Of the Psychosocial and Social Impacts of Ageing - Case Study Example

Gerontology: Case History Analysis Introduction Gerontology, as the branch of psychology that deals with all the aspects of aging, encompasses multiple studies and investigations into understanding the aging process. Some of these studies include biogerontology (study of the aging process itself), psychogerontology (study of the psychological impacts of aging), geroscience (study of age-related illnesses), and sociogerontology (study of the psychosocial and social impacts of aging), amongst others. Concisely, psychology acknowledges that aging has significant impacts on individuals and society in general thus the studies and investigations. In the following case study analysis, theoretical perspectives and relevant gerontology perspectives will be applied in evaluating and understanding the effects of aging as they affect the Jacksons family. Mrs. Jacksons’ frustration after the stroke rendered her less-independent can be explained by the fact that before the condition hit her, she had been hardworking, bright, and independent. In short, she liked doing things on her own. As such, the treatment she receives at the nursing home such as being perceived of as a child or being seen as unable is one of the factors leading to her frustration. Again, the idea that she is being kept from even the activities she can still manage furthers the frustration. Her frustration can be understood by applying the Activity theory which states that if older adults’ lost roles are not substituted with something, detrimental impacts are likely. As such, Mrs. Jacksons’ frustration is mainly because she has no alternative roles to do other than just being in the nursing home (Hoyt et. al 395). In terms of ADLs, she still retains some capabilities such as bathing and feeding herself. The same case applies with her IADLs in that although she has to struggle, she can still use the phone or decide what the beautician should do to her. As such, much of her disability can be said to be artificially implied (by the nursing home) and not from within herself. This explains her agitation and loss of morale since she is being physically and medically restrained from doing what her body wants to. As is evident from the case study, Mr. and Mrs. Jacksons were a tight couple prior to Mrs. Jacksons’ stroke. The ensuing disengagement between them seems to not only affect Mrs. Jacksons, but her husband as well. The guilt he feels about the failing garden, the stress of separation from his wife, the fear that they may never get back again, plus the sleeping pills and excessive drinking all adds up as insults which have accelerated his wear and tear process. As is defined by the wear and tear theories, insults (external and internal) contribute to the breakdown of organs and cells, thus faster aging (Zill 58). This explains the changes in Mr. Jacksons functioning. The most possible diagnosis offered to him would be a stress or depression evaluation test. It is possible that his wife’s condition has been stressing him to the point of developing depression. It is possible that he uses the pills due to stress-induced insomnia, and has turned to heavy drinking to keep his mind from the realities he is facing. Sean and Diane are wrong about moving their father to live with them in Sacramento. As the continuity concepts have it, older adults apply strategies that they are familiar with to accomplish their objectives (including satisfaction and well-being) (Blackburn &Dulmus 149). Their father is already suffering from the distance existing between him and his wife. Therefore, increasing the distance further would worsen his condition. Diane is however right about their fight being evaluated by a geriatric than a general physician. This is because his condition is age-related, and a geriatric is better equipped at handling such conditions. They should however, find a geriatric near his home. Regarding their demands at the nursing home, they are right in terms of their mother being offered more realistic and necessary care. One of the factors to be improved is that she should be allowed to do some of the roles by herself such as deciding when the beautician should visit, feeding herself, or making calls. She should however not be allowed to perform duties that may endanger her such as bathing herself. More importantly, the staff should be more polite and desist from using medication to calm her. In the event that their mother leaves the nursing home in the future, Sean and Diane should ensure that the environment that their parents live is best for their age. This is because as age increases, the aged spend about 80% of their time at home. As such, the house should be planned such that their parents are exposed to minimal press and do not have to relocate. For instance, stairs should be eliminated or made wider and shallower. Extended (outpatient) nursing care programs or a house help would also come in handy. Finally, there should be more space in the house and enough green space outside. Concisely, the general environment should support healthy aging for them (Iwarsson et.al 78). The effects of Mrs. Jacksons’ stroke and her husband’s conditions (which are both age-related) are affecting their children as well. In a nutshell, they are undergoing the social and psychosocial impacts of their parents’ old ages. Diane is worried of the increased responsibilities, she is expecting while Sean fears that he might stand higher chances of developing a stroke or mental confusion in old age. From a gerontological perspective, their fears are acceptable but not necessarily realistic; Sean is wrong about inheriting the disorders. They could do away with their fears by consulting geriatrics and share their thoughts with them. Sean would be informed of the causes of stroke and from this; he would learn that it is not necessarily inherited. He would also understand the cause of his father’s confusion (which is likely to be depression) thus ease his thoughts of having innate predispositions of developing both conditions in old age. Diane on the other hand would get advice on how to care for her parents without exhausting herself. The options include diverting the 6,000 dollars spent at the nursing home going for home-based nursing care. She could also take care of the guilty feelings by maintaining her weekend visits and spending time with them. All of these would be made possible if they consulted geriatrics and received information on aging and how it has contributed to their current condition. Finally, they could also preserve their brain and cardiovascular health byunderstanding their causal factors and avoiding them. The nursing home where Mrs. Jacksons is receiving care shows some mistakes in its dissemination of services. First of all, they are contributing to her agitation and declining morale by making her feel that she is unable to do anything without assistance. In as much as the stroke has disabled her major motor functions, she should be allowed to do minimal roles such as dialing her phone or feeding herself. They can explain to her regarding more demanding roles such as bathing so she can understand the dangers of doing it on her own. The biggest mistake they are doing is using medication to suppress her agitation and impatience. According to Jaffe and Benincasa (n.p.), it is against the Federal law to use any psychoactive drugs such as Seroquel and Risperdal for the convenience of the nursing staff. The staffs at the nursing home have been using psychoactive drugs on Mrs. Jacksons and recently increased the dose. The drugs already have an impact as she has lost morale and is overly withdrawn. As such, the medication should be stopped unless it is for necessary [medical] reasons. Finally, they should understand that the condition is beyond her control and should desist from mistreating her such as yanking at her. Works Cited Blackburn, James A, and Dulmus, Catherine.Handbook of Gerontology: Evidence-based Approaches to Theory, Practice, and Policy. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2007. Print. Hoyt, Danny, Kaiser, Marvin, Peters, George &Babchuk, Nicholas. “Life Satisfaction and Activity Theory: A Multidimensional Approach”. The Journal of Gerontology, 35(6): 935-941. Iwarsson, Susanne, Wahl, Hans-Werner, Nygren, Carita, Oswald, Frank, Sixsmith, Andrew, Sixsmith, Judith, Szeman, Zsuzsa, &Tomsone, Signe. “Importance of the Home Environment for Healthy Aging: Conceptual and Methodological Background of the European ENABLE-AGE Project”. The Journals of Gerontology, 47(1): 78-84. Jaffe, Ina, &Benincasa, Robert. “Old and Overmedicated: The Real Drug Problem in Nursing Homes”. Npr.org, 2014.Web. 24 Feb. 2015. Zill, Dennis, et. al. Gerontological for the Health Care Professional. Jones & Bartlett, 2013. Print. Read More