Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Paper instructions:

In chapter one of Older Adults: Understanding and Facilitating Transitions, the authors provide us with examples of expected and unexpected changes in the older adult population. Categorized in four different ways, we are able to more clearly examine the impact of expected, unexpected, voluntary, and involuntary transitions. 

Questions:
1. Consider transitions in your life at the stage of development in which you are currently living. (40 years old, female)
2. Identify transitions in your life that have helped you to foster understanding of others and discuss how these changes may help you navigate the transitions identified in chapter one as you age.
3.  Use at least one specific example, supported by research, which confirms your awareness of the possible impact on your future approach to aging.

( you must use at least two references from the readings to support your answer)
(I attached example answers to assist you with creating your answer)
(please let me know if you need any additional information to complete this assignment) 

unit reading:
Perceptions And Attitudes Of Aging
INTRODUCTION

Pensive senior woman leaning on wall. © istockphoto.com Quote: 'I began my journey the day I was born. My name told my destiny. Yet, it remained hidden for me to discover. I traveled a long time to get to this moment.' -Islamic Poetry. http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/poetry/lenapoems.htm
Perceptions of aging differ from culture to culture. The negative Western viewpoint of old age is not universally held. The Eastern focus of life unites the cycle of self, life, and death as part and parcel of the experience of being human (Butler, Lewis, & Sunderland, 1998, p. 55). The authors refer to the Western concept as one of control. The Eastern focus on awareness, on the other hand, challenges us to deepen our understanding of the relationship between life, suffering, and death. Incorporating the Eastern philosophy into our awareness will help in recognizing the positive approaches to experiencing aging and preparing for death. This has obvious implications for Western culture with its focus on preserving life and maintaining health in old age.

Aging may generate negative connotations for some of us as stereotypes and myths continue to remain steadfastly glued to our past understanding of aging. Yet, we know that aging is also a greatly anticipated event by many cultures and indeed, by many individuals. Yeh (2015) highlights several approaches to aging that are ready to shake our ideas into new realities of aging. Our culture may not always promote a positive focus on self-development, but there is an abundance of resources to support introspection and encourage individual resilience, as well as mountains of  accessible medical information. We are now able to take those old stereotypes and replace them with new ideas that image a healthy, active, cognitively inquisitive, volunteer, and traveler who is not stymied by health issues, but empowered by the knowledge to forge ahead.

Smiling seniors walking bikes by the beach. © istockphoto.com Quote: 'You are as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fears; as young as your hope, as old as your despair.' - Samuel Ullman
This course will allow you to focus on positive transitions in life that expand your thinking of the poor old man or poor old lady to one who is on the ball, working until they are in their early 70s, receiving higher education and in many cases, providing kinship care for children! Imagine how a 70-year-old looked in the 1950s! Today's modern grandma and grandpa have much to teach us about transitions, new realities of life, and positive growth! Lewis Richmond, in his 2011 book, Aging as a Spiritual Practice: A Contemplative Guide to Growing Older and Wiser, explains the Buddhist philosophy that, "our increasingly fragile and infirm bodies and minds are sacred, and worthy of the greatest kindness and care. To respect our aging at every stage is the greatest kindness we can offer to ourselves and those we love." Lewis (2013).

Throughout these 10 weeks, you will touch on issues around aging that include cultural expectations, individual, family and community support, service delivery, theories of aging, and challenges facing those in the aging population. In this first unit, you will focus on the general understanding of your relationship to and perceptions of the aging process. You will also begin to examine cultural differences evident in the approach to aging and examine your own perception of aging that will impact your availability to support, listen, provide service and assist in growth and wellness of the older adult population. You may be surprised to see the covert attitudes and perspectives that impact your understanding of this age group.

In this unit, you will read about and discuss the concept of transitions in aging and the different perspectives evident in multiple societies impacting their image and understanding of aging individuals. We urge you to view a suggested video that examines the status of individuals and populations and their relationship to successful aging with the challenges of illness influencing their way of life. You will have access to various aging organizations that may help with biomedical research efforts (American Federation for Aging Research, 2016) as well as agencies that focus on research in multiple areas of aging and human development (National Institute on Aging, 2015). These resources will provide you with a wider lens in your approach to understanding the complexities of aging and the thrust toward the concept of the wellderly—those who are not experiencing chronic medical or mental health issues.