The old in a nursing home setting
Any residential setting specifically for aged people to live and also to receive not only personal care but also nursing care can be referred to as a nursing home. The old in any nursing home have so many things in common irregardless of the individuals sex. They lack the physical strength to carry out activities related to their own personal care. As a result they have to be helped with washings, medication and even dressing. As a result of being mentally frail, they normally require regular attention from a qualified nurse who must be on duty throughout the day.
(http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=33217 These people cannot acquire the needed health services and even proper nutrition. To them, it is not easy to get to clinics or even doctors. Some of them fear to discover their major illnesses. Since they may exhibit unusual symptoms, proper diagnosis may be hampered. Some of them fear to discover their major illness. They have reduced basal metabolism rate which affects assimilation and reaction of the body towards different medication. Majority of the old have vision problems.
These are associated to glaucoma and cataracts. As a result they become more prone to accidents. They also loose hearing – a condition that creates a sense of isolation and also feeling of paranoid. Synonymously, the old experience memory loss. Their mental decline leads to serenity. The elderly experience a problem of moving. Their muscles become weak and they eventually loose strength. Their major problem is arthritis. (http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=4713566) It should be noted that the male and female elderly differ in some ways.
The females are more involved in running family affairs and their isolation to nursing homes becomes more traumatizing than the case for males. What they receive as personal care is what they have given for many years to their children, grandchildren or other relatives. This results to higher rates of suicides among women above 75 years “With women, the rate in the >75 years bracket is even higher up to three times higher than that of females”(http://jme. bmj. com/cgi/content/full/33/7/376) Different people have different personalities. As a result they experience same situation in nursing homes but in different ways.
“Whether an older person views living in a nursing home as intolerable is determined by things like fear of losing one’s independence and dignity” (www. vision2020uk. org. uk/core_files/Dignity%20and%20Independence,%20summary,%20FINAL. pdf )In China, the old are guaranteed enough food, clothing, housing, medical care and funeral. The Eskimos choose their tribal rulers from those very old members who after performing their duties are left to die on the ice field with dignity. How members of a particular race treat their elderly determines how such people view the nursing homes.
In cases where the elderly are mistreated and disowned, nursing homes becomes the best place for them to be. On the contrary, these cases where dignity of the old is highly valued, the old have very negative attitude towards the idea of moving to a nursing home. The old or what some people refer to as senior citizens derogatory labeled as “old fogies” “old geezers” old maid” and “dirty old man” among other funny names. These phrases indicate the negative attitude that the people have on the aged. Stereotyping has highly contributed to such negative attitudes.
The old are usually associated with issues like physical weakness, law reasoning capability, high level of dependency,. The role that is associated with the old is that which has some characteristics of ugliness, stupidity as well as sloppiness. Some advertising professionals are of the opinion that senor citizens have mainly fixed levels of incomes. They are normally viewed as only being supported without making any contribution. Some even refer to them as a real parasite in the society; a burden and an expense without any future. Such people worship youth and strength as an antithesis of old age as well as weakness.
Sexy and provocative bodies are usually used to stand for success, wealth and the idea behind the advertisements is that the product being promoted will be accepted. (http://culturejammer210. blogspot. com/2006/09/stereotypes-galore. html ) Senior citizens are normally geographically isolated by families. Majority loose their friends through death. Others are widows and widowers. The young also avoid them since their presence remind them that old age as well as death awaits everyone. The issue of isolation is even made worse when it comes to communication.
The less of hearing, sight , strength and memory requires those who associate with the old need to pay extra attention and this even discourages them to spend much time with them. The increase in number of workers and limited jobs, the old had to be sacrificed isolating them even more from their workmates. Forming new relationships or even maintaining close friends is a major problem . This is as a result from aging. The old people in nursing homes setting are usually depressed, ill and experience various losses. They usually become hopeless and have a feeling of being trapped in a situation that has no foreseeable way out.
They regard such a situation as a “no escape, no rescue” situation. Such a depressing situation increases the risk of suicide among the old. (http://jme. bmj. com/cgi/content/full/33/7/376 ) Western societies highly value autonomy. According to them every individual should live according to their needs and desires with if any, minimal intervention from external forces. The old see themselves as incomplete human beings or lesser persons who have lost all value. They view their situation as problematic. They loose the ability to live their preferred lives and as a result they feel worthless and inferior. Dignity is also highly valued.
Autonomy and independence are usually associated with sound mental capacities especially by the old. Incompetence and the arbitrary subjecting of old the other people acts is seen as a major motivate for the increase in suicidal cases. They fear to loose their mental capacity ad suicide is the only solution before they are “late”. Some authors are of the opinion that mental deterioration may take away what the old love and this is a major reason why the old commit suicide. They are no longer in a position to inter into any loving relationship. (http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=196671)
Older people or senior citizens are guilty of being irresponsible. This is not only on financial matters but also on the high emotional price that their relatives must pay in the prices of caring for them. Before people grow old, they usually have that economic activity in which they earn their income. Soon after they resign, they feel that it is their responsibility to contribute. Aging has very corrosive psychological impacts on the elderly self image. This depends on the importance attached to the superficial bodily appearance. The extend of the inner sense of their self-worth that people develop is still an issue of concern.
Individuals beauty especially among the old is determined by the following;FLAB- this results from loss of body muscles as a result of aging. This can be reduced by providing sensible exercises in nursing home. FAT – many aged people in America have a problem of over weight. Sensible diet is highly encouraged in nursing homes. Nutrition should be given priority to as far as the old is concerned. For the male hair loss or graying becomes an issue of concern. This results from genetic inheritance. This even causes trauma to the man who always tries to maintain youthful images.
The change of color Is completely irreversible and it bothers women more than men. Pigment cells are normally lost as one grows old. For one to maintain a youthful image, the color of hair, its length and texture depending on the individuals sexuality are of paramount importance. This problem may be counteracted by use of hair dyes. It is estimated that America used $45 billion on purchasing cosmetics and hair dyes in the year 1970 while only $ 1. 86 billion was used for old age assistance. This indicates how important it is for Americans to maintain youthful self image. wrinkles are very common to all old people.
They are as a result of loss of skin tissue elasticity accompanied by a trophy of muscles especially those in the face as and individual’s body ages. In order to reduce wrinkles, the old should be exposed to limited sunlight. The elderly give more attention to what goes on both in their bodies as well as their minds. Just like the young, old people also need to enjoy what can be referred to as outside packaging and the inner mental contents. The old interact differently with those who take care of them. It should be noted that negotiations between older people and their carers its an important aspect in caring for the senior citizens.
In a study that was conducted on gender issues on negotiation between senior citizens and their carers in preventing falls, it was observed that five actions were used by relatives. These included protective, engaging, coercive, mutual benefit reflection and negotiating (http://journals. cambridge. org/action/login ). This research found out that those sons who took care of older mothers used both coercive and also protective actions only. The mothers responded by being passive and submissive. It was also found out that daughters caring for their fathers used engaging and negotiating actions.
This empowered their fathers in any decision they made. In the case of daughters related with their mothers as they were peers. They engaged in both negotiating and engaging actions. The case for sons caring for old fathers purely demonstrated mutual respect for one another. According to this research, it was found out that dyad members’ gender highly influences close relatives’ negotiations. (http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=FD02946ECBF550FD4BE3703546159B18. tomcat1? fromPage=online&aid=196671 ) Monetization of elderly care has both advantages and disadvantages.
Those people who are taken to nursing homes experience more stress than those at home. Since the old looses a lot in terms of physical, and mental belongings they should not be isolated in such a way that they cannot see their relatives every time they want. These people need some comfy and tender care. The fact that taking them to a nursing home to wait for their death disturbs them very much. It should be realized that such people spend the better days of their lives by taking care of their children and great grand children and this is the high time when they need support. On the other hand nursing homes have various advantages.
Some senior citizens cannot afford enough and nutritious diets, medical services and that proper care in their homes. This may be as a result of poverty and family members commitments in their daily activities. In such situations, nursing homes becomes the best place for the old to be. Specialized care and medical attention is adequate and timely in such nursing homes. Housing is no longer a problem. It should be realized that the presence of other old people will remind an individual that he/she is not alone. This will act as a form of comfort and reduce depressions and stresses that one may have while living in a nursing home.
Nursing homes should also be modernized to make them even better and comply for the old to live in. References Gender and the negotiation between older people and their carers in the prevention of falls retrieved from http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=FD02946ECBF550FD4BE3703546159B18. tomcat1? fromPage=online&aid=196671 on 21st April,2008 The last resort? Revisiting ideas about older people’s living arrangements retrieved from http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=33217 on 21st April,2008 Care for suicidal people retrieved from http://jme.
bmj. com/cgi/content/full/33/7/376 on 21st April,2008 Gender and negotiation between older people and their carers retrieved from http://journals. cambridge. org/action/displayAbstract? fromPage=online&aid=196671 on 21st April,2008 The Process of Getting Acquainted retrieved from http://www. siu. edu/offices/iii/Communication/intergencommunication. html on 21st April,2008 Reformers Seek to Reinvent Nursing Homes retrieved from http://www. npr. org/templates/story/story. php? storyId=4713566 on 21st April,2008 Thinkful thought retrieved from http://culturejammer210. blogspot. com/2006/09/stereotypes-
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