How are you preparing to die?

One of our class groups of Yongman Kwon, Julie Choi, and Zena Rossouw, just presented an amazingly comprehensive and easily readable online resource on the topic of End-of-life preparation on Storify.

Along with many useful statistics and linked resources, they address 4 key questions relating to this topic:

1. Why do people avoid end of life planning?
2. Why is it important
3. What are consequences of no planning?
4. How to prepare for end of life?

Check them out at: http://storify.com/Aging/end-of-life-preparation

Aging Across the World: A Fellow Aging Blog

Be sure to check out another blog on aging focusing on aging issues around the world from different countries such as India, Japan, and Argentina. It was created by a fellow group in our psychology class on aging.

Check them out here: psych2920.wordpress.com

6 Obstacles That Prevent Us From Understanding Aging

Why are negative aging stereotypes so commonly accepted by younger people? Ageism is known as prejudice and discrimination directed at older people. Research has shown that adults under 35 are more likely to be negatively biased towards the elderly and see them as ‘pretty much alike’ (Abramson & Silverstein, 2004). What is preventing us from properly understanding the aging process? In this post, we will look at some of the obstacles that motivate ourselves, and younger people, in general to remain ignorant of these issues that are a very natural part of life.  

These are some obstacles that have been generally associated preventing better understanding of older people and the maintenance of ageism (Dullaert, 1977):

1. Negative rejecting feelings for older people and processes of getting older

This stems from being exposed to negative stereotypes of the elderly and not having any personal experiences or knowledge to counteract them and therefore are accepted. This is commonly characterized by comments or sayings that show condescension, distaste, or pity towards the elderly such as “old people smell bad”.

2. Fear of Dying

Many of us generally hold a fear of dying and by association, aging, which we perceive as a natural precursor to it. Just as we generally avoid listening to commercials talking about life insurance and funeral services, we try to unconsciously avoid experiences that remind us of our own mortality.

3. Associated guilt with others dying

We all have had someone close to us pass away or know someone that has gone through such an experience and have felt some form of despair or other negative feeling at the helplessness in preventing the death despite how illogical it is to feel that emotion. 

4. Limited exposure with aged population leads to perceiving the aging population as generally all the same

This is especially more common in younger people as the majority of our experiences with the elderly are limited to our experiences with our grandparents and other older family members. As such, we have a narrowed worldview of seniors and tend to see them as all the similar to the seniors we know.

5. Incompatibilities of lifestyles and groups

As posted by Kapena, where she discusses the views towards the elderly from the perspective of another culture, in North America, we are culturally more egocentric and see ourselves more as independent individuals. We hang around those that are similar to ourselves and avoid other groups dissimilar to us, especially people in other age groups because we see them as drastically different in lifestyle, opinions, and interests. Age-segration is quite prevalent in North America.

6. Social condition distorts perception of the aging

Everyday, we are constantly conditioned to look our best and associate our ideal values of beauty and success with youthful beautiful men and women. New trends are centred around young adults and being young is considered “normal”. In comparison to this young-centric culture, we tend to have distorted views of “abnormal” and old people are seen as everything that is opposite to it.

So how strongly are young people biased towards older people? A recent research study surveyed university students on their attitudes towards older adults by asking them what five activities came to mind regarding how the elderly spend their time (Wurtele & Maryuama, 2012). As previously posted, the participants responses greatly exaggerated socializing and watching TV as the primary activities of the elderly. Another study that looked at ageism biases between age groups showed that the effect was most pronounced in the 18 and younger followed by a sharp decrease between 18 to 25 year olds and the biases steadily declined until adults 55 and older where it remained stable and matched up with biases held by the elderly (Morin, et al., 2009).

So what can be done to challenge these stereotypes? Public awareness and creating understanding that we have these misconceptions is an excellent first step against this form of discrimination (Ory, Hoffman, Hawkins, Sanner, & Mockenhaupt, 2003). Anti-ageism public awareness campaigns such as National Older Persons Day and groups such as AARP and www.seetheperson.info are continually educating the public as seen here:

Popular entertainment also works as well. Penn and Teller's Bullshit! episode about our misconceptions about old people is an entertaining way of dispelling myths and is geared towards younger adults and even though it isn't really scientific, it is certainly engaging, especially with the armpit-smelling demonstration: (NSFW warning)

On a more individual level, it is really as simple as interacting with more older people and creating network ties to them to combat age segregation and encourage others to do the same. This doesn't mean you have to visit a seniors centre (even though that is a great opportunity to interact), just talk to them and engage with them. Even talking more with older family members that you typically don't talk to is a good first step. These simple interactions will broaden your own experience and lessens the "us vs. them" mindset, allowing you to see each elderly person you meet as an individual.

What are you waiting for?

References: References for the post can be found here.

The Stereotyping of Elderly People’s Ability to Learn

Ever heard of the saying:

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks"? 

This saying refers to the stereotypical idea that elderly people are not able to learn new skills. But is it true?

In an online survey research conducted by Rivera Incorporation and the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), 63% of seniors, ages 66 and older, reported that they have been treated unfairly or differently just because of their age and 51% of all Canadians agree that ageism is the most tolerated social prejudice, versus gender- or race-based discrimination (Lozon & Barratt, 2012). In addition, 80% (eight in ten) of Canadians agree that seniors who are older than 75 years of age are seen as less important and are more often ignored than younger generations; and at the same time 35% of Canadians admit they have treated someone differently because of their age (Lozon & Barratt, 2012). Therefore, it is extremely important for the generation of people living in the post-modern era to think about issues such as ageism which exists within the society today because the aging population in Canada is increasing at a rapid rate Ageism is described as the action of discriminating against the elderly because of their old age.

Ageist views are caused by false perceptions of elderly people that manifest from lack of knowledge about the real status of older people or fear of becoming old (Ory, Hoffman, Hawkins, Sanner, & Mockenhaupt, 2003). This can cause people to develop various stereotypical views about elderly based-on simple generalizations such as old people are less intelligent, forgetful, only remember past events, slow learners, not capable of learning new skills. These views cause people to develop myths about the elderly. One such myth is the "old dog new tricks" stereotyp (Ory, Hoffman, Hawkins, Sanner, & Mockenhaupt, 2003). In reality, this stereotype is not true since learning is life-long and many elderly people continue to do so over their lifespan. Moreover, they are capable of learning new ideas and skills. Anecdotally, my own father taught his 81-year-old friend how to use the computer for office work after his retirement as an English teacher. To this present day, his friend is still keeping up with the latest computer technology and using the computer to search newspaper articles to read, watch the news, scan photos, organize them, and type up letters and emails.

The objectives of this post is to describe what are ageist stereotypes; discuss how people’s stereotypes about learning in aging people psychologically harm them; to encourage the public to be less stereotypical of the learning ability of elderly people by suggesting evidence that learning is still taking place in them; and, to describe how engagement in education helps aging people preserve their cognitive abilities.

Firstly, ageist stereotypes are defined as beliefs and expectations about the physical appearances, characteristics, behaviours and hobbies that aging people shares as a group. They act as schemes [1] that impact the way elderly people process social information which in turn shapes their behaviours.

Secondly, stereotyping about aging people’s level of intelligence, memory problems, and ability to learn, harms them by causing elderly people to adopt a negative self-concept [2] and conform to ageist stereotypes As we know, stereotype threat is a real issue and can cause elderly people to maintain negative beliefs about their intelligence, learning capacity and memory, even when disconfirming information is present. Any new information is interpreted as confirming their stereotypes, even if they are not true (Baron, Byrne, Branscombe, & Fritzley, 2011). This negative sense of self in turn changes the way elderly people behave as individuals and drastically lowers their self-esteem. When, elderly people have low self-esteem they are discouraged from engaging in activities that help improve their cognitive abilities such as pursuing education activities or programs. In addition, stereotype threat leads to increased arousal which in turn makes elderly people more prone to anxiety and negative thinking. Increased anxiety interferes with elderly people's performance on complex cognitive tasks such as maintaining their intelligence, learning new skills, and improving their memory, while negative thinking causes them to become highly cautious and critical of their behaviours

Lastly, there is evidence showing that effective learning continues to occur in the elderly. A collaborative survey study conducted by Manitoba's Seniors Organization and University of Manitoba found that out of 221 senior respondents who participated in educational activities in the past two years of their life, about 75% of them reported spending 5 or more hours per month in informal educational activities, and 20 % of old people spent 5 or more hours per month in formal educational activities (Sloane-Seale & Kops, 2010). Many old people continues engaging in education after retirement because they want to pursue interest, enjoy learning, meet people and socialize and also to make productive use of their time. Willadene Zedan is  a great example of a cognitively and socially active senior who pursued post-secondary education at Marian University, graduated with a degree in theology at age of 85, and is currently pursuing a new carer. During Zedan's school years at Marian University, it became very clear to her that education enabled her to do more than just exercise her brain. (Gross, 2013). This valuable opportunity also prepared her for a new career which would allow her to visit seniors who were not blessed with her good health in old age and encourage them to be as physically and mentally active as their situation allowed.

Note: More than 75% (3/4) of all respondents emphasized the importance of engaging in education opportunities after retirement. Adapted from "Older Adult's Participation in Education and Successful Ageing: Implications for University Continuing  Education in Canada" by A. Sloane-Seale, and B. Kops, 2010, Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education, 36, p. 8. Copyright 2010 by University of Manitoba.

Education plays a crucial role in productive ageing because it teaches seniors how to become more independent and self-sufficient (Boulton-Lewis, 2010). Furthermore, it facilitates them in maintaining a good quality of life by equipping the old with interpersonal skills and also coping strategies in the areas of physical and mental health (Boulton-Lewis, 2010). In addition, education preserves yet improves elderly people's cognitive abilities and mental functions by helping them keep up with technological and scientific innovations, develop wisdom, boost intellectual power through mental training, and reverse memory decline (Boulton-Lewis, 2010). Together this education benefits empower seniors to keep their brain active so it is extremely important for the society to be less stereotypical about aging people’s learning and cognitive capacities.

Nowadays, stereotypes about elderly people’s cognitive capacities still predominantly exists in the society. However, the advancement in technology and computer science has enabled seniors to learn without boundaries and time limits so that they can prove their ability to learn beyond age. When more scientific researches show that elderly people can actually learn and benefit from continued education stereotypes imposed on their learning ability will decrease or even end.

Glossary:
[1] Schemes: Generalized knowledge about the physical and social world and how to behave in particular situations and with different kinds of people.
[2] Self-concept: A person's an individual’s knowledge about who he or she is.

Here's a video clip of Zedan:

References: References for the post can be found here.

Viral tweet of altruistic behaviour toward elderly man - sign of underlying views towards elderly in media?

I will be posting soon about our North American cultural focus towards youth and related ideals but while researching for that post, this piece of viral media came up and I though it apt to generate some preliminary discussion.

A Twitter photo posted several days ago of a Toronto police officer assisting an elderly man with tying his shoes has quickly gone viral. Here is the twitter post by marketer / social media strategist Jason Cassidy who observed the event and took the picture:

A @torontopolice officer tying the shoe of a sick, elderly man on the street today. Very touching. twitter.com/JasonCassidy23…
— Jason Cassidy (@JasonCassidy23) May 28, 2013

 It's wonderful touching moment of altruistic behaviour that was well captured and both Officer Mark Borsboom, the duty officer in the picture and Jason Cassidy, who shared this with the world, should be praised for their actions.

Given the nature of our blog, this might be a piece of media I feel perhaps needs a conversation regarding the language of the tweet, specifically the use of the word "sick". It is not intended to be a criticism of anyone involved and is meant to discuss some of the possible underlying cultural views and etiquette we hold on the elderly. According to the National Post article containing an interview of Cassidy, the elderly man was walking with a breathing apparatus and cane. Therefore, this matches to at least more than one definition of "sick" and justifies its use in the description.

What is interesting to note is that while many retweets or reposts of the video contained the same description as the original tweet, there are many others, including both the National Post and Yahoo! News Canada, that omitted only the word "sick" when captioning the photo. It is a minor omission and most would consider this creating a discussion over nothing. However, could it also be that we consider any elderly person - or anyone for that matter - who require aids in order to function properly as unwell? Conversely, do we try to avoid labelling any elderly person as sick despite meeting the definition because of societal etiquette and to avoid generating criticism and controversy?

My Gogo (personal experience with the old)

My grandmother known as Gogo (grandmother or wise one) is 95 years old and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, in a township called Soweto. She is an amazing and courageous woman who defies the many stereotypes associated with seniors.

At 95 years old and blind in one eye, Gogo prepares her own meals, works the field and fetches water from a well about one kilo meter away from her home without any assistance. She remembers everyone and things that happened in the past.  I believe the reason why Gogo thrives in everything she does is because we as her family let her be who she is and to do so in familiar surroundings; around people that love and care for her. We never make her feel incapable and we never affirm to the negative stereotypes.

When the time comes when she is not able to do the things that she use to do or unable to take care of herself, we don't plan on putting her in a senior's home. In South African culture, we believe that our elders should be taken care of by their children or any surviving relatives. Putting her in a home will make her feel abandon and neglected.