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Aging & Physical & Mental Deterioration
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Assesses the factors contributing to the under-utilization of social, health, & other types of public centers meant to assist the elderly with their problems.... More...
4 Pages / 900 Words
9 sources, 12 Citations, APA Format
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Paper Abstract:
Assesses the factors contributing to the under-utilization of social, health, & other types of public centers meant to assist the elderly with their problems.

Paper Introduction:
The process of aging brings with it a variety of physical, emotional, psychological, and social changes with which the individual must cope. There are a number of social, health, and other types of public centers in operation to assist the elderly with their problems, but it is difficult to get people to come to these centers and avail themselves of the services offered. A number of factors can be cited to explain why this is so, from bouts of depression to the inability of certain people to care for themselves because of Alzheimer's or other physical or mental problems. The aging process for many includes physical or mental deterioration which can place considerable strain on the life partner, who now has to contend not only with his or her own diminished function because of aging but also must take on a new role

Text of the Paper:
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Depression can be debilitating at any age, and the onset of physical,emotional, mental, or other problems in the elderly can produce severebouts of depression, which in itself can be incapacitating: Because depression is more prevalent in the elderly population than in any other age group, it represents a major mental health, medical, and social problem that may potentially touch us all. The process of aging brings with it a variety of physical, emotional,psychological, and social changes with which the individual must cope.There are a number of social, health, and other types of public centers inoperation to assist the elderly with their problems, but it is difficult toget people to come to these centers and avail themselves of the servicesoffered. L. & Ingersoll-Dayton, B. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 886-889.Tobias, C. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.Depner, C. Conjugal social support and patterns in later life. (1988). (1989). ReferencesBillig, N. The problems of the elderly are not radically different from the restof the population, but the prevalence of certain problems may be. Family Coordinator, 5-11.Ronch, J. A number of factors can be cited to explain why this is so, frombouts of depression to the inability of certain people to care forthemselves because of Alzheimer's or other physical or mental problems. The result for thecaretaker-partner is increased tension and stress at a time of life whenstress should be reduced, and this stress can itself contribute to thephysical and psychological problems of the elderly leading to impairedfunction, increased deterioration, and even suicide. Since primary caregivers are so often spouses, and since thesespouses are frequently of older age as is the patient, the caregiver mayface personal health problems and physical limitations that can increasethe difficulty of caring for a demented individual in need of closesupervision and assistance. Thegrowing dementia requires that the patient and his or her relatives contendwith developmental tasks already attained as well as those that will neveroccur (Ronch, 1989). Marital adjustment in the post retirement years. & Bates, K. The second is "parent-child" in which one partnerassumes the role of parent and the other the role of child, with the"parent" behaving in a nurturing, protective, and dominant fashion towardthe other partner. & Embry, C. Later life: The realities of aging. The typical couple twenty yearsago had a life expectancy that enabled them to live together approximately31 years after marriage. Dippel (1988) divides caregivers into two categories--primary and secondary. E. Dippel finds that an important issue is the need toassess carefully and realistically the capacity of the caregiver to providecare. Heath.Cox, H. New York: John Wiley & Sons.Help for depressed elderly. Alzheimer's disease is not the result of normal aging, but it does occur more frequently in persons who are 65 years of age or older. Longer life expectancy has increased this timeand also means that any children are likely to be themselves married andmoved out by the time any member of the couple begins to deteriorate. Gruetzner(1988) discusses the experience of the caregiver under these circumstancesand states: "The caregiver experience is characterized by the adjustment ofthe Alzheimer's patient and his family to the illness" (Gruetzner, 1988,1). Psychiatric disorders in the elderly. 5-6) As noted, once the diagnosis has been made, the care of the patientdepends on the stage of the disease, among other factors. G. A majorissue is that many of these disorders are ignored simply because it isassumed they are a part of aging, and if the elderly person is not toldthat help is available, they will not seek it. K. Psychiatric symptoms in general in the elderly are prevalent butoften ignored, and the physiologic changes in the elderly may affectpatient management and certainly affect how the elderly act towardthemselves and in their own best interests (Tobias, Turns, Lippmann, Pary,and Embry, 1988). Thepatient denies that there have been any behavior changes, and delusionswill develop. (1992). There are various levels of deterioration possible in aging, and it islikely that the experience of the caretaker-partner depends to a greatdegree on the level of deterioration in the other partner. (1985). Thetypical older family today consists only of the husband and wife, andapproximately two-thirds of all aged persons are husband-wife couplesliving alone, most of whom maintain their own households (Cox, 1988).Depner and Ingersoll-Dayton (1985) note that the older the couple becomes,the more support they are likely to require. (1988). How well anindividual does in his or her new role as the partner deteriorates willdepend on that individual's own reserve of inner strength and what sorts ofexternal support they receive from family and community. The primary caregiver is typically the spouse orother close relative who lives with the sufferer. Alzheimer's: A caregiver's guide and sourcebook. Speer and Bates (1992) also note the prevalence of comorbid mental andsubstance disorders among the elderly, and such individuals are usuallyresistant to treatment and are even disruptive of treatment programming.This contributes to the continuation of these problems in this populationand can disrupt treatment for those who do seek assistance. The Alzheimer'spatient experiences a loss of self that is unique with each patient eventhough all patients share similar patterns of cognitive disability. The patient displays uncharacteristic behavior, neglectinghousehold chores or other work activities and personal hygiene. Gruetzner writes: Alzheimer's disease is a condition of unknown origin that causes gradual loss of abilities in memory, thinking, reasoning, judgment, orientation, and concentration. The disease itself ischaracterized by a deterioration in mental activity and in consequentbehavior. (Billig, 1988, p. Thecritical factors for the adjustment of the older couple may be theirability to perform successfully their new roles and the value placed onthese roles by others in their social milieu. New York: Continuum.Speer, D.C. Medley (1976)describes three ideal types of marital relationships prevalent among oldercouples. Comorbid mental and substance Disorders among older psychiatric patients. (1988). Alzheimer's disease: a practical guide for those who help others. One of the moredevastating forms of deterioration is seen in Alzheimer's patients as theygradually lose mental ability and even physical functioning. Aging, 52-55.Medley, M. (1988, January). Psychiatric Disorders, 313-318. To be old and sad. Secondary caregivers maybe other relatives and vary greatly in the amount of support and care thatthey are able to give. However, family structureshaving changed, they are also more likely to have only each other forimmediate support, thus placing the burden on the one who has deterioratedthe least. At every stage inlife we are faced with the need for individual and social adjustments inresponse to changes in roles, expectations, and patterns of behavior. Journal of Gerontology, 4 (6), 761-766.Gruetzner, H. The aging process for many includes physical or mental deteriorationwhich can place considerable strain on the life partner, who now has tocontend not only with his or her own diminished function because of agingbut also must take on a new role as caretaker. There is help available to assist in this process from family members,community resources, and medical personnel. M., Lippmann, S., Pary, R. (1976, January). The third is "associates" in which couples act mostoften as friends. 4)Depression in the elderly is often misdiagnosed or seen as a natural partof aging, in which case it is not treated ("Help for Depressed Elderly,"1993). The relationship that exists between married partners may affectwhether either partner seeks assistance from outsiders. Each of these types of marital relationship can besuccessful and can be found in any population of the elderly, but it seemsevident that the second type, parent-child, is likely to develop even morewidely than it would otherwise as a consequence of the deterioration of onepartner. Patterns of aging have beenchanging as life expectancy has changed. R., Turns, D. (Gruetzner, 1988, pp. The first is identified as "husband-wife" and is one in whichintimacy is stressed. (1993).

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