Agingand the Elderly
Whenpeople get older, they tend to become docile and so much inactive.Their body functionality also lessens due to the effects of old age.Old age can typically start from 65 years and above. Most of the oldpeople just sit or lie down for roughly 10 hours on a daily basis.Due to the limited activities, some of them are paying the price ofsickness like obesity and heart diseases among others. As a matter offact, evidence suggests that people who are inactive are prone tostroke, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, depression, dementia and heartdiseases than active individuals. In this paper, some of the bestmechanisms of staying healthy will be discussed. By looking at sometheories i.e. activity, continuity or disengagement, this paper willdraw the positives and negatives of each theory outlining the best.Social problems are influenced by gender, race as well as ageinequality. The article will describe the particular aspects and howthey contribute to social issues.
Theactivity theory states that when older people stay active andmaintain social interactions, they become happier. It affirms thatstaying physically and mentally active increases happiness among theelderly. The dissemination theory, on the other hand, proposes thatelderly people naturally disengage from the community as theycomprehend they are getting closer to death. In other words, aging inthis perspective is an unavoidable, mutual disengagement from thesociety that causes decreased relations with the rest of thecommunity. Another theory, the continuity concept suggests thatelderly people will usually maintain the same relationships,behaviors, and activities as they did at their youth. As per theconcept, though old age is inevitable, it does not change a person`sbehavior.
Fromthe above three theories, I tend to correlate with the first concepti.e. an active mental and physical person is happier even at old age.When grandparents are actively involved in their grandchildren`slife, they are likely to feel part of the family. For instance, whena grandchild enrolls in higher education, grandparents feel thementorship aspects they have instilled in them. In that regard, theyare most likely to feel happy. As per research, grandparents aremotivated to interpret their relations with grandchildren positivelyif they think they are losing them. They always want to be involvedin their grandchildren’s activities to strengthen their bonds. Thetheory is the healthiest as compared to the other two due to theinvolvement of physical activities. In the current globe, diseasesare quite vast, and most of them are linked to inactivity or ratherlack physical exercise. The activity theory thoroughly outlines howactiveness can limit the conditions that tend to affect even youngpeople. Though the concept can be borrowed even by young adults, thebiggest problem entails age limit. In other words, at some instancein life, the elderly become quite immobile and can no longerparticipate in physical activities. It, therefore, does not cover theentire group of the elderly. Additionally, some elderly may eveninjure themselves while trying to push harder than their bodies cantake while conducting physical exercise.
Thedisengagement theory assists the elderly to accept their fate.Naturally, people have to die no matter the age limit. When it comesto the older people, they get more acclimatized to the fact thattheir days are numbered. The theory is more of a reception of faterather that encouragement to the older persons. In that regard, theapproach does not seem to encourage activities that could keep theelderly happier for long periods. Grandparents have a tendency ofengaging their grandchildren in different capacities such asinvolvement in their education, physical activities among others.However, this particular theory does not seem to be inclusive of allthese aspects of life. It is true that some aged people disengagefrom the society. However, grandparents can only separate from thesociety if they are not given enough attention by their respectivefamilies, especially grandchildren.
Asper the continuity theory, activities, relationships, and behaviorsremain the same even at old age. The theory is resourceful especiallybecause some personal traits are never lost. For instance, if agrandparent has a tendency of playing tricks, there is a high chancehe/she used to do the same at tender ages. However, the theory is notclear enough when it comes to activities. At some point in time, someevents cannot be handled at old age, hence, the theory does not hold.
Whetherat old age or not, gender, age inequality, and race are common socialissues. Statistics show that only four out of around 135 countrieshave achieved gender equality. The norm is a social ill that drags asociety from making progress in many aspects. It is the mostrestricting force even in American life. For example, women in manycultures are prohibited from undertaking certain positions amongother things. Even at old age, some women may be affected by theevents they did not achieve while young due to gender inequality. Therace is another social ill that continues to cripple progress in manycommunities. Discriminations along ethnical background can result inhatred and even wars. As per the life course theory, family memberslinked lives are quite important in our daily undertakings. If peoplewere to treat each other like family disregarding the race, so muchcan be achieved in the global perspective. Age inequality injuresmany people within the society. Once senior citizens arediscriminated against, they tend to disintegrate from the communityresulting in some diseases [CITATION Rob021 l 1033 ].
Thelives of grandchildren and grandparents are interlinked. As studieshave evidenced, grandparents have a propensity of involvingthemselves in grandchildren activities in different capacities. Theinvolvement makes them active and happy even at their old ages. Inthat respect, the old groups have to be physically and mentallyactive so as to stay healthy and happy.
References
Robert Crosnoe and Glen, H. (2002). Life Course Transitions, the Generational Stake, and Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 1089-1096.