Late Adulthood and Death Paper

...

Another very important factor during late adulthood is relationships and social interaction. At this critical point in life some elderly individuals must become more dependent on others and as a result they may feel guilty because they can no longer care for themselves. Some may feel shame and become depressed because they need help with everyday tasks such as personal care. As sad as the reality is, some societies see the elderly as a burden while others consider it an honor to be able to assist them in this way. Some older adults feel isolated and lonely because all or some of their loved ones past away before them. It is important at this time for these adults to stay active in life so they don’t fall into a depression. According to Erikson this stage in life is considered integrity vs despair. Individuals who believe they had a positive impact on the world feel integrity while those who believe their life was a failure gets caught up in feelings of despair. During this stage of life individuals often get closer to family members because they feel that death is knocking at their door and most want to fix any conflicts they have unfinished so they feel more accepting of their own mortality.

Cultural attitudes and personal feelings about death vary from place to place but for the most part here is the United States we tend to have a strong resistance to stave off death as long as possible. Americans view a family member’s death as a loss and feel despair and agony at the thought of never seeing them again. Sometimes spirituality can create different feelings about death such as accepting it because we believe we are moving on to a better place. Some other cultures across the world view death as just a part of the life cycle and because of this they are more accepting to it.

Late adulthood can be both a stressful and peaceful time depending on the individual’s views and reflection of their life. The one thing they need during this time is support regardless of what they are going through. Sometimes just a visit from a neighbor or a family member can brighten their day in ways we could never understand. Ageism and stereotypes are wrong and we should always view elderly people for what they are “Our Elders”.

References

Berger, K.S (2010). Invitation to the life span. New York, NY: Worth Publishers

Laura E. Berk, Development through the Lifespan, (Allyn & Bacon, 2010),

Nortin M. Hadler, Rethinking Aging: Growing Old and Living Well in an Over treated Society (University of North Carolina, 2011),