Later Adulthood Development Report
Jessica Peters
BSHS/325
September 8, 2014
Mrs. Wagner

Through every stage of our lives we experience change, learn how to adopt, and except our new expectations and responsibilities. In later adulthood we shift our focus on coming to terms with the way we lived our lives. We try to not hold any regrets for the decisions we have made and we start to look at life differently. It is important to remember that just because individuals enter the later adulthood life span does not mean they are not capable of doing things. However, for some individuals entering this stage of their life, they may need assistance to ensure they are being taken care of. Coming to a nursing home or living assistance facility for your loved one is a big decision to make and a step in their right direction for their safety and well-being. According to Wolff (2013), “Nowadays, nursing homes not only concentrate on prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and illnesses affecting the elderly, they also take into consideration the quality of life and life satisfaction of their own residents” (p. 151). I am glad to answer your questions and put your concerns at ease. In order to do this I would like to explain a few areas of later adulthood to you, what the individual may experience, and how a nursing home can help them. The first thing we need to discuss is the change and needs of the elder family member. As mentioned before just because the individual is entering this life stage it does not mean they are incapable of living. There are many famous individuals who have entered into their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and still garden, write books, and work. What is great it is that people are living longer, healthier lives and are able to remain independent for much longer than before. However, because our society views later adulthood and these individuals as being senile, incapable, and incompetent it makes the elderly individual start viewing themselves in this way. Here we like to remind all of our residents that they are still capable of doing things that are fun, interesting, and for themselves. It may take them longer, but we are here to help them through that. We offer religion, crafts, sports, and other activities to help keep our residents active and moving. When we enter retirement some individuals find themselves having to adjust to their new role in life. They have to find their new routine, ways to socialize, and stay active. Unfortunately for some elder individuals they are forced into retirement because of health or their employer pushed them in that direction. If the individual was at their previous job for years they may start to question their worth because their employer looked past them for promotions. Instead of looking at their knowledge, skills, and capabilities to do the job they see them as being incompetent, slower, and not worth paying more, so instead they push them to retire and hire younger individuals for less. Later Adulthood is the last stage of our life span and one that consist of a lot of adjustment. These individuals find their now in retirement, their families may involve them less in decisions that are made, and the government does not meet their needs such as assistance in living arrangements and medical care. This causes the individual to become disengaged from society. However, can we blame them? Our society has such a negative view on the elderly population. Regardless of their thoughts and opinions on the elderly we have to remember they were once, just as capable as we are in our younger years. Their knowledge, life experiences, and wisdom are something we should be appreciative of, something we can learn from. With the elderly population growing because more individuals are living longer due to exercise, eating healthy, and taking care of themselves it is important for the Government to ensure there are the correct resources available to them. Currently the rise in healthcare cost has put a strain on family and the elderly individual. The retirement bill is large and will continue to grow, which results in individuals needing to rely on their pensions, savings, and social security benefits. However, those things may not be enough to accommodate the needs of the elderly individual. Another area the family and elderly individual can look toward is Medicare. Medicare has two options available for individuals 65 and older. One part is, Medicare covers the medical costs and needs of the elderly, and the second part helps pay physicians services, ER visits, tests and X-Rays that may be needed, and ambulance services. The individual has the choice to choose which option they would like to receive from Medicare. However, this may not be enough and that is when social security, pensions, and savings help. There is then the worry that if elderly individuals needs financial assistance and looks at those options the cost of living and their daily needs become stressed. As the director I also want to comment on other areas of struggle or difficulty that your loved one may be facing. It is not only about the elderly themselves, but about their spouse and family members. It is important to know that other areas of the individuals’ life has been altered or changed in one aspect or another. If your loved one has a spouse and they suffer or suffered from health issues that resulted in your loved one caring for them, this can put a strain on your loved one. They may face the need to change roles with their loved one. Elderly suffer from a list of illnesses and struggles and some of those are arthritis, heart conditions, hypertension, osteoporosis, Alzheimer, problems with their vision and hearing, as well as depression. When these illnesses or struggles are being faced the healthy loved one may find themselves having to make decisions that they once never had to worry about. These decisions may be financial decisions, health decisions, and living arrangements. All of these new areas that the healthy loved one has to face can cause great stress and feelings of being over-whelmed. Your loved one can also feel depressed, angry and frustrated. It is important for the family to let the loved one know that it is okay and they are not alone. With the increase of adults living into their final life span of later adulthood that means marriages are lasting longer. With these marriages the couples are able to work out conflict, learn how to compromise, gain more patience with each other, and the result is a happier married life. When a married couple are both living, have been independent for so many years it is hard for them to make the decision to enter a nursing home. Remaining together and having their freedom is important to remain happy. I would like to inform you that we offer single or coupled rooms because privacy is important for elder individuals. They need to have their space, feel independent, and need time to relax. When the individual starts to feel overwhelmed being able to go to their own room or shared room with a loved one or friend they are able to escape and recollect their thoughts and feelings. This is not the easiest subject to discuss, but one that is just as important as the rest, and that is the loss of a loved one. When a couple has been married for many years the loss of their loved one is not easy. The surviving spouse can become angry; feel alone, depressed, anxious, and disengaged. Just as retirement, the loved one needs to find a hobby or interest, and needs to remember that socializing is important. When your loved one retired they probably lost connections with some or most of their work peers. This is because their interests have changed, the working individuals discuss work issues and your loved one has found new interests or hobbies they have not thought about while they were involved in their career. However, if they were involved in activities through their Church or club they may have gained new friendships. This is also important because these new friends can help them with adjustment from working to retirement; they now have someone they can relate to. Family is important and must remember that just because your loved one is slower in doing activities, may not be able to walk as fast, respond as fast, and for some may not do as many of the same activities they used to, they still need you. They need to know you are there, that you care, that you are there to help them with the loss of their loved one. Their roles have changed, instead of taking care of someone else, they now have to take care of themselves and learn to adapt to life as a widow or widower. Here at the nursing home we are here to help you and your loved one through all of that. We are here to help ease the worry of whether your loved one has activities, transportation to and from doctor appointments, and if they are offered the option of doing things on their own. With all of the concerns of mental health and physical health that elderly individuals face, we understand the need to ensure your loved one is well taken care of. When your loved one is unable to live in their homes independently due to safety concerns, making this decision can be difficult, but it is the right one. Nursing homes can seem like a scary place to have your loved one move to because of the negativity nursing homes can receive. We have never had an issue arise regarding abuse or neglect. I do want to make you aware of the types of abuse an elderly person can experience. Those are, according to Dyer and Rowe (1999), “Physical abuse (the non-accidental infliction of physical force that can result in bodily injury, pain or impairment), Psychological abuse (Threats, humiliation, bullying, swearing, and other verbal conduct), Financial abuse (unauthorized and improper use of the elders funds or property), Sexual abuse (Direct or indirect involvement in sexual activity without the elders consent), and Neglect (failure to fulfill the needs of the elderly)” (164.).
References
Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2010). Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment (8th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.
Wolff, C. F. (2013, February). Well-Being of Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes: The Benefits of Making Friends. , 66(1), 153-171.
Dyer, C., & Rowe, J. (1999, April). Elder Abuse. Trauma, 1(2), 163-169.