Getting Older Essay

Introduction Math and numbers are used in every aspect and in every part of our daily lives. Everything is numbers. This is no different with people. Humans start as newborns and, if they are blessed, become elders. Numerical order is also used in determining our ages. The longer you live the older you become and the more things change. Aging is a part of life that should be embraced gracefully. There are three parts of old age. There are young old, middle aged old, and elderly old ages. Each part of being a senior citizen has its advantages and disadvantages. We still have to acknowledge the fact that the increase in living elders is making a major impact on the political aspects of being an old person. It seems to be and so we will explore why that the more seniors that survive each year seems to correspond with the lowering amount of funds available to them and more. We will attempt to cover the mark this senior citizen boom is making in the world for elders and those others it may affect. â€Å"Aging—a process that begins at birth and ends at death—has implications not only for our own lives but also for every aspect of society.† There are several problems being brought on by the indefinite increase in the aging population in America as well as other places. Not only does it affect the capital that supports many of our elders but it also weighs on what happens with their retirement and if and how they should continue to work. Now more than ever elders find themselves having to work out of obligation to stay financi ally stable and be able to be taken care of by their own finances. Elders from a while back worked because they had the ability and strength to. They were not as out of shape or out of tune with life. They did not  consume as much and many processed foods as our generations have either which would explain the longevity. Depending on what your beliefs are the reason for the ever so shortening or longing of years could have something to do with spirituality as well as environmental conditions. The demographic transition theory shows how the population is changed throughout time.It is based on the study and documentation of changes in birth/death rates. These significant transitions Result from low-high birth/death rates to high-low birth/death rates. When the aging population begins to rapidly increase, it usually is because of less new-birth but also less death. Low birth rates are as a result of access to contraception, preference to smaller families, urbanization and education of women. What a person prefers is often their business and left to their discretion, but with less youth, there are less younger adults that are able to take care of the older generation that may be needing help. Again we discuss nursing homes and health care. This is to say†¦ Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with the elders surviving. However, we should remember that we have to keep an attitude and a balance of the population and the resources available to supply the population.. There are upsides to the increase in the aging population but there are also downsides. The pros could include the fact that elders need to be attended to more could open the door for young adults to find jobs, also being guided by successful elders who hold secrets to prospering is something no one can deny is very helpful, also elders hold to a sense of familiarity meaning that just when all the fads and trends calm down, elders are there to stabilize the air. As for the downsides of the aging population, the economy is not as able to grow properly because the work field is going down, also health care has increased costs as it relates to treatments and medical care that is always needed for old people, and to add with more machinated tasks being carried out by machines as we ll as younger workers those skilled to work in a trade or a craft are not needed. Elders are having to make a choice between personal care from loved ones or the impersonal care that comes from nursing homes, home health nurses, or extended care facilities. Sadly, because of the lack of wanting to burden family members and the like, elders usually choose care from the list of impersonal care and internalize the neglect felt from having to do so. Advantages and disadvantages of implications of an aging population must be examined so that plans of implementation can be properly executed and adopted to fix or balance the situation.  The impact the older population is making does not have to be the be-all end-all factor of what is to happen as predicted by many. Increased dependency is believed to be one of the heaviest burdens that will cause the elderly to cripple the economy but it does not have to be so. We will also use the aforementioned to discuss the actions that must be taken to address the issue of the aging population. As well as having to rely on the government to make sure that this problem that seems to have arisen is taken care of there are things that we can do to be effective as well. We can definitely make sure our elders don’t feel like burdens. When I was younger we were able to adopt a grandparent. They could have kids or grandkids but many did not have any that would visit often or at all. We  would be allowed to spend time with them every weekend and it would just brighten their day to hear about what we are allowed to do and what we would discuss with them. Something as simple as this wakes the elders mind up in the nursing homes, it gets them excited again about life and their mind off where they are. Of course more financial and secure measures need to be taken but with just a simple economical start we could very well being on the road to the discovery of what works. References Demography Is Not Destiny: The Challenges and Opportunities of Global Population Aging. Full Text Available Academic Journal Uhlenberg, Peter; Generations, 2013 Spring; 37 (1): 12-8. (journal article – case study) ISSN: 0738-7806, Database: CINAHL with Full Text Subjects: Demography; Aging; World Health; Forecasting Academic Journal By: Thomas, Kali S.; Mor, Vincent. Health Services Research. Jun2013, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p1215-1226. 12p. 2 Charts, 1 Graph. DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12015. The demographic transition: causes and consequences. Detail Only Available Academic Journal By: Galor, Oded. Cliometrica. Jan2012, Vol. 6 Issue 1, p1-28. 28p. DOI: 10.1007/s11698-011-0062-7. , Database: Business Source Elite Subjects: STAGNATION (Economics); ECONOMIC development; HUMAN capital; DEMAND (Economic theory); DEMOGRAPHIC transition; FERTILITY; MORTALITY The Implications of Increased Survivorship for Mortality Variation in Aging Populations Full Text Available Engelman, Michal; Canudas-Romo, Vladimir; Agree, Emily M.; Population and Development Review, September 2010, v. 36, iss. 3, pp. 511-39, Database: EconLit with Full Text Subjects: Health Production ; Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts ; Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-labor Market Discrimination . The Relationship between Older Americans Act Title III State Expenditures and Prevalence of Low-Care Nursing Home Residents. Full Text Available Academic Journal By: Thomas, Kali S.; Mor, Vincent. Health Services Research. Jun2013, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p1215-1226. 12p. 2 Charts, 1 Graph. DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.12015. Subjects: NURSING home patients; NURSING care facilities — Finance; MEDICAID — Finance; STATE Agencies On Aging; CAREGIVERS; UNITED States. Older Americans Act of 1965; Administration of Human Resource Programs (except Education, Public Health, and Veterans’ Affairs Programs); Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities); Community care facilities for the elderly Markson, E. W. & Stein, P. J. (2012). Social gerontology: Issues & prospects. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.