Second year presentation

2. LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS IN OLD AGE
Päivi Summanen

3.  In the old age, marriage means belonging
together and showing that by staying together
 The couple has grown to the ”we”-mentality
 Challanges and arguments are faced as an
opportunity to grow together, and commitment is
highly valued.
 The generational influence also play's its role as
divorce was not an option as they were young.

4. Not believing in divorce
Wanting to keep the marital vows,
”for better or for worse”
Having gone through major life events together,
having children & grandchildren.
Sharing traumatic experiences (war etc)
Fear of being alone

5. The relationships with the children
change as the parents age and
need more help in their daily living
As friends and loved ones pass
away from old age, children and
grandchildren become the major
relationships of an elderly person,
increasing in importance to them
Help goes both ways:
grandparents can support
financially, take care of the
grandchildren etc.

6. Physiological & hormonal changes
reduce sexual desires and activity,
but at the same time sex can
mature and be affined.
Several medications reduce sexual
desire
Age related slownes for men can
actually prove to be positive for the
outcome of the sexual intercourse,
as partners are both satisfied.
Affection & intimacy play a key
role

7. After the loss of a partner, especially women
are strongly affected by the loneliness and
emptiness, which makes them search for new
love
Children's attitude may be very negative or
even judgemental towards finding a new
partner at this age
Opportunities to meet new people grow less
with age, so this may prove to be difficult.

8. Even though elderly people decline in their
physical ability, we should never attempt to
deprive them of love and affection
It may seem awkward for the children, nursing
staff etc to observe this affection, but elderly
people are just as human as we are and
deserve to feel valued also in this way.
Elderly people who feel loved and receive
affection have a higher quality of life

9. Ryttyläinen, K & Valkama, S (2010)
”Seksuaalisuus Hoitotyössä”, Edita Prisma,
Helsinki
Andersson, S (2007) ” Kahdestaan Kotona”,
Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy, Vaajakoski

10. Oh Mildred, you're not tagging that photo of me!

11.  Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by
interacting with the world through perception and action.
 Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually
protects against cognitive decline, as does physical exercise.
 The human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself.
Even in old age, it can grow new neurons.
 Severe mental decline is usually caused by disease, whereas
most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result
from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation.
 Muscles Activate Brain Receptors, so …
 muscle activity is a cue to keep a synapse stable, and synaptic
inactivity is a cue to disassemble a synapse, so if you lose
activity, you lose receptors. But if you regain activity, you get
those receptors back.
In other words, use it or lose it.

12.  Before birth you created neurons, the brain
cells that communicate with each other, at
the rate of 15 million per hour!
 During infancy, billions of these
extraordinary cells intertwined into the vast
networks that integrated your nervous
system.
 Throughout life, your neural networks
reorganize and reinforce themselves in
response to new stimuli and learning
experiences.

13.  A healthy, well-functioning neuron can be
directly linked to tens of thousands of other
neurons, creating a totality of more than a
hundred trillion connections – each
capable of performing 200 calculations per
second.
 This is the structural basis of your brain's
memory capacity and thinking ability.
 at any age you can – and should –
continue to build your brain and expand
your mind.

14.  Since 1956, the Seattle Longitudinal Study has tracked
more than 5,000 people, aged 20 to 90 years old.
 When participants began to experience cognitive
decline, they were given a series of five one-hour training
sessions designed to improve inductive reasoning and
spatial orientation.
 As a result, half of them improved significantly –
demonstrating that mental enrichment increases fluid
intelligence at any age.
 Lead researcher of the study concluded: "The results of the
cognitive training studies suggest that the decline in
mental performance in many community-dwelling older
people is probably due to disuse and is consequently
reversible.

15.  Studies of senior citizens who walk regularly
showed significant improvement in memory skills
compared to sedentary elderly people.
Walking also improved their learning ability,
concentration, and abstract reasoning.
 Stroke risk was cut by 57% in people who
walked as little as 20 minutes a day.
 Walking is especially good for your brain,
because it increases blood circulation and the
oxygen and glucose that reach your brain.

16.  It is important to challenge your brain to learn
new and novel tasks, especially processes that
you've never done before,for example …
 Square-dancing, chess, yoga, or sculpture.
Working with modeling clay helps develop
agility and hand-brain coordination, (like
controlling the computer mouse with your
opposite hand).
 A cognitive psychologist in England found that
when elderly people regularly played bingo, it
helped minimize their memory loss and bolster
their hand-eye coordination. Bingo seemed to
help players of all ages remain mentally sharp.

17.  “Read, read, read," says Dr. Amir Soas of
Case Western Reserve University Medical
School in Cleveland. Do crossword puzzles.
Play Scrabble. Start a new hobby or learn
to speak a foreign language. "Anything
that stimulates the brain to think.
 There are numerous myths and
misconceptions about the relative abilities
or inabilities of language learners of
different ages.

18.  The greatest obstacle to older adult language learning is
the doubt —
 Studies on aging have demonstrated that learning ability
does not decline with age.
 If older people remain healthy, their intellectual abilities
and skills do not decline (Ostwald and Williams, 1981).
 Adults learn differently from children, but no age-related
differences in learning ability have been demonstrated for
adults of different ages.
 and by all accounts, learning a second (or third etc)
language actually keeps the older language learners mind
active.
 People of all ages can benefit from learning language.

19.  Not only can learning during the later stages of life bring
happiness, wellbeing and a connection to the wider
community for those studying, it can also reduce
dependency on welfare.
 Professor Stephen McNair has spent half a lifetime's
research proving it's better to be happy than rich – a state
some say is best achieved through lifelong learning.
 Evidence of the benefits of learning during the latter stages
of life is overwhelming, from research by the Alzheimer's
Society showing delayed onset of the disease, to reduced
dependency on welfare support.
 It has significant benefits in terms of improving people's
mental health and reducing their reliance on medication.

20.  John Salinas, at 91, is embracing IT. Each week he drives to his
computing class and has progressed rapidly from not even
knowing how to plug in his laptop, to using digital photography.
 ForJohn, the benefits of lifelong learning are clear – the weekly
classes have given him a new zest for life. "I want to
remain active in myself for my own health but also access all the
information that is on computers, to benefit from community
opportunities and to meet other people who are in the same
boat as me," he says. "I see my computer learning as now firmly
part of my life and can share what I learn with my family and
show them what I can do.
 For 84-year-old Len Street, a committed contributor to the
University of the Third Age (U3A) since its creation 19 years ago,
it is the companionship while learning that leads to a healthier
life.
 He currently runs opera and art-history study groups. "When
people leave work it is often the company of others they miss
most – education in older age can be a lifesaver.

21.  www.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html
 www.guardian.co.uk/adult-learning/
lifelong-learning-key-to-happiness.
 www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/87-9dig.htm

23. The focus is on changes that occur normally and are not
due to disease. These changes include sensory changes,
digestion, circulation, and sexuality.
It is important to recognize that people age differently, so
what is presented here may not be exactly what you or
your loved one experience. Also, even though there are
many challenges of aging, these can often be addressed
through simple steps that improve communication and
make the environment safer and easier for the older person
to navigate. These steps may also help to make it easier for
the older person to live independently for as long as
possible.

24. Humans receive and process information from
the environment through hearing, vision, taste,
smell, and touch. With aging, these senses are
often diminished and incoming information
may be distorted or difficult to understand. As
a result, the older person may give up some
enjoyable activities or lose contact with
friends and family who are important sources
of support. These problems can be reduced or
overcome by following the suggestions
described in the sections below.

25. About 30% of people over 60 have a hearing impairment, but about
33% of those 75 to 84, and about half of those over 85, have a hearing
loss. Hearing loss affects the older person's ability to talk easily with
others. For example, older people often have trouble hearing higher
pitched tones. They also may not be able to make out sounds or words
when there is background noise. Conversations may be difficult to hear,
especially if the speaker has a high voice or there is background
interference.
Older persons may be frustrated or embarrassed about not being able
to understand what is being said. They may have to ask people to
repeat themselves, or endure shouting when a speaker tries to be
heard. Older persons may hold back from conversation out of a fear of
making inappropriate comments. They may tire from concentrating
and straining to hear. As a result, the older person may withdraw from
friends and family and outside activities.

26. Hearing loss doesn't have to cause social isolation and emotional distress.
Simple changes in behavior and the home environment can increase the
elder's ability to carry on a normal conversation.
Speak clearly and in a normal tone of voice. Don't speak too fast or too
slow. Hold your head still. Do not shout
Get the older person's attention before speaking
Look directly at her or his face and at the same level.
Stand or sit with the light above or toward you, not behind you. Keep
your hands away from your mouth.
Eliminate background noise from radio and television.
Try using different phrases with the same meaning if you are not getting
your point across
Build breaks into your conversation.
Use facial expressions or gestures to give useful clues.
Repeat yourself if necessary, using different words.
Ask how you can help.
Include the hearing-impaired person when talking, do not exclude
them.

27. Even though changes to the eye take place as a person ages, many older
people have good-to-adequate vision. Nevertheless, beginning in the late
30s and early 40s, an individual may begin to notice some changes. She or
he may have to hold the paper farther away to read it due to changes in
the ability of the lens to change its shape to accommodate to distance.
With aging, peripheral vision is reduced. A person may need to turn her or
his head to see to the sides. The flexibility of the eye decreases and it takes
an older person more time to accommodate to changes in light.
Adaptations in lifestyle and behaviors must be made to cope with this
change. An individual might give up driving at night. Placing more lights
evenly around the room so that the entire room is lit is also helpful.
Degeneration of eye muscles and clouding of the lens are associated with
aging. Several changes in vision result from this. Older people tend to have
trouble focusing on near objects, but eyeglasses may correct this problem.
In addition, the ability to see colors changes with age as the lens yellows.
Red, yellow, and orange are easier to see than blue and green. This is why
fabrics in warmer shades may be more appealing to the older person.

28. Serious vision impairments such as cataracts,
glaucoma, and blindness affect between 7%
and 15% of older adults. If someone you know
must learn to cope with blindness or near
blindness, you can play a critical role in
helping them maintain their independence.
To help a person with any visual impairment,
or to make your own life brighter:

29. *
Light the room brightly and use more than one non-glare light in a room.
Use blinds or shades to reduce glare.
Keep a night light on in the bedroom, hallway, and bathroom to maintain an equal level of
light.
Increase lighting on stairwells and steps.
Use concentrated light for sewing and reading.
Turn lighting away from the television to avoid glare.
Provide printed materials with high contrast between the background and lettering.
Use contrasting colors in the home, such as colors between the doors and walls, and
between the dishes and table coverings.
Mark the edge of steps with a brightly colored tape or different colored paint, and paint the
handrails.
Provide audiotaped books and music for the elder's cognitive stimulation, entertainment,
and relaxation.
Wear a hat with a wide brim and sunglasses while outside. This will protect the eyes against
too much sunlight, which can lead to cataracts.
Know the warning signals of possible vision problems, including pain in or around the eyes,
excessive tearing or discharge, double vision, dimness or distortion of vision, flashes of light, halos
or floating spots, swelling of the eyelids or a protruding eye, changes in eye color, and changes
in vision or movement of one eye.
Make sure the older person has regular eye exams, including a glaucoma screening, at least
once every 1-2 years.

30. Older adults are more likely to lose teeth to
gum disease than to problems with the teeth
themselves. However, with proper personal
care, regular checkups, and improved
dentistry methods, older people are more
able to retain their natural teeth throughout
their lives. Older people who do lose their
teeth may now expect and demand
comfortable, well-fitting, and durable
dentures.

32. Sexual desires and the physical capacity to engage in
sex continue throughout life. Loss of interest in sex is
usually due to emotional causes, drug use, or disease,
and not necessarily to aging. Changes in sexual
response and in the sex organs lead to changes in
frequency and pattern of performance. However, the
older person's own health and a healthy and willing
partner are important factors in sexual expression.
Sharing feelings and closeness with another person are
very important to sustaining emotional and physical
intimacy.

33. What should a woman do when she feels her
husband is losing interest in her sexually and
too often looking and fantasizing about other
women?
Rabbi_Boteach says:
Men only lose interest in their wives when they
are convinced that their wives are totally
devoted to them. Therefore, a wife who feels
that her husband is losing interest should
withdraw slightly and show great feminine
independence so that their husbands have to
seduce them instead of seducing strangers.

34. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he019
● Kosher Sex with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
● http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjihIifQn
rw and
● http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mrI9M
2pQmc&feature=related
muley Boteach

36.  China is becoming an aging country. Among
China’s 1.3 billion population, the number of older
adults is burgeoning. The growth rate of this
population segment is 3.2%, almost three times the
overall rate
 Traditional Chinese culture has been influenced by
Confucianism over the past thousands of years.

37.  . Its ethics pay homage to respect for older people. Its
adages, such as “the elder is a treasure in the family,” are
strongly emphasized. Older people, therefore, are
presumably accorded the highest position in the family
hierarchy and are entitled to be respected and honored by
the younger generation
 However, economic and social changes may have an
impact on the status of older people and consequently on
one’s attitudes toward older people. Modernization and
urbanization are believed to promote value systems that
either equalize age groups or result in lower status for older
people

38.  Zhan (2004a) found that young people in China today
adopted a more liberal view toward family than their parents’
generation by expressing preference to maintain
independent households from their parents. Other research
indicated “declining adherence to filial beliefs and
commitments” among Chinese youth (Ho, Hong,& Chiu,
1989). Socioeconomic changes in China gave young people
more say over their own lives and family issues, such as
marriages, education, and career choices.
 Zhan and Montgomery (2003) investigated the changing
dynamics of caregiving in urban China against the
backdrops of economic reforms and cultural emphasis of
xiao (filial piety). Their study showed “a decline in the
patrilocal tradition of caregiving

39.  As a result, the traditional network of support for old people
embedded in the family system only needs to be
reconsidered. Family is no longer the panacea for future elder
care. The decreasing family size and job mobility have added
to the segregation and isolation of family.

40.  Vast amount of rural areas in South Africa where the elderly
lives and contribute to household activities and income
 Elderly ages faster in rural areas as they would in urban areas
 View of the elderly is changing
› From a perspective of respect to a more intolerant one
 Doctors (especially in provincial sector) have a predominant
negative attitude towards the elderly
 Doctors function strongly on a medical model where the
elderly is seen as a group with a poor prognosis

41.  Abuse of the elderly is high
 ‘community togetherness and support ‘Ubuntu’ grew stronger
during apartheid when community support between Black
Africans were essential When ‘Ubuntu’ is decreasing, so does
the traditional respectful care that the elderly enjoyed in
African families
 Another post „traditional Black families became dependent
on elderly pension as part of the household income Most
state dependent elderly gets small pensions and can’t afford
themselves Pension doesn’t always reach the elderly

42.  Society has not always viewed older
adults in the same way. In colonial
America, the tendency was to revere
older people. By the mid- 19th
century, the attitude was becoming
more disrespectful.
 Since 1970, the United States has
experienced a demographic
revolution. Our young country is
growing old. The current generation of
older adults is healthier, lives longer,
and has more money and education.
The attitudes of the 19th century still
prevail but probably not for long. We
are witnessing continuing changes in
attitudes toward old age as society
notices the opportunities as well as the
difficulties of later life

43.  Businesses did not consider them a
viable demographic market,
community organizations labeled
them recipients rather than
contributors, and when they were
included in commercials, movies or
news segments, they were portrayed
as unhealthy, unproductive and
uninvolved: a burden on the economy
and the younger generations.
 The tide has turned, however, and the
image of the feeble and fragile senior
is quickly being replaced. Seniors can
no longer be ignored, and in an ironic
twist, they have become the future
concern of corporate America.

44.  The difference is their active rather than
passive involvement in these areas. Rather
than accepting what is handed to them,
seniors have learned of their importance to
government agencies, health care
organizations and financial institutions. And
armed with this knowledge, they are no
longer willing to sit idly by - they are
questioning policies, making decisions,
enriching their lives and demanding
attention.
 Looking at this group's profile, it's easy to
wonder if they won't be taking care of the
younger generations and society's
responsibilities instead of the opposite
scenario. Today's older Americans have not
only experienced some of the most seminal
events in history, they continue to be
involved in this country's activities. Many
commit the free time found in retirement to
volunteer opportunities, and some have
found jobs to keep them busy.

45.  http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&context
=famconfacpub&sei-redir=
1#search="attitudes+towards+old+age+in+china”
 http://www.sa.gov.au/upload/franchise/Seniors/Office%20for%20the%20Ag
eing%20-
%20Publications/Publications/The%20challenges%20of%20care%20of%20the
%20elderly%20in%20South%20Africa.pdf
 http://www.cps.unt.edu/natla/rsrc/lsn_plans/plan_chng_attitude.pdf
 http://robinson.gsu.edu/magazine/aging.html