Hello! My name is Claudia
Bustamante and I am 22 years old living in Boise, Idaho. I am a senior taking
online classes from the University of Idaho. As a psychology major, I am
interested in all aspects of human behavior, including behavior in society. For
along time, I was only interested in working with children, but I decided I
should be able to branch out if I wanted to do so in the future. The reason I
took a Social Gerontology course was to better my understanding of the aging
process in adults and the elderly.
I chose this striking photograph
because it represents elders from various cultures including our own society.
This picture comes from an article where each of these people explain what they
are most afraid, and what the biggest problem is that they face in their
society. For example, the man on the bottom right explains that there are no
problems aging in Cuba. Claudio Rodriguez Contreras, 71, explains that the
Cuban government helps the elderly with minimal requirements such as a pension,
free medical care, food, and a living situation. Second from the top left,
Padma Sagaram 63, explains that there are no retirement villages in Singapore.
She fears becoming ill, being financially dependent on others, and being alone
(CBS, 2013). I especially enjoyed this photograph and article because it
showcased elders of many different cultures. In order to understand aging in our
society, we must be able to compare it to others throughout the world.
In chapter 6 of Aging Matters, readers are introduced to
the therapy that pets provide for the elderly. I chose this particular topic
because of my love for animals, and how they aid in every aspect of life.
Personally, I have suffered through anxiety and depression and my pets have
helped curb each issue, so I know that they would help the elderly as well.
According to Aging Matters, benefits of owning a pet or
spending time with animals in old age include:
·Provide structure
·Provide a sense of purpose
·Anchor in days that might lack meaning
·Reduce depression
·Compensate for lack of family members
·Increases happiness
·Increases self-confidence
·Increases alertness
·Increases responsiveness
·Increases mobility
·Improves health
·Improves mental functioning
(2015)
Pets provide a different kind
of therapy than a psychologist would. Not only can owning a pet, or
participating in animal assisted therapy aid in the emotional well-being of an
elderly person, but it can also aid in the biological well-being of them as
well. Physical contact with an animal can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol
levels, as well as release endorphins, and decrease muscle tension. This could
be life-changing in an elderly persons life for so many different reasons
(Ritchie, 2011).
In a 2010 study, twenty
subjects over the age of 69 with dementia or a psychiatric disorder were put
into therapy with pets on a weekly basis. The interactions between the animals (a
7 year old Labrador & a 3 year old Australian Shepherd) and the elders were
divided into two activities: caring and playing. This study showed a
significant increase in cognitive function in the subgroup with the lowest
cognitive function. The results also showed a reduction of depression in the
group of elderly with neurological disabilities (Menna et al., 2012). This
study was important in showing how owning a pet can aid in lives of elders with
disabilities. Animals are truly a blessing to humans. Not only can they aid in
mental disorders, but also physical health and well-being.
There are five ways animals
and pet-visiting programs in nursing homes facilitate how the elderly deal with
family ties. This includes:
·Sessions trigger childhood memories associated with
animals.
·Pet and human loss are interrelated experiences.
·Animal visits assist in counteracting the decline of
domesticity among residents.
·Residents explore former ties to pets and aid in
establishing a better relationship to person caring for the animal.
·Visits by family members are enhanced by animals’
presence.
(Savishinsky, 1985)
This video showcases a
nursing home called Lakeview Ranch, which brings animals in to visit the
residents on a weekly basis. This videos allows people to see the first-hand
benefits of animal assisted therapy. Enjoy!
In chapter 9 of Aging Matters, readers are introduced to
the topic of loss and grief in old age. This is a topic I am very interested
in, because of the loss of both of my grandfathers a few years back. I did not
understand why they had to go, and did not really know their feelings about
dying all together. My mind was expanded when I learned about the different
phases both of my Cancer-stricken grandparents might have gone through.
In Aging Matters, there are many different losses that elders face
everyday. This includes:
·Death of a loved one
·Memory
·Health decline
·Relocation
·Creating a new nest
·Retirement or loss of job
·Days without structure
·No longer able to care for others/disabled children
·Society
(2015)
When an older person loses
their spouse or life partner, they lose a part of themselves. Each person, no
matter how young or old, reacts differently to death. But like with most
things, views on certain topics change as you get older, including the topic of
death. We can only imagine how it feels to become closer to death, especially
after losing a partner.
A 2011 study compared the
dying anxiety between bereaved and nonbereaved elderly. The study consisted of
49 older people who lost a spouse or child, and 48 who have not. The bereaved
49 scored much higher in dying anxiety compared to the nonbereaved. Also,
mothers scored higher in dying anxiety than fathers (Azaiza et. al, 2011).
As an elder is preparing for
their own and their loved ones deaths, they are able to participate in grief
therapy. The idea of grief therapy is to improve the quality of dying for the
elderly. Participants of grief therapy often discuss past, present, and future
losses. For example, in a anticipatory grief therapy session a 76-year-old
woman discussed the future loss of their children.
She explained, "I really
can't let [my children] go... I raised my sons and daughters, but I didn't care
for them well, and now that I have] no more chance, I really miss them. You're
old, and you can't even take care of yourself, and it will all be gone once you
're gone. It feels really bad, but you can't help it".
Another 73-year-old woman
explained how she feels like a burden to the people around her.
"When you get old, you
really become. ..a burden. You're a burden, laud] however well your children
care for you, it doesn't make you less of a burden. I reckon I’m finished.
[Life] should finish. It's got to finish. If you let me, I'd choose death over
life".
Some grief therapy includes
reflection, expression, and affirmation of meaning through artwork.
A 71-year-old made a picture
that had a boat in turbulent water. He explained, "It means going against
the current. Stresses and the current can't wash you away - you've got to use
your whole life's strength to push against it. You mustn't be afraid of
difficulties; [you] must fight with the adversity”.
In this type of therapy, the
elderly can speak feeling of their emotions, and ask for help. In group
sessions, they have other peers going through the same processes that they are.
The elders have the support and listeners that they need (Cheng et. al, 2010).
There are two different kinds
of grief in the elderly: complicated and uncomplicated.
Uncomplicated grief consists
in 5 stages.
These include:
·Denial
·Anger
·Bargaining
·Depression
·Acceptance
After the stages are complete, the person is
able to return to their pre-loss state.
Complicated grief is the
failure to return to pre-loss levels of everyday performance or states of
emotional well-being. This type of grief is most prevalent in the elderly due
to the loss around them (Prigerson et. al, 1995).
In this Ted Talks video,
Elaine Mansfield, a hospice bereavement workshop leader, and elderly woman
explains her experience through loss.
