Final Group project for a Sociology course taken at the University of North Texas Dallas/

1. Group 8 - Elderly

2. About Us

 We provide a place for the elderly to turn to for support and
socialize and not feel alone. To participate in activities and be
active physically, intellectually and socially. Our organization
aims to raise awareness of the issue, provide
education, resources, and support through volunteers and
activities. Encourage care and involvement from the
community, and to be available when needed, whether for the
elder or the caretaker.

3. Aging U.S .Population

 Interesting enough in 1996, the baby boomer
generation a rough number of about 78 million began
turning 50 at the rate of 300,000 a month having a sever
impact on our senior population. In an extraordinary
shift in our every day lives some families have both
parents and their children that are now part of the senior
population.
 Today’s life expectancy is approximately 76 years.
This means that for the first time in history, seniors will
outnumber children and youth. Initially, it seems that this
would create a huge burden on society as it faces a
majority of members who traditionally require care and
are heavily dependent on others.

4. Continued Aging U.S .Population…

 According to the U.S. Census Bureau between 2010
and 2015, the United States will experience a sudden
growth in our elderly population in large part the
ailing baby boomers. In 2050 the number of elderly
American is projected to reach 88.5 million doubling
the number of elders in 2010. In the years to come
the U.S. will be faced with numerous tasks, from
social security to Medicare, our government will
have to over comes several challenges in order to
meet the needs of our aging population.

5. Our Volunteers:

 Do you need a ride somewhere; to the store, doctors appointment, etc.?
 Do you just want to talk?
 Would you like someone to read to you?
 Have a story you want to tell?
 Do you need help with something, like repairs around the home?
 Have a pet that may need a little longer walk, or extra taking care of?
 Caregivers,
 Need support or need to get out for a bit and need someone to stay with your special
someone?
 -Call our center and see if our volunteers are available. They are here to and will be
more than happy to listen, join you on your outing, or help anyway they can.
 Also once or twice a month our volunteers put together a get-together. Activities
range from Game Night (board games, cards), Reading (individual and
group), Crafting, Dances, Brunch, Pet Days, also Exercise.

6. Involvement

 The more people involved the bigger difference we can
make.
 Tips on how everyone can contribute to helping out the
elderly in your communities:
 Are you on the way to the grocery store? Stop by and ask your elder
neighbor if they might need anything from the store.
 Ask them if they need any errands run that you can do for them.
 Are they always alone? Invite them over for dinner once in a while.
 Talk to them.
 Listen to a story they may have.
 Offer help with the yard work.
 Check on them during bad weather.
 Take a walk with them.

7. December Newsletter

 We will have more volunteers available this
month, especially providing rides if you need to get out
and do some holiday shopping.
 At this month’s get together we will be baking Christmas
cookies. Come by, meet others, bring family or
friends, and join in on the creativity and festivities.
 Also the local elementary school kids really enjoyed
reading Halloween stories to everyone who made it to
Octobers get together and they would like to come back
and put on a Christmas play. Please let us know if you
can make it. If we can get enough people, the kids will be
very excited to come.

8. Support Groups

 Are you a child or caregiver for the elderly?
 Do you need a place to express your problems or get
advice from those in similar situations?
 Come to our Support Group!
 We meet every Wednesday at 5:00 pm, and everyone
is welcome! Come as often or infrequently as you
need!

9. Resources

 For resources for a wide variety of Senior needs, visit:
 http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml
 For state specific information, visit:
 http://www.eldercaredirectory.org/state-
resources.htm

10. Quality of Life

 Old age is not a death sentence or the need to be
dependent, in fact it is the perfect time to redefine
yourself. How you lead you life today will define the
quality of life you have as an elder.
 Social and health behaviors throughout life, such as
diet, whether you exercise, smoke, consume alcohol, your
physical environment, work, and economic status is a
major component in how you will lead your final years.
With proper diet and exercise many chronic diseases that
plague our elderly can be prevented or at least managed.

11. 11 Skills to Coping with
Aging

Skill 1: Making Skill 6: Appreciating
Aging a Positive and the value of Skill 7: Exercising
Self-fulfilling thoughtfulness and your mind
Experience experience
Skill 8: Finding
Skill 5:Recognizing opportunities for
Skill 2: Maintaining
the importance of exercising
Dignity and Pride
continuity competence and
self-reliance
Skill 3: Being Skill 4: Completing Skill 9: Asserting
Future-Oriented your life tasks your individuality

12. Continued….

Skill 10
Mastering
Physical
Limitations
Skill 11
Maximizing
Personal
Relationships

13. Coping Skill 1:
Making Aging a Positive Self-Fulfilling Experience

 Viewing aging as a positive experience is one of the
best ways to cope. As you age you gain
experience, knowledge that in your younger years
you lacked. For instance if you only focus on things
you cannot do as you get older instead of the things
you can, then you are letting the negative perception
about aging cloud the positive attributes that come
with growing older. We need to embrace again and
do it gracefully.

14. Coping Skill # 2
Maintaining Dignity and Pride

 Stereotyping Seniors
 Ageism-any attitude, action, or institutional structure
which passes prejudice on a person or group because of
age or assignment of roles in society simply based on
their age.
 This stereotyping of older people can affect their self-
confidence and subsequently their behaviors. Research
has shown that when the elderly tend to hear stereotypes
about their suggested incompetence they actually tend to
perform worse on measures of skill and memory. Some
may even start to feel dependent and worthless members
of the community.

15. Coping Skill 5:
Recognizing the Importance of Continuity

 Aging is a life long process and peoples lifestyles
play an important role in their longevity. Your
socioeconomic status, education, health
care, physical and social activities, and proper diet
all determine whether you will have a productive
aging experience. By recognizing the importance of
continuity and remaining connected with your
family, friends, religious and political life, as well as
your community you can engaging in active aging
which optimizes your quality of life.

16. Coping Skill #7
Exercising the Mind

 What is the difference between a young persons memory
versus an elder persons memory?
 Research studies indicate elderly people are sometimes slower
on mental tasks, however they are able to compensate with
thoughtfulness and experience.
 Elderly people do well on tasks requiring immediate memory
and memory for things that happened in the past.
 But the elderly have difficulty sometimes remembering a list of
things if sometimes happens to distract them between the time
they learn the list and the time they are tested.
 The elderly are able to recall the meaning of what they were
asked to remember, but do not remember the information
exactly.

17. Coping Skill # 7
Exercising the Mind

 Many studies on memory and performance placed elderly
people at a disadvantage by comparing them with college
students who are in top form for performing mental tasks.
 College students may do better than elderly people in
reciting the exact words of a poem they have
memorized, but on the other hand elderly people will do
just as well in describing the poem’s message.
 Young people do a better job than elderly people in
cramming and coming up with quick responses, however
when elderly people are given the opportunity to take
their time and use the knowledge they have gained
throughout their lives, their performance shows little
decline.

18. Coping Skill # 10
Master Physical Limitations

 The elderly must face physical limitations with a
secondary appraisal that offers some good avenues for
coping.
 As an elderly person’s vision becomes weaker, they
should compensate by making sure they have good eye
glasses and comfortable lighting in their home.
 To help with the decline of vision the elderly could also
have a magnifying glass handy or a small flash light when
reading small print.
 Hearing aids are helpful devices which are available for
enhancing hearing.
 Successful coping results from facing physical detriments
with a problem-solving attitude.

19. Coping Skill # 11
Maximizing Personal Relationships

 Being able to maximize personal relationships as we
age is equally as important as remaining actively
involved in our community. Developing personal
relationships is key in keeping our elderly
population engaged in society. There are several
programs that are available that keep our seniors
actively involved with younger generations such as
the “Foster Grandparents” Program that allow
seniors to mentor and spend time with young person
who need a role model.

20. Work Cited

(1.) Kleinke, Chris L., Coping with Life Challenges,2nd Edition: © 1998 Norene, Gerry; Reissued
2002 Waveland Press Inc.
(2.) Hooyman,Nancy R., Kiyak, H. Asuman, Social Gerontology A Multidisciplinary
Perspective, 9th Edition:© 2011,2008,2005 Pearson Education Inc.
(3.) USA.gov, Government Made Easy,
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml
(4.) U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov
(5). Brock J,N., The Aging of America, The Evolution of the Aging Population
<www.cba.gsu.edu>

21. Why assisting the elderly is so
important.(a personal story)

Of all the great groups available, I was glad to see that one of the groups was
focused on the elderly and their unique needs. Our elderly citizens need
companionship, love, respect and attention. Although it is easy to forget
about the contributions by those who make up the remainder of the "Greatest
Generation," we cannot and should not. I believe that I have an
understanding of the basic emotional needs of our elderly because of my
experience with my only remaining grandparent, "Mama."
As a younger man, I always loved my grandmother as a member of the
family. We would typically only visit her on special occasions such as
birthdays, holidays etc. It wasn't until she began to decline physically at a
much more rapid pace that we moved her to Mesquite and I really began to
get to know my "Mama." I found out that she had led a very interesting life
with experiences similar to my own(dating, mischief, friends), and many other
experiences that I will never know(WWII, Depression). In our elderly
population, we have a living reminder of the history of this country. We have
a group of people who have witnessed things that we never will. And
although we are living our lives and dealing with everything that comes with
being a "Modern American" man or woman, we can all take a little time to
provide companionship to the elderly in our family and in our community.

22. Continued…..

This time benefits not only them, but us as well. If you believe in giving
back, showing respect, exhibiting a loving heart, and learning about our
history, then this act of kindness will be an invaluable opportunity to do and obtain
all of these important things. So take the time to visit a local hospice, assisted living
center, or personal residence of our most needy and valuable citizens. Learn from
them, talk to them, allow them to relive the best times of their lives through
stimulating dialogue. My grandmother, although 92 years of age, loves to
remember her own grandmother who raised from birth. These were clearly the best
times of her life. And although it saddens my heart to see her changing, I am so
happy that she can live out the rest of her days in the one place where she really
wants to be"home."
Please take the time to demonstrate your understanding of the sacrifices and
contributions made by our "Greatest Generation," by offering your
companionship, love, respect and attention to those who need it the
most. Remember our "Elderly."
Thank you,
Perry A. Morse II
SOCI 4750

23. Group 8 - Elderly

 Carolina Doktor
 Casey Drinnen
 Amanda Sanchez
 Perry Morse