ENJOY YOURSELF -- IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK!
"Everything is farther than it used to be. It's twice as far from my house to the bus line now, and they've added a hill I just noticed. Buses don't stop for as long either, but I've given up running for them because they get away faster than they used to.

"Seems they're making stairs steeper than they used to or something -- maybe that's because it's so much farther from the first floor to the second floor, and it's becoming difficult to make two steps at a time.
"Have you noticed the small type they're using today? One has to squint to make out the news. Now, it's ridiculous to suggest that a person my age needs glasses, but it's the only way I can find out what's happening without someone reading to me, and that isn't much help because everyone seems to speak in such a low voice I can scarcely hear them.
"Even the weather is changing. The winters are getting colder, the summers, hotter. Even the rain is much wetter and one has to wear boots. And the windows, the way they make them today the drafts are more severe.
"People are changing, too. For one thing, they're younger than they used to be
when I was their age. On the other hand, people my age are so much older than I am. I realize that my friends are in middle age, but there's no reason for them to totter into old age!
"I ran into a friend the other night at a party, and she had changed so much she didn't know me. 'Put on some weight,' she said. 'It's all this modern food,' I said.

"You know, I got to thinking about her this morning and I looked at my reflection in the mirror, and you know what? It seems they don't use the same kind of glass in the mirrors anymore."
--The original author of this humor is unknown. This article has been used in many places and over many years. I quoted it this time from a talk given by Dr. Phillip M. Randall, 1989, he tells this story grandly! Dr Randall holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Gerontology.
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and the Government Printing Office is the 1986 source for the following "test" produced to help you dispel the myths of aging:"National Institute on Aging's: What's Your Aging I.Q.?"
1. Baby Boomers are the fastest growing segment of the population. FALSE
2. Families don't bother with their older relatives. FALSE
3. Everyone becomes confused or forgetful if they live long enough. FALSE
4. You can be too old to exercise. False
5. Heart disease is a much bigger problem for older men than for older women. FALSE
6. The older you get, the less you sleep. True
7. People should watch their weight as they age. True
8. Most older people are depressed. False
9. There's no point in screening older people for cancer because they can't be
treated. FALSE
10. Older people take more medications than younger people. TRUE
11. People begin to lose interest in sex around age 55. FALSE
12. If your parents had Alzheimer's disease, you will inevitably get it. FALSE
13. Diet and exercise reduce the risk for osteoporosis. TRUE
14. As your body changes with age, so does your personality. FALSE
15. Older people might as well accept urinary accidents as a fact of life. FALSE
16. Suicide is mainly a problem for teenagers. False
17. Falls and injuries "just happen" to older people. FALSE
18. Everybody gets cataracts. False
19. Extremes of heat and cold can be especially dangerous for older people. TRUE
20. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." False

 

Accidents with Older People
Falls are the most common cause of fatal injury in the elderly. Nearly 200,000 elderly persons fracture a hip each year because of a fall.
- Illuminate stairways well, with switches at both the top and bottom. Have handrails on both sides of the stairs.
- Night-lights are helpful. Eliminate extension cords.
- Tack down carpeting and avoid throw rugs.
- Don't make obstacles out of furniture, and remove castors from them.
- Fix up the bathroom. A "tall" toilet is safer and easier to use.
- Have grab bars all around the bathroom walls, install them in the bathtub, too.
- Make sure non-skid mats or strips are used in the bathtub.
- Keep outdoor steps and walkways in good repair with plenty of handrails, and "rest stops".
- Make the last step (up or down) a different color to stand out from the rest. This will help depth perception.
- When waking, arise slowly from bed, begin by rolling to the side and then upward.
- Watch illnesses and medication for side effects that may create dizziness.

Burns are harder on the elderly due to increase in healing time.
- Never smoke in bed, or when drowsy.
- When cooking, don't wear loosely fitting robes, which can catch fire.
- Turn down water heater to avoid scalding skin. Without any cold water being on, the hot water faucet should deliver a comfortable temperature for bathing.
- Plan at least two exits from each room in case of fire or other emergency.
- Use a single dead-bolt lock on outside doors that can be easily opened from the inside. Don't get trapped.

"I'm Old, Am I Worthless?"
In Retirement Counseling: A Practical Guide for Action, by H.C. Riker & J. E. Myers, 1992, (on reserve at the U of U's Eccles Library under my name), they quote Rubin's "psychophilosophy" that may help elders, who feel of little to no worth, gain some appreciation for themselves. These statements should help individuals enjoy living in the here and now and face adversity with self-assurance. The following is adapted from his concepts:

 

1. Feelings of depression, worthlesness. Try to get the elder to consider that they really do not need to have a reason to exist: 'I am because I am'
2. The next step, after step 1 has been accepted, is to recognize that everyone is unique: 'I am I'. The goal is to help the older adult to see that trying to be like others in the peer group is not necessary: You grow more unique as you age.
3. Even feelings and desires should be allowed in the older individual:'I need, I want, I choose'. Just as in other phases of life, one can not have all that is desired or wished for. Certain things have need for greater priority. But not withstanding this, people still have the right to dreams.
4. Helping the reality of needs, wants, and desires, the reality of time and place must also be considered: 'I am where I am.' For some older people, they find that they are not where they would wish to be, whether measuring health, marital status, finances, or disabilities. But to recognize reality is to being to effectively deal with it.
5. The next step recognizes the need to be involved: 'Be here now.', This stresses the point that the past and future do not exist, only the present. Some older individuals find themselves "marking time" until they die. Living to the best of one's abilities can make life rich throughout the life course.
6. The sixth component points out that life is a process, and that the emphasis is on the process, not the product. One need not be measured by material wealth or station, since the "ride" taken to get to the present is its own reward.
7. Abilities and capacities change in each person. It is therefore important to
recognize that 'I always do my best.' , Though Rubin stated it exactly that way, I like to add:... "at the time." Age can bring some gains and some losses, so today's "best" is all that matters.
8. The eight components conveys the idea that human beings are complex and, at time, inconsistent. It recognizes that harsh words may be spoken, but they may reflect the other's very difficult day, rather than your worth. The older person can also recognized that, like all other humans, they would have times that seem to be irrational.
9. For self-preservation and appreciation, the older adult needs to recognize their right to say:'No' At times many well-intentioned people (like children) ask the elder to baby-sit or other favor. To avoid potentially serious stress, the elder must know when to decline.
10. An older person must be able to cherish the difference between participation and performance. Many feel less valuable in roles they once had while in their prime. But it is healthy to have simple participation in older years rather than competition to "out perform" themselves or others.
11. Death is part of life and both have certain rights: 'The right to live and the right to die'. While alive, the older patient should be given the respect to make their own decisions. When death comes, they should not be burdened with children pleading that they can not die for someone else's sake
The twelfth, and last component is acceptance of the saying,'Life is tough.'

 

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change those things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." Reinhold Riebuhr

Emotional Health
Bernice Neugarten and associates at the University of Chicago suggests that most people change very little in life satisfaction viewpoints in retirement.

"Grouchy people grow old,old people don't grow grouchy."

When looking at older people and their younger loved ones, consider this
600-year-old story from Europe (author unknown, dates back to Medieval Europe):

 

"A lonely widower struck a bargain with his son that he would be taken care of in his old age in return for turning over his property to the son while he yet lived.

 

"Later on, when the father became quite invalid, the daughter-in-law nagged her husband to move the old man to the barn. The son, ashamed to do it himself, required the grandson to take the old man to the barn and wrap him with a horse blanket.

 

"The grandson tearfully obeyed his dad, only tore the horse blanket and wrapped the old man in only half of it. When the dad found out, he was angry: "How could you be so cruel as to leave your grandfather in the barn to freeze with only half a blanket?" The son replied: "Father, I feel obligated to save the other half for you."

 

There are no clearly defined rules in our society for the inter-relationship between generations. In some other societies, such as Japan, the "older folk" are not only honored, but the son takes great pride in how well he is able to take care of his parent's needs.

 

For our society, independence appears to be very important for all generations. Even with illness in older age, it must be noted that the caregiver issue is usually a family issue. The care-giving role may be necessary companionship to an elder mother who has become a widow, not one that has become ill.

 

"Growing old doesn't have to mean growing slow or growing ill," according to Dr. Gene Cohen, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging. Good health habits and attitudes are important going into old age. But serious illness may plague an older friend at any case.

 

Even with these conditions, most people feel that they are able to do most of what they wish to do. However, with the aging of America, these conditions may become serious social problems.

 

Types of Retirement Activities
Types of activities that could be considered include travel, arts, crafts, hobbies,  volunteerism, education and sports. Activities currently enjoyed by retired persons:
Reading 83%
Outdoor gardening 73%
Listening to music 68%
Indoor gardening 58%
Remodeling 52%
Crafts 48%
Gourmet cooking 38%

 

In addition, retirees enjoy using their accumulated assets - particularly through
travel:
-They spend 80% of all pleasure travel dollars in the U.S.
-They travel more often, longer distances, and for longer periods of time than
younger travelers
-There are many discounts and programs available for retirees to facilitate their  travels.

- People with special needs can be accommodated.

 

Many retirees find enrichment in life through taking care of pets. Pet clubs and
Nature clubs are an organized way of not only interacting with nature but also with others who share similar interests. Some retirees also find indoor plant life and gardening to be stimulating and fulfilling.

Senior Companion/Foster Grandparent
Both of these programs were designed to help low-income retirees supplement their income needs. These programs, administered through the local Area Agency on Aging, provide tax-free income (which also is not counted against social security benefits in any way) and also pays related costs.

 

Housing Options
Although most retirees stay in the same city after retirement, they may change
housing options. Fixing up a current residence to accommodate age-change needs is the most frequent option. (About 7 of every 10 older head of households own their home.) This might include placing handrails in bathrooms and changing bedrooms to main-level access.

 

Some retirees, especially in the early years of retirement, turn to travel trailers, RVs, and other mobile residence life-styles. This may be done on a group scale as "caravans" create support in traveling.

Multiple-residency options also exist, with retirees having more than one of "their own places" or living at times with relatives (usually children).

"Grandma Apartments" are a frequently chosen option. The apartment can be
freestanding or adjoining with the children's home with a private or common
entrance. Public housing units for older persons, with subsidized rental costs, are found in most cities, even in smaller towns.
:
FAMILY CAREGIVING
Caring for elderly parents is a decision most people make without being aware of the total commitment that is necessary, and the sacrifices that may be required. These sacrifices may include financial assets, time and disruption of daily routines. These sacrifices affect not only the caregiver, but the family as well.Hayes (1984) identified four major stresses faced by caregivers. They include

1)
feelings of isolation, and being forced by other family members to accept the
caregiving responsibility;

2) changing of family roles and disruption of family routines;

3) lack of ability to make a distinction between caring for and curing the
elderly person; and

4) feelings of helplessness at not being able to help improve the elderly person's health.

 

The term "Sandwich Generation", refers to adults who take on the responsibility of caring for aging parents, and find themselves 'sandwiched' between their parents and their children, with the diverse needs of both becoming a burden to the caregiver. Many of these caregivers report some conflict between their work and caregiving responsibilities.

 

A study by Stone, Cafferata, and Sangl in 1987 provides some insight into the
average caregiver. They found that:
* The majority of caregivers are women (75%), with an average age of 57.3 years.
* 25% of caregivers is age 65 to 74 years, and 10% are 75 or over.

 

A Delaware study reported that the average number of years of caregiving is 9.5 years. (Newsweek, September 23, 1985)
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Senior Citizen Centers
The Older Americans Act was passed in 1965, and provides many benefits for the elderly. One of these benefits is the Senior Citizen Center. The Senior Citizen Center is a place for seniors to congregate and share common backgrounds. They also are mandated by law to be the Senior's resource to all other government programs. This "information and referral service" may include:
- Quality Aging Program -Transportation Program
- Nutrition programs, both congregate and Meals on Wheels
- Activities and socials -Senior Companion Program
- Homemakers Home Health Aid Program -Hospice Program
- Foster Grandparent Program -Telephone Reassurance
- Alternative Program -Senior Employment Program
- Retired Senior Volunteer Program -Legal Services
- Health Screening Center

Many of the ideas presented at these centers have given retirees the feeling of
worth and self respect. That in return, has improved their health and life satisfaction.

 

Social Insurance
Social Insurance has its modern beginnings in 1889 Germany, where Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck introduced the first old age insurance program. This laid the foundation for the introduction of various old-age assistance programs throughout Europe by the onset of World War I.

 

In 1920, the United States government followed their lead by instituting the Federal Employees Retirement program. Several states soon followed with assorted plans of their own, so that by 1935, all except two states (Georgia and South Carolina) had programs that provided funding to widows and children.

 

With the coming of the Great Depression came also the desire by many to have some type of assistance, so Franklin Roosevelt advocated a government assistance program, which would cover both unemployed and retired workers.

 

 The result of his efforts was the Social Security Act of 1935, which established the basic framework for our social welfare state today.

Originally, in 1935, the retirement date was set at age 65 when the average life  expectancy was not much over 60. The Social Security Insurance was to cover the risk that you would live too long (longer than your savings)!

 

If the retirement age had been updated every time new mortality tables came out (due to the increasing life expectancy), the "normal retirement age" now would be much older than 65 - perhaps as high as 90-100 years old. If that had happened, the "insurance viewpoint" of Social Security would prevail instead of the "earned benefit" viewpoint we have today.

 

Simply put, the government did not change the name when they changed the intent.With Social Insurance, people pay to insure themselves against loss, and do not receive benefits unless they have paid into the fund. Key Social Insurance programs include OASDHI (often referred to as Social Security), Unemployment Insurance, and Worker's Compensation.

 

In the case of Public Assistance, or Income Maintenance Programs, aid to the needy is financed from taxes and is not based on a previous record of productivity, but is instead based on need, and is therefore means tested. Recipients of Public Assistance are often stigmatized as lazy. Some examples of Public Assistance include AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children); SSI (Supplemental Security Income; and GA (General Assistance)

:
Many academics tend to lump "ethnicity and minority" concepts together and many texts use the terms interchangeably. Some others argue that it should either be "ethnicity" or "minority" that is studied. I have chosen to present both ethnic and minority viewpoints.

 

But it is only fair that I give you my viewpoint concerning the matter. I am
concerned that WASPS (White Anglo Saxon Protestants) may think that they do not belong to any ethnic groups. It appears to me that every person, whether considered a "minority" or not, wears several ethnic "hats." Some of those hats include their "roots," both genetic and cultural, which may give their family distinct behavioral traits --even if they do not give them distinct minority status.

 

Moreover, minority status may, in turn, create changes (even if they are only
temporary) in ethnic behavioral traits based upon the environment. I lived in
Southeast Asia in a place where I very seldom saw other white people. I spoke the language, took in their customs and culture, visited their aborigine, and enjoyed my stay among them.

 

But I held a minority status, based upon obvious physical characteristics, that I
could not hide and, in speaking their language, I had too strong of an accent. My own behavior modified in respect to my lower standing in the community. My racial and ethnic backgrounds were a hindrance at times, and a help at other times, but it seemed that they were never neutral. I was constantly trying to gauge "being myself" versus "blending in with the populace."

 

In my opinion this complex diversity found in both ethnic and minority status roles is something to celebrate, rather than to try to dismiss. The aging of the human family allows you the opportunity to enjoy all the wonderful differences found among different cultures and people.

 

Prejudice is the "inward" feeling of being superior over another group while
discrimination is the "outward signs" (behavior) of contempt directed towards that group. It is possible to have a great deal of prejudice built up before discrimination bubbles over in some overt act (usually due to the societal norms discouraging such actions).

 

The opposite is also true, an individual may take part in a discriminatory act
(example: to show he "belongs" to his peer group) but have little actual personal prejudice.

 

Discrimination is found in all cultures in history, but to whom it is directed is greatly differs from culture to culture and from time to time. The outcomes of prejudice are also different in different lands and times. Ancient prejudice had little to do with skin color.

 

As an example, if you were "sold into slavery" it did not matter the color of your skin, only the markings of your slavery (often a metal neckband that designated your position). You could be sold into slavery for many reasons, including having debt that you could not pay back. In some societies, you were allowed to "buy" your freedom and return to "decent society."

 

One very important concept of prejudice is that a label is attached to all of the
individuals of a given group (the "lesser group" or often referred to as the
"out-group"). Each and every person in the outgroup is assumed to have the
"sub-human" characteristics of the label---and the definition of any individual in  that group starts out with that "ascribed role." It is very hard to overcome such a societal label and the afflicted individual finds it cropping up in nearly every interaction with the "majority" society (even in simple things, like trying to buy groceries).

 

Yet the "majority" society (those holding power) are not necessarily the numerical majority in the society. One example of this is South Africa--the whites are, numerically, a small minority in the country but hold the majority power, thus leaving the blacks a minority in status. Another example is gender in the United States: women slightly outnumber men (about 51% of the population) yet men control the politics, religions, economics, and other aspects of the society. This means that women are the minority in status and often face discriminatory practices.

 

The majority, whoever they may be, define the minority as the outgroup, and this definition need not make any rational sense or be the product of anything the minority has done. In fact, it is very hard, if not impossible, to trace back the origin of any given prejudice. But as social scientists, we are always attempting to predict and explain, so we study what may be the causes.

 

One important study done in Chicago suggests that the minority is simply the last ethnic group to move to the city: since they have little money as they arrive in America, they have to live in the slums at first and they may have trouble with the language. These factors lead others to "fear that they are after our jobs" or that they might "bring in an Un-American way of life" and so they label the newcomers as deviants.

 

Once labeled, the newcomers have a struggle ahead of them---until the next ethnic immigrant group arrives! Then the hottest prejudice is aimed more at the newest arrivals (even by the ones who came slightly before) and the city expands outwardly as each succeeding group moves out of the inner city slum neighborhood that the latest arrivals start taking over.

 

Another theory suggests that since biology became a science, it became easier for the power groups to "scape-goat" classes of people to make it easier to blame them for economic troubles. Once genetics came into being, for example, some in the majority decided that there existed a "genetic inferiority" in other races that could be exploited.

 

Discrimination often gets systematic (the norms of society rule that it should be so) and in India that concept is shown very clearly even today: A class of people have been labeled as "untouchable," and even the shadow of these people, should it fall on one "higher born," is "dirty" and will cause "ritualistic pollution" (leaving the need for special cleansing of the unfortunate well-born who had the shadow touch him).

 

However the labeling is accomplished, prejudice robs any society of the potential and the human capital of the group that they label as inferior. Discrimination goes further to victimize the minority and to lead the majority into a false sense of reality (they blame the minority for things the minority have nothing to do with, and thus miss the real cause for the problem).

.

My late mentor, Dr Gallegoes was himself of four distinct Hispanic roots and was born a "share-croppers" son. His life story is rich and he is very illustrious in helping students understand the diverse Hispanic heritages. I will try to paraphrase a story he shared:

 

When he was very young, he was isolated from seeing any other racial groups and did not know any skin color but brown. He says one day he was looking across the railroad tracks and caught glimpse of a person who seemed very ill due to very pale skin. He ran home and asked his mother about what he had seen. She told him that he had seen a "white" person, and proceeded to help him understand by telling him this story:

When God created man, He had a little trouble timing His oven just right. You see, He made some dough and formed the shape of man, then popped him into the oven. But He took man out of the oven the first time too early, and man wasn't fully cooked: those are "white people" my son. On the second try, He left man in the oven too long and burnt him: those are "black people" my son. But the third try He timed man just right and brought him out a perfect "golden brown:" you are that, my son.

 

Dr. Gallego enjoyed telling stories of how he, a full tenured professor at Weber, at times is stereotyped in the community. One such story is being mistaken for an illiterate "yard boy" when he works his around his own house! His wife is white and passers-by often assume she hired him to come over and pull weeds and cut the lawn. He also often ran into discrimination in simple things like going grocery shopping.

 

When considering Hispanic-Americans, please look beyond the stereotypical prejudice. They, like any other group of people, have much to offer our society. The elderly within this population are also rich with ethnic background that can benefit the rest of us. It is a terrible human tragedy to dismiss a human life based upon racial appearance or ethnic misunderstanding.

 

This story and others that Dr. Gallego tells help students "wear someone else's
moccasins" for a while and learn to appreciate other people. The story points out important socialization aspects including: children need to understand obvious physical differences that they come across and each person needs to have respect for who they are. Society will soon enough teach them "their place" --based upon the culture's prejudice.

 

Unfortunately, there also exists prejudice to gender, race, ethnicity, and age within our society. Discrimination, though illegal, still comes to the foreground at times.

 

Some people face a minority status in multiple ascribed roles they bear. Consider the "double jeopardy" of a woman of a non-white race. Consider the "triple jeopardy" when she becomes old. Can we, as a Nation, really afford to waste human potential through prejudice?
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