Age Is Just a Number - 1540 Words

Age is just a Number What is age? Does age define who you are? As a nurse in Long term care for fifteen plus years I have learned to look past the number found in the persons chart. I have learned when I as a caregiver look past that number that represents the date the Elder was born; the Elder too tends to look beyond that number and will follow along leading to experiences one might not think Elders of LTC facilities might still accomplish. Here is what Betty has shared with me about her experiences with aging. I have had the privilege to care for Betty for six years. I have traveled with her to Baltimore Md., Albany, NY, and have shared eight weeks of cake decorating classes with her. The magic number inside Betty’s chart today reads†¦show more content†¦retiring may not be so harmful if the person actively maintains other roles, such as familial roles, recreational roles, volunteer amp; community roles. * To maintain a positive sense of self the person must substi tute new roles for those that are lost because of age. And studies show that the type of activity does matter, just as it does with younger people. I am the type of person that doesn’t take no for answer very easily. I offered Betty some encouragement and told her we could talk about it tomorrow. Betty must of lost sleep that night thinking about what it would mean to travel across the country again. You see Betty and Albert traveled the world together so to take a trip would be a good thing I thought, or would it? To my surprise when I arrived at Betty’s room the next day she practically had her suitcase packed. (The trip was still a month away) I assured her that I would be there the entire way and we would be just fine. The next month went by with Betty going through several emotions about the trip. Physically Betty was in pretty good shape for 83 or at least that was my perception. Betty has beautiful skin, with very few visible wrinkles of time. She hardly looks the age of 83. Betty and I made the trip and a grand time was had. In the days after our return home I started to see a new spark in Betty. Betty now wanted to go out again on those Friday nights to the VFW. 83 suddenlyShow MoreRelatedEssay on Lowering Drinking Age778 Words   |  4 Pagespeople out there that think that we should lower that age to eight teen. A group of 129 college presidents are actually asking that there at least be a discussion to the argument (Lewis et al, 2008). They think that it would stop all the underage drinking at colleges and would teach kids at an early age how to handle alcohol (Lewis et al, 2008). 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A primeRead MoreReview Of Jiro Dreams Of Sushi 1732 Words   |  7 Pageson older adults in Japan and how their numbers have changed over the years. The film â€Å"Jiro Dreams of Sushi† will also be discussed as an example of one older adult’s experiences of life in Japan. While this film is obviously not everyone’s experience and cannot be generalized to everyone, it is an interesting perspective on this one Japanese man’s life and raises interesting questions of how the viewer wo uld like to see themselves spend their time as they age. In Japan, like many other countriesRead MoreFavors for and Against Lowering the Legal Drinking Age771 Words   |  4 PagesFactors In Favor of and Against Khimley Young Critical Thinking and Problem Solving/ Hum 200 AOS Instructor Dr. Steven Mathews October 24, 2012 Lowering the Legal Drinking Age to 18: Yea or Nay Argument in Favor of Lowering the Legal Drinking Age The age of 18 is a transitional point in life. 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