Around the time, I was turning fifty I began to contemplate what the future holds for myself in my senior years. Chapter nine of the text confirmed various concerns. Since I never married and have no children, I will lack the benefit of the typical primary caregivers, spouse, and children. Single men are characteristically slack with their nutrition along with seeking preventive health care. They are more likely to need formal care and end up in nursing homes sooner than their married with children counterparts. Therefore, enthusiastically pursuing excellent health for as long as possible could be my first line of defense. Maintaining years long friendships and pursuing new ones in the community may also provide an advantage. Since the latest technologies …show more content…
The steps I can develop presently to ensure a strong informal support system in old age include continuing to strive towards optimal health, build a social support system via friends and community, and embracing and utilizing advances in technology. The textbook in chapter four explains chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes II, hypertension, and osteoporosis are often primary factors contributing to the deliberating effects of old age and the need for formal care. The single lifestyle can contribute to these afflictions. Caring.com contributing editor, Paula Spencer Scott, states in her article,” 7 Top Health Risks for Men Over 40”, “Unmarried men generally have poorer health habits, too -- they drink more, eat worse, get less medical care, and engage in more risky behaviors (think drugs and promiscuous sex).” (Scott, 2007-2015). Thus, it makes sense that by altering one’s lifestyle, it can aid in the prevention of these chronic diseases, and prolong the need of formal care. Regular health screenings provide
Touhy, T. A., & Jett, K. (2012). Toward healthy aging: Human needs & nursing response (8th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby.
This book shows the importance of tending to our aging population, particularly those who live alone, like Joseph
Atchley, R. C. (1997). Social forces and aging: An introduction to social gerontology (8th ed.).
Hiller, S. M., & Barrow, G. M. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
After spending an afternoon interviewing my elderly father-in-law, I gained insight into how he perceives the aging process and the impact on the quality of his life. First, and foremost he viewed aging in a very positive and healthy manner. He believes that a positive attitude assists in accepting physical and psychosocial changes and enjoyed the fact that he and his wife are both physically fit and cognitively alert. He felt confident that advances made in health care and the quality of their lives would continue to be empowering. He enjoys the benefits of being a senior citizen including discounted travel, free education, and other incentives marketed towards seniors. He expressed a sense of well-being with respect to the numerous housing options geared towards the graying population, such as Retirement Villages, and assisted living. However, the subjects of Long Term Care, Social security reform and government involvement in health care reform were subjects he regarded with very strong negative emotions. During the interview these issues as related to his experiences with health care were discussed with zeal and frustration.
The primary goal of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation website is to promote a healthier lifestyle amongst Canadian men. The website also mentions how Canadians are living under the assumption that they are healthy, however, in the case of Canadian men, they are considered to be not healthy (“FAQ – Canadian Men’s Health Foundation”, n.d.). This is not solely a result of genetics, but rather, it is influenced by lifestyle choices. This emphasizes the role lifestyle plays in an individual’s overall health. More specifically, one’s diet, participation in physical activities, and tobacco use are all contributing factors, which affect overall health (Raphael, 2014). Going back to the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation, it stated that their main
Williams, R. H., & Wirths, C. G. (1965). Lives through the years: Styles of life and successful aging.
Older adults are a very knowledgeable population and have had a lot of life experiences. As people age, things start to change physically, mentally, and socially. It’s important to understand the process of aging, so that older adults can be taken care of properly. I interviewed P.R. who is a 71-year-old male that lives alone in his home. P.R. is a retired coal miner, and is currently living off his social security and savings. He lives close to both his daughter and son, who frequently help him out with things that are needed. P.R. was able to give me a lot of insight about specific challenges that he has experienced in his life that is associated with aging. I will be discussing challenges that P.R experienced physically, mentally,
Informal social supports are crucial to the well-being of older adults because they provide a connection to others. They can also be very helpful throughout life and especially as we get older. The book
Interpersonal communication was discussed in “Healthcare and Social Services for the Aging Population” when the speaker addressed how it takes a variety of specialists such as nutritionists, physical therapists, nurses, and more to establish a healthy lifestyle for this older generation. It would have been interesting to see the types of professionals that partnered with nutrition or social networking, but that information was not submitted to the class. There was also a small amount of diversity discussion in the lectures “Healthcare and Social Services for the Aging Population,” and “Social Marketing and Health Communication.” The healthcare presentation disproved the myth that people of the African-American race live shorter lives than Caucasians after 65, while social marketing suggested that different social networking sites are targeted for different ages, sexes, and personality
Calasanti, T.M., & Slevin, K.F. (2001). A gender lens on old age. Gender, social inequalities,
Hooyman, N., & Kiyak, H. A. (2011). Social gerontology: A multidisciplinary perspective (9th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 2005)
Single men lead different lifestyles compared to men that are committed to one woman. When a guy is single, he might wish he had a girlfriend. When that same guy finds a girlfriend, he might want to be single again. This is a strange cycle that many young men go through for many years. Although there are many differences between these two lifestyles, one similarity is apparent.
Most people would say that they would loved to get married one day and have a family. With me in this season of life and right now I feel that I am content with singleness. Some people may ask why have I not found somebody yet. I think I could feel the same way.I feel that God has a purpose and the reason why I am single in this season of my life. There are many things that God says about singleness and what others say about singleness and what I think when I am single. There is a feeling and longing of love that you want from someone. I could say that with God you can find that love and the hope He gives you. There are many expectations , limitations, and principles that come from singleness.
LIVING SINGLE LIFE: Are you single or married? This could change the way you see things, many people would agree that being single is the best thing that ever happened to them, but is it? Being single could be defined as being free or solitary, most people would prefer the first definition “Free” because nobody would like to describe themselves as a loner or unable to commit into a serious relationship. People may remain single for a variety of reasons, including financial, emotional or health issues, time restrictions, education, personal preferences, age or social worries. Also, no one wants to be divorced eight times like Larry King.