of figurative language devices. Symbolism to show images only last for a very short time and resulting, the speaker’s attitude toward truthfulness. In the next couple paragraphs I would like to focus on the theme, tone/attitude and figurative language device used in this poem. The…
What do I see when I look in the mirror? This is a critical question for us to ask ourselves all throughout life. I am asking this myself now that I am about to turn 70. The answer to this question tells me a lot about how I see myself. In the end, that is what I consider crucial rather than comparing myself to some arbitrary conceptions that the world may tell me to measure up to. Here’s the usual answer that I identify. For the most part, I am delighted with what I see, clothed or…
The Indonesia Statistical Bureau stated that young women and men are a growing proportion of the population; one in five Indonesians belongs to the 15-24 age groups. The young population increased from 35 million in 1980 to more than 42.4 million in 2007 (BPS, 1992). Therefore, the population of Indonesia can be classified as “young”, with a large proportion being in the younger age groups. In 2007, 21.4 million people were in ages 15-19, and 21.0 million were in ages 20-24. Adolescence has…