Chapter 12 Flashcards
What are key concerns in a caring aging society?
Increased need for assistance in daily life.
Higher susceptibility to abuse/neglect.
Contemplating death and achieving a “good death.”
Describe the “ideal world” continuum of care for the elderly.
Continuum includes informal (family/friends) and formal (paid/professional) care.
Integrated model: Services tailored to individual needs (self-care, family help, healthcare system, volunteers).
Challenge: Declining family support due to demographic/social trends.
What factors influence family responsibility for elder care?
70-80% of care comes from family.
Motivated by obligation and affection.
Affected by caregiver’s marital status, employment, distance, and ability.
How does public responsibility for elder care vary?
Governments provide formal support for dependent elderly.
Policies shaped by political philosophy, economic climate, and short-term vs. long-term planning.
What does an ideal support system include?
Combination of emotional, psychological, and instrumental help from formal/informal sources.
Case manager (often a family member) links systems.
Compare serial vs. reciprocal exchange in social support.
Serial: One-way (e.g., parent to child).
Reciprocal: Two-way (e.g., middle-aged and older generations exchanging ADL/IADL help).
Define informal support and its components.
Definition: Unpaid care from family/friends/neighbors.
Components:
Subjective: Quality, meaning, satisfaction.
Objective: Quantity, availability, usage.
How is caregiving gendered?
Women more likely to provide care; men expect care from partners.
Daughters offer care proactively; sons provide financial help when asked.
What are the costs of caregiving?
Financial: Lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses.
Psychological: Stress, guilt, isolation, depression.
Physical: Fatigue, sleep loss.
What is “double-duty caregiving”?
Providing care professionally (e.g., as a nurse) and personally, leading to compassion fatigue.
What are formal support services?
Home-based: Meals on Wheels, personal support workers.
Community-based: Adult day care, caregiver training.
Employer-based: Flextime, parental leave.
Technological: Safety/mobility aids, apps.
What are the goals of home care programs?
Therapeutic: Recovery/prevent decline.
Compensatory: Maintain quality of life despite disability.
What is respite care?
Temporary relief for caregivers to prevent burnout.
Define elder abuse, its types, neglect and self-neglect
Abuse: Physical, sexual, emotional, financial, medical, legal, abandonment.
Neglect: Failure to provide care (intentional or unintentional).
Self-neglect: Inability to maintain health (e.g., malnutrition).
How can elder abuse be prevented?
Education on recognition/reporting.
Financial support for caregivers.
Improved regulations in residential care.
What is palliative/hospice care?
Relief-focused care for terminal illnesses.
What are advance directives?
Living will: Preferences for end-of-life care.
Medical power of attorney: Authorizes decision-making if incapacitated.
How is bereavement culturally influenced?
Bereavement: Coping with loss.
Mourning: Individual/cultural rituals (e.g., burial practices).
Why is a life course approach needed in policy?
Traditional 3-stage life (education/work/retirement) is outdated.
Policies must address family/collective responsibilities in an aging society.
