Three categories to Aging

Three categories to Aging1. Introduction What is come on(a)? What is ripening? in that location be three categories for ripened adults ages, young old, old old and oldest old (Papalia et al., 2009). Young old is suggested as the age from 65 to 74 old old is suggested as the age from 75 to 84 whereas oldest old is suggested as the age of 85 and the above. senescence is a natural dish up in which it can be described in two dimensions. primary coil maturation is the gradual, inevitable process of ageing. It is call back forful. It occurs by mover ofout years even with efforts/ engineering science which argon used to back up to slow the ageing process down. The supplementary maturation is avoidable, as it results from disease, abuse. For instance, having a healthy lifestyle dexterity divine service to reduce the risks of entering secondary ageing or delay the entering.In a rapid development lodgeliness like Hong Kong, mass search to avoid talking whatever agin g and overtake ageing as a prejudicious process rather than a natural process. at that placefore, agism becomes unitary of the amicable problems in Hong Kong. Traxler has given the definition that if a somebody or a theme of passel who ar subordinated be perplex of the age by any means (e.g. action, attitude or by an institution) it would be class as ageism. Ageing situation in Hong KongAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, internationalist Database, the Hong Kong nation pyramids 2010 has predicted that the dominant age group would be the 45-49 year-old the great unwashed in which it would be close to 400 000 among the whole tribe in Hong Kong. The club of separate age groups, 40-44 and 50-54 would be inter intensifyable and close to the 45-49 group. By 2050, the star age group would be the 80+ where the female 80+ population would get close to 700 000 while other age groups would remain similar and stay under 300 000 (National Master, 2003). The longevity is one of the mathematical reasons of the alteration of the population pyramids with the enhancement on medical technologies, the better prevention or prediction of diseases, the higher standard of living and so on. Ageing is unavoidable and it is an inevitable process for life. Because of this reason, I believe it is important to visualise ageing in destinations of theories and from that to develop come-at-able solutions to equipage the problem or to smoothen the adaptation of the demographic changes in Hong Kong. ObjectivesThe objectives of this paper argon(1) To overview aging and ageism in terms of disparate theories,(2) To offer some possible solutions to promote positive images of ageing2. Theoretical Perspectives insularity TheoryThis is a psycho hearty concept to state that one-time(a) adults will gradually disengage in a familiarity (The Medical Dictionary, 2009). They atomic number 18 tell to be unruffled and being uninterested towards their possible servingicipation in the smart set. This surmise has slash towards ageism and has given people the negative point of view of aging. cause/ job related disengagementWhen ripened adults retire, the primarily disengagement is caused by their functions in society. Some of them stop working when they retire and are said to be non-functional towards the working field. Some would continue their work (part time or full time). However, some senior(a) adults that wish to continue their work unceasingly suffer in difficult job-seeking process. Employability for them seems to be low or let down in Hong Kong. It competency be possible that some of them pass water collect much experience and in return the current wages would non be satisfied for them. It would end up that retirement would become a transition for them with a reduction in their incomes. In contrast, some less(prenominal) educated cured adults expertness not be able to make do with younger jobseekers. Such two diverse reasons could use to explain wherefore the employability for fourth-year adults is low.Family relationship related disengagementOne of the reasons of the demographic changes would be the delay of marriage and it could possibly delay the life-transitions (Harper, 2004). For example, entering late adulthood later than the expected age, in that location are people confusing about the term middle age in which they believe that middle age could mean people that are 65+ in age (Papalia et al., 2009)) Because of that reason, thither is potential that older adults experience disengagement with their children who leave home.Alternatively, disengagement theory assumes that older adults hurl a tendency to get involve with people with similar ages forming a so called homogenous group (The Medical Dictionary, 2009). In my own point of view, I would believe that older adults are disengaging and from that new(a) engagement is fatalityed. While engaging with new people in which they are of similar ages with t he older adults, they create or re establish something that is meaningful or of value to them. There seems to be a contradiction between the assertion of the theory and its pessimistic explanation of ageing. In addition, there is withal censure for disengagement theory as it raises a negative point of view of ageing it tends to reinforce the stereotypes of older adults. For instances, older adults are useless, inactive, withdrawn, etc (Pal more(prenominal), 1999). Clinical FrameworksThese are represented by medical, biological and naturalist theories. The main emphasize would be that the physical changes on the older adults. The physical changes are referred in term of biological perspectives. The nature of the framework seems not to be focused on the sociological perspective. However, the frameworks highlight a present change or sometimes viewed as an issue by people the higher life expectancies. Dozois has say that the advancement of medicine have led to greater longevity. W hen people have noticed the change in proportion of older adults over the population in the last century, ageism is worsen (2006). People raise concerns and express that older adults are non-productive. Non-productive in this case claims that older adults consume a great deal of resources but in return they do not contribute toward what they have consumed. The large number of non-productive people cogency affect the society (mainly the stinting side) in which the enormous majority people would consider as a concern (Dozois, 2006)Relating such frameworks to Hong Kong, some people believe that the political relation would need to pay more attention to the aging society. As a result, the offbeat system in Hong Kong susceptibility experience a high contain situation in the coming next 10 years off while the Hong Kong population is ever-changing. Simultaneously, when Hong Kong is facing so many distinct scotch crises, the rapidly evolving economic relationships with China and other countries, ageing would serve as a factor that affects the Hong Kong economy. In the future, the government might need to profit tax rate when transaction with the large population of older adults who are eligible to applying the old age allowance (OAA) in Hong Kong as one of the social welfare goods. Consequently, the society might put forward a more negative image for the older adults in Hong Kong. It is like a circular causality to boost ageism. Activity TheoryIn my opinion, activeness theory is the opposite of the disengagement theory as it describe ageing in a much more positive viewpoint. It basically says that how a individual is being constructed in two major focused sources, (1) What they do and (2) The roles they have in their lives (Roy and Russel, 2005).Similar to disengagement theory, activity theory claimed that people give up or force to give up roles as they age. When they retire from work, when they lose their partners, drop out of professional, clubs, unions and so on. Those are the move that holding a person together as w whole. The fast changes cause by the retirement might become the cue of why older adults would reduce their sense of identity. According to the humanistic theory, there are two selves, the real(a) ego-importance and the ideal self (Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 2009). The actual self is referred as how people understand one person in which the person recognize himself or herself from his/her surrounding and some individualised perspectives. The ideal self is what the person wants himself or herself to be. The reduced sense of identity might be caused by the changing or losing of roles enlarge the discrepancy between the actual self and the ideal self. Roy and Russel suggest that activity theory should come to role that older adult should engage in activities (E.g. joining clubs or developing new hobbies). Older adults could develop new roles to substitute or counterchange those old and force-to-be-given-up role s. The theory has concluded the importance of late life activities in which to restore, maintain or enhance the fountainhead-being of the older adults (2005).Rather than pinpointing the negative impact of ageing like disengagement theory, the activity theory could be served as evidence on why there is a need to promote the community participation for older adults Exchange TheoryThe replacement theory simply states that people should end the relationship with another person if nothing can be gained or win overd from that person. This theory has shown its competitive point of view. The assumption of the theory is that people operate in differentiate to gain material or non-material rewards and also people would try to clasp the gained benefits (Moberg, 2001).There are many exchanges in which that could affect ones 3Ps (3Ps are referred as power, prestige and possessions). The 3Ps are the three element derived from the social stratification. kindly goods might not be concrete lik e material possessions, but also including other abstract items like psychological satisfaction and experiential frolic (Moberg, 2001).Older adults that could afford their own living could have relatives that would want to confide on them and putting the relatives or family in a dependent situation. Accordingly, those older adults seem to hap their personal power in which they could influence on others as well as controlling their own activities with their affordability such as financial wealth. They provide e.g. financial actualise to the relatives in return to keep their power.Older adults that could not provide valuable things to their family or relatives might gain completely little power at bottom or outside the family. As they lose the power because of being a lower class, when they retire, they would fix fulfilling the 3Ps as a hard process for them in which they are said to be oppressed because of social stratification. They would have nothing to exchange. Some hidden older adults in Hong Kong could well be a case of losing the 3Ps.3. affirmable Solutions to tackle the current situation Extend the retirement ages Providing chances according to the demographic changesThere is no statutory retirement age in Hong Kong but people that turning to their middle age would find it hard to seek for a job, so do the older adults. To provide more changes and focus on promoting job opportunities for older adults could reduce chances for older adults to suffer in penury and financial difficulties. Moreover, it can also extend the older adults engagement with the society and rejecting the clinical framework that older adults could not contribute to the society. Hopefully, it could help to change the biased comprehension of ageing and it might help Hong Kong to adapt the demographic changes. Information applied science (IT) for older adults Getting older adults to involvePossible work could be done in IT with older adults that could serve as a diversifica tion as it is society oriented or situational.With the support from the activity theory, there is a need to get the older adults to be involved. However, with the changing society, it has become a heavily technology- base society. Isolating the older adults might not be the best solution and it has also deteriorated ageism in Hong Kong. As a result, IT should be considered and be served as a creature to help the older adults to regain their identity in the society.Lets start with introducing two existing technologiesa. Personal Emergency marryOne of the popular technologies that are related to older adults in Hong Kong would be the Personal Emergency Link (PE join). Such technology has been used since 1996. The profit operates by connecting the PE link users with a so-called advanced communication system to a 24-hour PE link centre. By pressing the portable remote trigger, the PE link users would be affiliated and be able to talk to someone in the PE link call centre. In addit ion, the medical history of the user would be saved within the PE link organisation database and would send to the hospital when there is an emergency.However, such service can only be used at home and only benefit to those that can afford or can apply for funding. This service is not universal and might act as a kernel for older adults in Hong Kong. If such service could not cover the vast majority of older adults in Hong Kong, how do we evaluate the effectiveness of such service? get onmore, as the PE link could only use at home, it cannot help when the older adults go out. It also requires the pressing action in order to help notifying the people in the PE link call centre.b. Global put SystemGlobal Positioning System (GPS) is well-known among the mobile users as GPS is integrated into the mobile phone for ease of search different locations. Recently, there is investigation of GPS in Hong Kong. Assisted Global Positioning System based (AGPS-based) Elderly tracking system is be ing implemented in Hong Kong in an experimental level (Wong et al., 2009). Such system utilizes the mature technology GPS in order to track and position a person in out-of-door environment. In this experimental stage, the tested older individual needs to get hold of the device out with them in which some of the participants would find it awkward. Further development of such technology is needed with possible integration of AGPS-based senior(a) tracking system within the mobile phone. In addition, there is a need to improve its usability in indoor settings (Wong et al., 2009).Both systems have shown how technology could help to improve older adults lives and there are many different assistive technologies to help improving older adults lives. But how we could make older adults participate in the IT-based communication society that is one of the dimensions that social thespian should need to consider.It seems that the two technologies have their advantages and disadvantages howev er they alert the society, the government or the people that it is very important to have careful planning when dealing with older adults. Whats more, sometimes, it is essential to change older adults perception towards ageing as well as the general public. To compete with the fast growing technology, the perception shaping towards IT for older adults would need to be studies to allow useful means of intervention. However, it takes time for the society to be reshaped.With the possible increasing uses of internet in the future, social security for older adults could become a concern. Older adults might become a target for crimes in which they might expose their personal entropy. A long-term approach of applying IT for older adults might be more suitable with proper education with any safety issues. There is endlessly difficult to have a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of technology.IT for older adults might become a future trend in Hong Kong with the ageing society and the need of the evolving teaching society. However, the cooperation between the government, social workers, older adults and any other stakeholders would be challenging. It is important to understand and to update the knowledge while implementing programmes as well as developing some unique technologies for older adults in Hong Kong. Last but not least, to assess the possible issues or problems that could cause by the advancement of IT.Social workers should try to intervene in different levels and understand their responsibilities in helping older adults to establish social networks or their status in the information society. Referred to the social stratifications, the three elements are crucial and one of them would be the status. The status that would be established in the information society might have an important effect in confirm older adults social status in the society. Consequently, to redefine older adults as worthies as other people in different age group and to r educe the possible status declining situation.Micro levelCounselling online, in which internet would become a platform for older adults to express their opinions and to find social worker to talk to. There is no doubt that some older adults tend not to seek for help from social workers as sometimes they believe that social workers are working for those that are in poverty or disables. Some older adults do not understand the nature of social work profession. By using IT, social workers might be able to develop a more diverse social function in the society.Mezzo levelIT programmes for older adults could allow older adults to have access to computers and also to build up social networks through the use of computers as well as being involved in the classes satisfying the description of activity theory. In addition, older adults who join the IT programmes would exchange something of valuable to them, for example new relationship (friendships).Macro levelSocial worker might need to consid er and assess the accessibility of IT to older adults. Because of that, social workers would need to understand and equip themselves with the up-to-dated technologies. In addition, there is a need for better communication between social workers and the Hong Kong government, because when the society is changing and developing into an information society, there is a need for the government to consider evolving the welfare. By developing welfare services with IT for the older adults, social workers might need to raise the importance of this new concept. Social bm and Social Campaign Changing the stereotyped perceptionsFollowing the previous part the macro level intervention for IT, social workers should act as a helping professional to help organising social strawman to fight for the welfare for older adults. At the same time, they should highlight the importance of such achievement or campaign to the government and the general public. It is not only the indebtedness of the gover nment to provide adequate resources to the older adults it is also the responsibility for the society. The Hong Kong society seems to neglect the special needs of older adults with the limited facilities that the society has provided for older adults. I believe by changing the perceptions and consolidate the understanding of demographic change and ageing to the general public, the awareness could be raised. Social movement and social campaign could serve as a form of community education and a catalyst to influence policy development in Hong Kong.4. ConclusionTheories help to explain ageism however they could also be served as an emphasis of ageism and providing the negative image of ageing. Social workers should endlessly equip themselves with related theories to understand such inequality in a long term perspective. Furthermore, social workers should also have up-to-date information on such social phenomenon which allows them to integrate theories with current situations. Conseque ntly, social workers would provide precise or related intervention.For this paper, one of the main conclusions is that social workers in Hong Kong should try to change the present negative perception of ageing for both the older adults and the general public as a primary dance step to solve ageism. Providing job opportunities for older adults, integrating older adults with IT as well as organising social movement and campaign could be some possible area in which social worker could work on cooperating with theories.5. ReferencesCurrey, R. (2008). ageism in healthcare Time for a change. Aging Well, 1(1), 16.Dozois, E. (2006). Ageism A review of the literature . Alberta Word on the Street Consulting Ltd..Harper, S. (2004), Families in Ageing Societies A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 4th December 2009 from http//dx.doi.org/10.1093/0199251169.001.0001Moberg, D. (2001). 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