A scenario of Ageism

Produced: The only sound[1] A Scenario

It is half past eleven in an old people’s home.  The morning drinks have been taken and the cups collected.  In a small lounge with fire doors at each end, ten old ladies are sitting quietly along two walls.  Some are staring ahead of them and some appear to be dozing.  Through one of the fire doors comes a member of the staff caring a small suitcase.  Behind her is a thin old man holding his hat in front of him with both hands.  In the room she turns, asks him to sit in the vacant chair, places a suitcase in front of him and then goes out the other door.  The old man is dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt, dark tie, and polished black shoes.  The suit is cut in very old style and has been carefully pressed which makes him look as so he is on his way to a Sunday service or a funeral.  He holds the hat very tightly in his lap and his hands are shaking.  Some of the old ladies glance at him then look away.  After several minutes of silence another staff member comes in carrying a piece of paper and a pen, reads an address to him, and asks if that is the correct address of his next of kin.  He clears his throat and says it is. After she is gone he sits forward stiffly in the chair, gazing at the floor in front of his suitcase.  Ten minutes elapse.  The first member of the staff returns with a cup of tea and asks him if he would like sugar.  He shakes his head.  She hands him the cup of tea and then departs again.  And as he sits holding his hat, and the cup, the shaking of his hand makes the cup rattle loudly.  It is the only sound.  He sips quickly at the ten.  Before, he can finish; the staff member returns again, says that his room is ready, picks up his suitcase and goes through the door holding it open for him.  He rises quickly to his feet, holding his hat and half finished cup of tea and looks around.  There are no tables in the room and he balances the cup on the window ledge behind the seat, before hurrying out of the room.  The old ladies who have looked up at his departure return their gaze to the wall and floor.  Now can you see the imbalance of power in the relationship between provider and recipient in an institutional setting and to the experience of being admitted as a recipient of service?

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[1]  19 years ago Bill Bytheway produced the book Ageism: Rethinking Ageism. The above story is in the book ISBN 0-335-19175-4.  It is inside chapter 6.  I am interested in reading what you think.

Creativity and Dementia

Creativity and Dementia

            Meditation practices have various health benefits including the possibility of preserving cognition and preventing dementia. While the mechanisms remain investigational, studies show that meditation may affect multiple pathways that could play a role in brain aging and mental fitness. For example, meditation may reduce stress-induced cortisol secretion and this could have neuroprotective effects potentially via elevating levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Meditation may also potentially have beneficial effects on lipid profiles and lower oxidative stress, both of which could in turn reduce the risk for cerebrovascular disease and age-related neurodegeneration. Further, meditation may potentially strengthen neuronal circuits and enhance cognitive reserve capacity. These are the theoretical bases for how meditation might enhance longevity and optimal health. Evidence to support a neuroprotective effect comes from cognitive, electroencephalogram (EEG), and structural neuroimaging studies. In one cross-sectional study, meditation practitioners were found to have a lower age-related decline in thickness of specific cortical regions. However, the enthusiasm must be balanced by the inconsistency and preliminary nature of existing studies as well as the fact that meditation comprises a heterogeneous group of practices. Key future challenges include the isolation of a potential common element in the different meditation modalities, replication of existing findings in larger randomized trials, determining the correct “dose,” studying whether findings from expert practitioners are generalizable to a wider population, and better control of the confounding genetic, dietary and lifestyle influences. and the patients’ propensity to act themselves. Nonverbal therapy methods, such as painting, music, etc., are able to infl uence the well-being of the patients positively, within the modern healthcare system in nursing homes. The elderly and some of the dementia patients take the initiative to combine creativity and arts and to define his/her feeling for aesthetical matters. Furthermore, group therapy sessions help against isolation and lack of life perspective and hope

 Beat Ted Hannemann

Art & Age Consulting, Basel, Switzerland      Creativity with Dementia Patients

Can Creativity and Art Stimulate Dementia Patients Positively?

Gerontology 2006;52:59–65  DOI: 10.1159/000089827

 

Meditation and My Walk

Practicing Meditation

Meditation while Walking

         Almost every morning when I go for my walk I also meditate. Combining walk with mediation is an efficient way to relax.  You can use this technique anywhere you’re walking – in a tranquil forest or a city sidewalk or at the mall.  When you use this method, slow down the pace of walking so you can focus on each movement of your legs and feet.  Don’t focus on your particular destination.  Concentrate on your legs and feet, repeating action words in your mind such as lifting, moving and placing as you lift each foot, move your leg forward and place your foot on the ground.  As you walk, stay in the here (right here where ever you are) and right now (right now this very minute.)

        A few days ago, I had an accident on with my bicycle. It hurt the muscles of my right leg.  Now during my morning walk I concentrate on the places in my leg where the muscle hurts. And I believe that this is helping them heal.  Each day since the accident, the pain is slowly decreasing.  I have also cut the distance of my walks but soon I expect to return to my habitual path.  

Ageism: Rethinking Ageing

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Rethinking Ageing[1]

“It seems indisputable to me that rethinking of ageism can not be based on the assumption that old age exists.  And it follows directly from this, that we must critically examine the logic of creating a category of people and calling it the elderly, the old or the aged.”

“In Butler’s definition the critical sentence is:

Ageism can be seen as a process of systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people because they  are old, just as racism and sexism accomplished this because of skin colour and gender.”

“The main reference to age in Butler’s definition is the word ‘old’. His conceptulation of ageism is related to a discernible group of people who can be referred to a old. He, like many others uses a number of words to refer to this group – older, elderly, aged –but not in the way which challenges the presumption of it’s existences.”

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[1]  Material of this post is gathered from the book Ageism: Rethinking Ageing  Organized and presented by Bill Pathway ISBN  0-335-19176-4    (pub). For those of you who are interested in the study of Ageism this book is a must have!

Life Review Questions

Life Review Questions [1]

1.   What have you learned about your life of life in general? From what you have learned, what do you think will be helpful to others?

2.   How would you respond to the question, what is the meaning of life (or what is the meaning of your life?)  Have your thoughts about the meaning of life changed since you retired?

3.   Looking back on your life now, do you wish you had dune anything differently? If so, what?  What are you the happiest about having done, or most proud of?

4.   From your perspective now, what do you think matters most (or should matter most) in life.  (Or matters most to you?)  What if anything, once seemed important to you but know longer seems so important?

5.   Are you more spiritual since you retired?

6.   What would you say are the best things in life?

7.   What do you believe are the most important aspects of your relationships with other people? (Especially those you feel closest to)?

8.   To what extent do you care about what other people think   about you?

9.   How would you like to be remembered after you die?

10.  If you could live for many more years, what would you most like to do with all of that time?

  11.   What is your view of humankind these days?

  12.   What have been the most satisfying or fulfilling experiences in your life?

  

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[1] Questions Adapted from Kinnier, R. T. et al. In the final analysis: More wisdom from people who have faced death, Journal of Counseling & Development,79 Spring 2001 Volume 79,171-177.

Satisfaction with LIfe After Retirement

Satisfaction With Life: 

Following are five statements related to your feelings of satisfaction since you retired.  In a way, it is asking the question; who am I and have I changed my feelings since I retired?

1.   To what extent are you satisfied with your life since you retired? (Satisfaction)

2.   To what extent are you satisfied with your decision to retire? (Decision)

3.   To what extent do you feel at ease in your new role as a retiree? (Role)

4.   To what extent are you confident that you will achieve the objectives that you had set upon retirement? (Objectives)

5.   If you have a spouse, to what extent does having a spouse facilitated your adaptation to retirement? (Spouse)

Manifestation of ageism

Manifestation of Ageism

Ageism can be manifested in many different forms.  As systemic level, laws and policies ma be made without regard to the needs of older adults, or service cuts may have a disproportionate impact on older adults.  Ageism may take the form of “granny bashing” in the popular press (blaming many of society’s current economic worries  on older adults) it can be reflected in media where older adults are portrayed as uniformly well of group who are unconcerned about the needs of others.

Ageism may be more commonplace in economic and political literature where demographic shifts in the population are characterized as portending a future health crisis or ‘age wars’ with young and old fighting over their share of social and health services. Ageism and age discrimination are based on social fears, and social response expresses those fears.

It has been suggested that there can be both internalized and externalized ageism, Internalized ageism refers to the extent to which older adults take on social norms that devalue and marginalize older persons.  They may do this at an individual level by acting in ways that reinforces the youth norm – battling the obvious and visible markers of aging such as grey hair or wrinkles.  Internalized ageism may also be manifested by denial of any commonality with other in a cohort, such as familiar objection of an eight-year old woman or man who vehemently does not want to be associated with “all those old people”