Chapter 9

Abstract:

Chapter 9 was mainly about elders and their care. The chapter began with expressing the increasing amount of elderly people and how to deal with that increasing amount. Within 55 years, the percentage of elders has increased from 8% to 12.4% of the population. In the first couple of pages the chapter discussed the terms that are specific to this population. They stated that the overall median age for the U.S population is at an all-time high and should continue to increase. The chapter then went into depth of the myths surrounding aging. The idea that as people age, they just go straight downhill and become senile. A lot of the myths were proven to be false but many of these myths will always stand. Next was the discussion of the demography of aging. Demography is the study of a population and those variables bringing about change in that population. On pages 244 and 245, the book showed us several examples, displayed in graphs, to help give a more specific overview of the aging changes for females and males. The book then went into the factors at which affect the population. Given the increase in the median age, we've come to a general conclusion that this is only possible because there is a decrease in fertility rate, the declining mortality rate and decline in immigration. The chapter discussed the dependency and labor-force ratios. Dependency ratios are ratios that compare those who are economically unproductive and those who are economically productive. They had both youth and elderly dependency ratios. Then the chapter went into more variables that affect the demography of elders, such as living arrangements, racial/ethnic composition, marital status, geographic distribution, economic status and housing. The health of the elderly has also significantly decreased. The percentage of chronically disabled elderly is slowing falling. A lot of the risk factors that were making the mortality rate of elders rise have now become less of a problem. The chapter then went into a more sensitive topic. It discussed reports of elder abuse and neglect. The reports of elders being abused or neglected have severely increased over the recent years. Following the abuse section of the chapter, the instrumental needs of elders was next. Income, housing, personal care, health care, transportation, and community facilities and services are all examples. However, under community facilities and services comes several accompanying concepts. There are meal services, homemaker services, chore and home maintenance services, visitor services, adult day care programs, respite care programs, home health care, senior centers, and other services that are offered to elders.

Reflection:

When discussing this chapter our group found it really interesting that they offered so many services for the elders. Throughout the years the service towards elders has greatly increased and that is due to many of the laws that have been passed. Our group found it terribly frightening that the percentage of abuse towards elders between a ten year period (1980's to 1990's) had increased 150%. And according to the National Elder Abuse Incidence Study, and estimated total of 551,000 elderly persons over age 60 were experiences some sort of abuse or neglect. We just could not wrap our heads around the fact that this is happening and many of the incidences actually go unreported.