Effects of Isolation in the Older Person

Effects of Isolation in the Older Person John Burke   Introduction: My assignment will focus on the isolation of the older person in Ireland today. I will be researching and investigating all aspects of these involving reasons, causes, affects and how we as a Society can assist or even alleviate this issue in Ireland. This topic is of particular interest to me due to my own personal circumstances growing up in rural Ireland with my grandparents and family and at present my own elderly parents. They are lucky in a sense that they have continued family support and we care for them on an on-going basis. This kind of family support alleviates isolation but unfortunately such support can be the exception rather than the rule. In a recent study of elderly people living in Ireland the majority do not feel isolated or cut off but a significant minority approx. 50,000 have hardly any contact with others and are very isolated as a result. A report from the National Council on Ageing and Older People (NCAOP) shows that as people get older they can have help from their families, neighbours and even friends. These people find themselves in some form of isolation for various reasons. Isolation in the elderly is usually involuntary but at the same time be self-imposed. People in this group are likely to be single or widowed women especially over the age of 80 and in poor health. They also tend to be less well educated usually to primary school level only. They could find themselves in a very low social situation. Such factors contribute to making our elderly exposed to illness, personal crisis example death of spouse or loved one. On reading and researching the report it also shows and notes that other older people who are more likely to experience isolation are those who live in rented accommodation or those who live with relatives in rural areas. According to the findings, accessibility to transport is a vital factor in facilitating good social contacts with family, friends and the community in general. As a result, people who have no access to transport report significantly higher levels of loneliness. Meanwhile those least likely to report high levels of loneliness include married people, those living in urban areas with access to public or private transport and those on higher levels of income. For the majority of older people (80%), their nearest relative lives within a five-mile radius. The member of their family that tends to provide the most support is an adult child, usually a daughter. Elderly people when asked will comment that getting out as being a very important factor in facilitating social int eraction. Those who were unable to get or be out independently said that this caused feelings of loneliness and isolation. Older women meanwhile were more likely than older men to report social and emotional loneliness because of isolation. Our elderly folks have many needs as they get to the end of their lives. Having a good amount of awareness about various needs and requirements of the elders, is extremely important for those people who have the responsibility of taking care of their aged family members like, their parents or relatives. Our elderly folks have serious needs be it Social, Finance, Housing, Transportation, Health, Nursing and in todays environment Cultural. Reasons for isolation: There are many reasons for isolation in the elderly! Circumstances like no family contact or family rows. Nobody calls anymore and a fear of crime. Reasons of cannot function or be mobile anymore. People get negative and withdraw from social activities or human contact. Our older generation get frail and health declines as a result. Their usual contacts become absent or do not get involved anymore. They can suffer economically too even in todays environment can lead to being alone and unable to cope. Being unmarried or childlessness can be a cause for social isolation. Whether their child is deceased or they did not have children at all, the loneliness that comes from not having a child can cause social isolation.Retirement, which takes away a daily routine abruptly, and loss contact of fellow employees plus a death of close friends contribute to isolation of some kind. Bad financial circumstances can also add to isolation. No savings or having bad pensions to support their futures. The sudden death of a loved one also adds to social isolation. For example, if an individual loses a spouse, they lose their social support. They now must find some other kind of support to help them through this fragile time. Studies have showed that widows that keep in contact with friends or relatives have better psychological health even if they find themselves in isolation. As part of my investigation into this subject, I interviewed my father, 81 years, and his neighbour; 75 years (Bachelor) after my parents hosted the traditional House Stations Mass. I asked the question on reasons for isolation in the elderly and in addition to the usual ones mentioned earlier both men referred to the Country Mobile Shop, which no longer exists, and the decision of An Post to place post boxes at top of rural roads and driveways. Both of these examples can lead to isolation situations in our Elderly people who love conversations, gossip, and above all social contact. In my youth, I was a member of the Legion of Mary and one of our important roles was Visitation of the Elderly in the Parish. These people loved the visits which could last for hours. They thrived in contact and conversations which was at that time weekly. We did not realise it then but we found ourselves in a Carer role with our elderly neighbours. They would have confidence in their younger visitors and would unwind with cups of tea, advice, stories, songs, poetry and even teach us to card play. Effects of isolation: One of the greatest effects of isolation in the elderly is loneliness and a lot of our older people are suffering from loneliness these days. Loneliness is a major problem that affects older people. Folks in their seventies and beyond have issues of loneliness more so than their younger counterparts do. Types of loneliness-connected problems are far worse today than they were back in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Loneliness is not a new issue. Older folks of ages and nationalities today are worse off. It affects all people but more affected are the elderly. People of all ages and nationalities face it from time to time. While loneliness can affect all people, the older people are the worst affected. Part of this problem can be attributed to the rise of nuclear families. By such reference I mean Families or elementary families consisting of a pair of adults and their children. Families in Ireland and all over the world are becoming smaller and smaller. While youngsters who spend a considerable part of their away from home have plenty of opportunities to socialize, their older parents and grandparents have few outing options which severely limit their chances of interacting with other people. To overcome loneliness older people must keep themselves engaged in meaningful activities. They can go for a walk in the morning or in the evening. It will give them physical exercise. It will also give them an opportunity to meet and interact with other people. They can join clubs or they can pursue other interests. By keeping active they constantly engaged in something or other they can overcome loneliness and isolation. Also where possible when they are physically fit they will feel better about themselves and that will add a whole new layer of meaning to their lives. Another serious effect of isolation is depression and despair. These people as a result of depression and despair acquire ill health and have a bad quality of live due to their illness Depression and despair are serious effects of isolation and can lead to ill health amongst our elderly. Conclusion / Recommendations The HSE despite financial constraints and government cut backs is a huge and vital organisation in caring for our elderly. Healthy elderly people who find themselves in isolation must have access to services and supports. Day care centres for example are important for the isolated elderly as it provides them with access to facilities such as contact with people, activities of dining, bingo, card playing, and adult learning. Home Help provision is another aspect of reducing isolation in the elderly. This involves helping with good housekeeping. There are a number of aspects that are involved in taking care of elderly or aged people. Having a good amount of awareness about various needs and requirements of the elders, is extremely important for those people who have the responsibility of taking care of their aged family members like, their parents or relatives. This type of assistance and help that elderly people commonly require, in addition to a few elderly special needs is very cruc ial in lower or alleviating isolation. The HSE try to encourage and provide age-friendly initiatives for all seniors, regardless of their location. Specifically, they seek to improve transportation, housing, social inclusion, community support and health services. In addition, paying attention to the person who is socially isolated can make a difference. Taking a day to spend time with someone can change his or her perspective on life. Care Support organisations like Comfort Keepers that I have started to work for are also vital components in helping to reduce isolation of elderly people. A recent client of mine resides in the last house of a Parish and also the last house of his specific village road so our Health Care Support roles and visits are such a great asset towards reducing isolation. As a HCA my involvement whether its as an employee or a family support member is a crucial role for the future. References / Bibliography: www.irishhealth.com www.hse.ie www.ageaction.ie http://www.irishhealth.com/site_map.html Interview Work Case Study Client. Cacioppo, J (2008), Loneliness, Human Nature and the need for Social Connection. New York: W.W.Norton

Extended commentary of ‘The Pine Planters’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title: A simple reference to the characters described in the first part of the poem. Overall, though, it refers to an earlier work by Hardy, named ‘The Woodlanders’. Marty South – note the lack of explicit gender reference in the name – is a character from ‘The Woodlanders’ whose thoughts are expressed in an odd, stream-of-consciousness-esque reverie. Hardy is interested in the melancholy of both human relationships and within nature; the lack of meaning he can find in natural suffering. Overall Structure: Hardy splits the poem into two parts, with two very different structural styles: 1. Part I takes a ballad form; 8 English quatrains with a mostly ABCB rhyme scheme, but with the occasional use of an alternate scheme when emphasis is required. Hardy uses very simple language throughout this stanza – the images presented are equally so. 2. Part II contains three stanzas of 12 lines, with an alternate rhyme scheme. Consequently, the poem loses its sense of ballad and, as the lines increase in length, becomes more abstract and ‘deep’. This allows for an increased intensity, both in the content and exploration of the images produced. It allows for no more emotive punctuation either! Despite being linked in content, the two parts have very different structural nuances. Difficult Language Notes: â€Å"Halt and hoary† is an archaic phrase for ‘old and grey’. Themes: Nature’s lament, Man and Nature, Relationships Notes on Part I The poem must be discussed separately, in terms of its parts, before comparing the two. However, Hardy writes in such short stanzas that analysing each one would be pointless, yet the meaning behind Hardy’s ‘Part I’ is described very gradually. Therefore, a summary: Hardy writes, in the first person, of a couple who work in forestry. It is assumed that the persona is female (or otherwise homosexual, which would present an interesting perspective) and is called ‘Marty South’ – in this case, the ambiguous name is quite certainly female. South is a character originating, as mentioned before, from Hardy’s earlier work ‘The Woodlanders’. South is engaged in a relationship with a partner upon whom she dotes, but is slighted due to the male’s ‘wandering eye’. South ‘writes’ to explain his apparent indifference towards her. However, Hardy uses this idea of suffering (in relationships) and applies it, in Part II, to the trees that the pair plant. In Detail: Relative movement of the two characters is of great importance to Hardy – or rather, the fact that the persona doesn’t move and therefore suffers the cold of the ‘blast and breeze’. This is made clear, along with the setting for her predicament, in the first stanza; â€Å"He fills the earth in/ I hold the trees†. The woman has no mobility. This is made clearer in the second stanza; â€Å"what I do/ Keeps me from moving/ And chills me through.† More importantly, though, â€Å"he does not notice†. This simple observation of a married man not noticing his wife’s routine suffering (suffering, as it is later revealed, which is endured only to be near him.) is shocking to the reader. The wife is made initially into a tragic beast of burden – this lack of physical motion will eventually come to represent her inability to achieve any motion in life. Hardy deliberately utilises the understatement and plainness of speech to accentuate this fact. In the next stanza, he reveals why. â€Å"He has seen one fairer†. Again, utilising understatement, Hardy introduces (in a noticeably less ‘fixed’ reality) a third figure to the poem – the male’s true love interest. Hardy, by portraying such a betrayal from the victim’s eyes (as well as condemning the male to interest based upon attractiveness alone) again achieves a sense of sympathy from the reader. The male’s â€Å"eye†¦ skims me as though I were not by.† Apart from the obvious sense of being ignored, Hardy’s use of ‘skims’ is particularly effective in emphasizing the male’s partial glimpse of his partner. [Add. Note: The last line of each stanza is somewhat contracted, drawing attention to it. It is therefore noticeable that each ‘4th line’ features an emotive sentiment – all express revealing elements of the characters’ relationships. This is equally accentuated through the rhyme scheme, which draws both the 2nd and 4th lines together.] Hardy’s key emphasis next is that â€Å"since she passed here† the male has thought only of (the new) ‘her’ and the forest; â€Å"the woodland hold him alone.† Equally, the persona is busy with her thoughts – presumably in the form of this reverie! This stanza’s final line is particularly noticeable through its contraction. On a different note, there is an element of complaint in the persona’s tone; she â€Å"never win[s] any small word of praise!† This highlights a coming theme, in that the pair fail to talk to each other at all. They are both equally silent with their thoughts and he, as above, never offers praise – nor, it seems, any verbal or emotional contact. What makes the relationship tragic is that she makes no effort either: The final two stanzas of the first part require more focussed analysis, as they begin to move to action on the part of Marty – or rather (as it may be) to further inaction. â€Å"Shall I not sigh (1) to him That I work on Glad to be nigh to him (2) Though hope is gone (3)? Nay, though he never Knew (4) love like mine, I’ll bear it ever (5) And make no sign (6)!† Desperation, along with paradoxical pleasure, dominates Hardy’s final stanzas: ‘sighing’ has always been a poetic expression of desperation, enforced by the visible expression of hopelessness (3). One therefore questions Marty’s judgement; if she is aware that her relationship with her male partner has been afflicted to its present demise (an argument further supported by the use of the past tense at (4)) then why does she stay there? Why is she unable to move herself physically, emotionally or verbally from her fixed spot? She is like the tree which she plants; immovable but suffering because of it. Much as one can muse upon Hardy’s own Modernist views (see the previous poem for the question of Modernist principles upon human suffering) on the matter, the persona suggests a very simple answer – see (2). She still loves the male. This creates a scenario – an immovable object, enduring suffering, refuses to resign from desperation because Nature/emotion has dictated it must stay – which is passed on to Part II. [Note the irony of the persona: she says, through the medium of literary suspension, that she can make no sign. But we are reading it†¦ She’s making a sign, therefore†¦ So, perhaps Marty South’s Reverie is her paradoxical sign?]

Age and Gender Stereotyping in Television Commercials Free Essay Example, 750 words

These female characters mostly differ from real character traits. Characteristics of female models are shaped by men s fantasies in order to attract male consumers. Females in these commercials are mostly described as sex objects instead of a whole human being. This concept goes along with the cultivation theory because female viewers see unrealistic beauty and thinness portrayed on television and then start becoming dissatisfied with their own bodies. As a result, females, as well as young teenagers, are starving themselves to death and choosing to get plastic surgery. After watching the 17 commercials based on food, medication, cars, and also two coffee commercials from the 1960s onwards, we came to the conclusion that many commercials share a common theme. This theme is that women must be beautiful and extremely thin, and advertising uses sexism to make images of ideal beauty more prevalent and increasingly unattainable. The images inflicted upon us in many commercials are ba sed on a patriarchal dominated society. Males dominate over females and all other family members as well. In this type of society, males are more likely to be employed than females. We will write a custom essay sample on Age and Gender Stereotyping in Television Commercials or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page The male role is identified as being independent, aggressive, instrumental, and respected. Moreover, women and men are portrayed as stereotypically as they were in the 1960s.