moderate physical activity for elderly population 

moderate physical activity for elderly population

As the elderly population continues to grow, the well-being of the elderly becomes the primary goal of the public policy and what the elderly strives for. The current development of well-being as age increases provides an opportunity for research to all sectors of society (Lloyd, Kendall, Starr & Murray 206). The issue of aging and well-being continue to be a phenomenon for debate among biologist, scholars, politicians, and physicians. An interview conducted with an older adult over 70 years old in the United States to examine the longevity covered the various aspects such as psychological, social, cognitive, health, and spirituality of the individual. Research suggests that older individuals participate in moderate physical activity. Also, some elderlies engage in spiritual activities and average cognitive work.

An interview with Helen, a 73-year-old lady, who lives with her daughter, share with us her development strengths, such as her feeling, fulfillment, and achievement. Helen has been able to educate her daughter. She is a successful business person. Helen owners a pharmaceutical shop that has now managed by her daughter. Also, she is still active and has joined a local organization that cares for orphans, where she offers advisory services to the patron and children. However, Hellen complains that mobility is a challenge, especially with a society that does not have elderly mobility and movement policies. Also, she often feels a sense of loneliness after the loss of her husband five years ago. She is often left alone at home with no task to perform or engaging cognitive activity. Her caregiving is informal, and often her daughter does not give her the necessary attention because she handles the family business.

Normative patterns of aging emphasize the theoretical potential of aging in a conducive and favorable environment. The physical changes and cognitive transformation that results from aging usually compels an individual to adjust to the range of performance domain availed to them. Helen has managed to find her life purpose through regeneration, achieving her dream goals, and helping others in society attain their objectives. Helen reflects on her life and feels a sense of achievement and integrity. She looks back on her experiences and feels minimal regrets for the few wrong decisions she has made. Although Helen feels a sense of seclusion and loneliness, she has developed cognitive, intellectual, and social relation skills that quickly helps her in her old age. She remains active in the community and maintains strong ties with families and friends.

Hellen is a retired dentist and likes to identify herself as so. She holds dearly to her former profession because it retrieves positive memories and helps to improve her mood (Kooij, Tims & Kanfer, 2015). Helen shared her memorable and most challenging moments in her medical career. She feels happy when she accounts for how she helped patients recover with dental problems from all ages of life. What is meaningful to her is the wisdom she shares with the younger generation at the orphanage and spiritual commitment, she devout herself (Motel-Klingebiel, Hydén & Cedersund, 2015). She feels at peace when she prayers and connect with God. She derives her psychological strength by seeing the needs and the viewpoints of others. All she strives for is to make a social impact even in her retirement.

Hellen has had some differing abilities such as walking, and she sometimes has to use a wheelchair when moving around. She depends on her daughter and the service of a hired caregiver whenever she feels weak to push the wheelchair herself. Her differing abilities sometimes usually hurt her identity and development. She feels helpless, and the thought that she has to depend on other people to move around causes mid depression. Depression results in loss of pleasure, give her emptiness, and causes her to withdraw from social life. Sometimes when her daughter leaves for work or the day caregiver goes home, she feels some self-neglect. The self-seclusion and neglect she says kill her self-esteem prevent her from attending the orphanage programs, which make her feel alive.

Erikson’s theory believes that external factors, such as parents and society, have an impact on the personal development of a person from childhood to adulthood (Darling-Fisher & Leidy ,2015). Every individual goes through a series of eight interrelated steps in their life cycle from birth to death. These stages include infancy, toddler or early childhood, preschooler, school-aged, 6 to 12 years, adolescent, young adult, middle-aged adult, and late adult. The theory identifies the late adult as a significant period in the normative aging process. The integrity vs. regret stage is between 65 years to death period. The late-stage is usually a balance between integrity vs. despair. Integrity allows older people to reflect on their past life and feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Integrity gives an individual an understanding of life fulfillment.

Erikson’s theory eight stages of life cycle serve as a good outline in defining the human culture. It highlights the essential steps that a person has to go through before attaining the adult stage. However, the theory does not cover the cultural practice of different societies (Darling-Fisher & Leidy ,2015). Babies stop breastfeeding at different times in various communities. Also, in some cultures, people marry at an earlier age, and it should not be necessarily above thirty years. The theory does not explain the numerous different personality that exists among people.

The macrosystem in Erikson’s eight process life stages has impacted positively on Helen’s Life. In the Young adult stage, where a person experiences intimacy and solidarity Vs. Isolation, Helen’s life partner, was crucial in ensuring she settles down (Darling-Fisher & Leidy ,2015). Her former husband influenced her to start a life that would lead to a happy family. The successful accomplishment of this stage ushered her into the Generativity Vs. Stagnation. Hellen was keen to advance her career in medicine and take care of her family (Wall & Aboim, 2015). Her family’s success was the essential achievement in the middle-age adult stage, which enabled her to feel a sense of integrity while in the adult stage.

Research shows that the process of life development can be hindered by failure. However, if the macro systems positively influence a person, he can make reasonable choices. In the life cycle process, a person is guaranteed a more friendly environment in the late adult stage. An individual should develop resilience in old age to cope with unnecessary failures. One can build resilience by ensuring he or she plans for their future and establish good ties with their families. The friendly environment will enable them to possess the cognitive capability and integrity required to live the rest of their lives.