By listening to older adults - control and legacy issues rise to the surface in
ID: 125815 • Letter: B
Question
By listening to older adults - control and legacy issues rise to the surface in many communications. By listening for and responding to these verbal cues, we can bridge the geriatric gap and facilitate their end of life tasks. Once we stop fighting or creating barriers for our elders, these are the things they will not surrender: the control they need to manage their lives and shape their legacies. (Solie, 2004).
Based on your readings in the text:
Please discuss in your own words (and using the text readings as a reference), your understanding of the terms and concepts of control and legacy for older adults.
Explanation / Answer
The two important changes in geriatrics:
As the age increases, older adults develop two kinds of developmental changes in their minds in order to cope up with losses and changes in their lives. They are:
Establishing and maintaining control:
We all know that as the age increases, old age people encounter many changes like changes in physical, psychological and emotional health, changes in physical activity, etc. In addition to this, they also experience multiple losses like a decline in functioning or mobility, loss of family members (i.e. separation of their family members by the split of an extended family into a nuclear family), loss of friends, property or material possessions, social status, etc.
In order to cope up with these changes and losses, they prefer to take control in activities they do. That is, they prefer to have more autonomy and like to make decisions by themselves rather than being directed to an imposed decision by their family members. This is a normal part of the coping mechanism.
It is the responsibility of adults (sons and daughters) to identify their parents’ (old age peoples’) needs and problems and establish appropriate ways to meets their requirements. According to the text, we need to listen for these cues through verbal cues where geriatrics express their willingness or desire to do something or prefer autonomy to do an activity. In such cases, we must respect their ‘control behaviour’ and act accordingly. For example, instead of saying “you must or have to do this/that”, we must encourage the old-aged “you choose/take a decision”, “you manage this task”, etc. By doing so, they get appreciated, take an active part in decision making, develop confidence and feel more satisfied in their lives.
Creating a Legacy:
As a part of the normal ageing process, they try to leave their foot-prints to their younger generations (their sons and daughters) through reminiscing old events, telling past stories of themselves repeatedly. They feel that they are conveying the young with life events, instructions to lead a peaceful life, to redeem from past mishappenings or mistakes and to remember them forever.
As per the text, it is the responsibility of the loved ones to put more enthusiastic questions to them and is eager to listen to their talks during a conversation. By this way, they feel that we are giving a choice to explore their minds before their end of life.
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