Growing Old

Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief, all will go through the aging process. However, how well each endures that process depends on the individual. After my Visit at English Oaks Convalescent Home, a skilled nursing facility for adults’ age 55 and older, I found this to be true. During my visit, I conversed with many “residents” whom were alert and oriented and very aware of the aging process. We conversed about the process of aging and the factors that appear to account for a longer life. We talked about adjusting to aging as well as the positives of growing old. After my visit, I realized that we all age at different rates and aging is a highly individual process that affects people in unpredictable ways.

It is inevitable that we all grow old, but it is not inevitable to grow old in such a manner as not to be able to bend down and tie our shoelaces, or do the everyday ordinary chores without the resultant aches and pains. Slowing the "aging process" therefore depends on the individual and what steps they employ to do this. While visiting with residents, each spoke of factors, which they felt, accounted for their long and healthy lives. Just as the Abkhasians, three main factors appear to account for their long lives. The first is their diet, the second is their lifelong physical activity and the third factor is a highly developed sense of community (Henslin 2004). These factors were very similar to the ones that the elderly I spoke to had. The residents at English Oak also felt that diet, exercise and regular visits from friends and family contribute to living a longer and healthier life. Another common factor discussed by many was the importance of being involved at the facility. This presents opportunities to meet new people. Although New friends may never replace the lost closeness shared with someone who they knew before their hair turned grey, or before their first child was born, the support network that comes with sharing life with peers can counter loneliness and goes a long way toward dispelling feelings of isolation. Many felt that the more people they interact with daily, the more chance there is to form new bonds. The Abkhasian culture integrate each individual from childhood into a primary group and remains so throughout life. They have no nursing homes and the elderly do not live alone. The elderly continue to work and contribute to the group’s welfare; the elderly are not a burden to anyone. They don’t vegetate nor feel the need to fill time with bingo and shuffleboard (Henslin 2004). This is attitude is very different than that of the Elderly I spoke with at English Oaks. Several different residents said that they no longer felt they contributed to society and they felt as though they were a burden to their loved ones. Unlike the Abkhasians, they did feel the need to fill time by playing Bingo or another activity and they felt a significant difference from what they were to what they are. The differences in the Abkhasians and the English Oaks residents disclose the sociological principle that aging is socially constructed. Nothing in the nature of aging summons forth any particular set of attitudes, rather attitudes toward the aged are rooted in society and therefore differ from one social group to another (Henslin 2004).

We all adjust to things differently. This, too, is true of aging. The activity theory assumes that the more activities elderly people engage in, the more they find life satisfying. (Henslin 2004) I found this to be true during my visit at English Oaks. I noticed a lot of different activities available to the residents. Several of the residents felt that the more time they spent in activities the more energy and younger they felt. Several stated that the activities helped them adjust to