Ageing

Question 1

What is demographic transition

Answer 1

It is the change in percentages of the population of age groups

Example
Small % of old people to larger %’
Large % of younger people to smaller %

Question 2

What does the following graph show

Answer 2

-The median age is increasing meaning the society is aging

We can see the younger populations are decreasing while the percentage of older people are going up

Question 3

Societies are ageing, but why?

Answer 3

• babies from the baby boom are now grown older
• there is a decrease in fertility rates (less people having children)
• decrease in mortality rates (people live longer)

Question 4

Understanding the baby boom

Answer 4

After the 2nd world war there was a dramatic increase in the number of births between 1946 and 1964. This happened for economic growth and political stability after the war. As well as certainty knowing they were safe now that the war is over and they can have children

The reason societies are aging: the baby boom

Question 5

Why has there been a decrease in fertility rates

Answer 5

Career and education: People delay childbirth nowadays to attain a higher education and pursue a career

Cost: Children now are taken care of up until they are in their 20s during university, so cost is high unlike the past where children worked and helped support families.

Question 6

Why has there been a decrease in mortality rates?

Answer 6

-infectious diseases have been medically treated
- better life conditions: access to more nutritious diet, clean drinking water)
- advances in modern biomedicine: diseases have turned into chronic conditions

Decrease mortality = higher life expectancy in modern societies.

Question 7

From the 1840 to 2013 there has been a

Answer 7

Life expectancy increase at birth and survival rates increased as well

Question 8

What do we mean about the rectangularisation of the life curve

Answer 8

In the past surviving dropped at younger ages and over time gradually it is now at over ages (increase in life expectancy over a large amount of time)

• happened gradually not over night
• the rectangle is the survival rate we are at now

Question 9

Increased life expectancy resulted in the rectangularization of life curve. Could there be any health implications from this? (What complications/ downsides are there to living longer)

Answer 9

• common chronic illnesses among the elderly that they just have to live with:
  Cardiovascular
  Diabetes
  Stroke
  Cancer
  Osteoarthritis/ arthritis
  Mental illness/ dementia
• unfortunate social conditions may take place
  Poverty
  Living alone
  Discrimination due to age (ageism)
  Difficulties with transportation and access to social services
  Social isolation and rejection
  Dependency

Such social disadvantage worsen the elderly’s physical and psychological well-being as well as the management of health conditions

Question 10

What could the elderly do to stay as healthy as possible and keep enjoying their social roles? (How elderly could be protected to live on)

Answer 10

The gist: Being active socially and physically:

• have a healthy lifestyle/ being active (physical activity, healthy foods)
• socialize
• religion and spirituality is associated with good health.
• keeping busy (work, volunteering)
• us as a younger society shouldn’t assume that all older people are chronically ill, dumb or frail because this could mess with them mentally

Question 11

Case Study

Michael Pantehis was born in 1947, is now 74 years old and generally fit. He visits a local GP clinic for routine check- ups. He is a part-time University teacher, travels abroad very often, helps his son with running a catering business and looks after his grandchildren on Sundays. He also meets with his friends to play bowling and organise fieldtrips to educate younger people with regard to living more environmental friendly. To attract more younger people all agree to dye their hair, wear jeans and caps. They feel young that way. At the clinic he finds out that he has to do more tests to further check his heart’s functioning. When the test results are back he is informed that he has a heart problem and that he has to get a lot of rest, change his eating habits and general lifestyle. He is devastated!

Answer 11

Read case

Question 12

Why is Michael devastated

Answer 12

He is afraid he is losing his social roles in society

Question 13

It is the social roles we perform which help us develop our ___ which is why its so important

Answer 13

Identity

Question 14

Lifecourse means

Answer 14

To look at age as something dynamic not fixed

Question 15

Being a student, parent, employee, husband, wife, member in organizations is examples of

Answer 15

Life courses

Question 16

The better understand the impact of aging it is important we know the

Answer 16

Multiple roles the elderly used to have or currently have. Because the better we understand the better we management we can give

Question 17

What are two aspects of time related to life course

Answer 17

Biographical time
Historical time

Question 18

Biographical time is

Answer 18

Personal events in one’s life, could be also called personal time

Eg
Relashionships
Travelling
Work

Question 19

What is historical time

Answer 19

Events during a historical period also known as cohort time

Eg
Second World War, changes attitudes towards sexuality

Question 20

The importance of lifecourse in medical consultations

Answer 20

• it takes stereotypes
• it helps us understand older people as active and social beings
• helps us explore a patients social history in depth allowing better support if the patients

Question 21

What does the term “cultures of ageing” refer to?

Answer 21

A new way of life promoted by a society which is anti old
- anti aging products, athletics, fashion
- older people can use tools of technology to construct or reconstruct their bodies

Question 22

older people adopting a new lifestyle in order to look younger is an example of

Answer 22

Cultures of ageing
They do this by organizing clubs, competitions, changing the way they dress/style

Question 23

Case Continues

Michael’s wife, Christine, is trying to support him as much as she can and help maintain his lifestyle even though Michael can no longer work as much as before. Michael is nearly depressed and Christine has to take care of him. Christine is very tired and she feels that she cannot fulfill this obligation as effectively as she would like to. She is afraid of being depressed too and then need a third person to take care of her and Michael.

Answer 23

Read case

Question 24

What is informal care

Answer 24

Care provided by people who have not been trained, people not under formal institutions of healthcare

• spouses, siblings parents, children
• people with kinship ties and family obligations

Question 25

What are the challenges/ problems informal carers are faced with?

Answer 25

• burn out: they need assistance
• social isolation: loose opportunities to socialize with other people
• daily support: no time to do everyday things, shopping, social obligations, gym, etc.
  Psychological support: they may be depressed , drained as all their support is going towards that person
  Financial support: care is expensive
  Scientific support: they do what they think is right but they lack training so it may be wrong and they may be stressed (lack of training)

Question 26

What sociological terms would you use to explain Michael’s and Christine’s experiences?

Answer 26

Lifecourse
Michael participates in various domains of life and performs various social roles. His life is not static and has not entered into a new fixed stage (third age).

Cultures of ageing
Michael gets together with other older people to play bowling and organize fieldtrips to educate younger people with regard to living more environmental friendly. To attract more younger people all agree to dye their hair, wear jeans and caps. They feel young.

Question 27

Informal care based on our case

Answer 27

Christine, Michael’s wife is undertaking the role of carer. Christine is an example of informal carer because she was not trained as a carer and is not remunerated for her caring activities.

Question 28

Informal carers’ challenges based on the case

Answer 28

Christine is very tired and she feels that she cannot fulfill this obligation as effectively as she would like to. She is afraid of being depressed too.

Question 29

Answer 29

B

We haven’t done lifespan or trajectory so D and E are automatically gone. Can’t be c because there in masculinity. B is the most relevant over A

Aging societies: he’s older, a baby boomer
Masculinity: the last sentence

Question 30

lifecourse in the case

Answer 30

Michael participates in various domains of life and performs various social roles. His life is not static and has not entered into a new fixed stage (third age).

Question 31

cultures of ageing in the case

Answer 31

Michael gets together with other older people to play bowling and organize fieldtrips to educate younger people with regard to living more environmental friendly. To attract more younger people all agree to dye their hair, wear jeans and caps. They feel young

Question 32

informal care in the case

Answer 32

Christine, Michael’s wife is undertaking the role of carer. Christine is an example of informal carer because she was not trained as a carer and is not remunerated for her caring activities.