What sparked me the most about Cruikshank was how easily aging can be tied to becoming sick. I never really thought about how society can make older people feel as if something is wrong with them just because they’re getting older. Cruikshank states that older adults are expected to take on the sick role; this can make people hyper-fixate on their health problems rather than on who they actually are (Cruikshank, 2013). I think this also puts fear in younger people in terms of getting older because they view aging as a decline.
Aronson’s conversation with Irina and Dimitri’s daughter also sparked me. Dimitri was taking multiple medications and had multiple health problems; however, Aronson did not just look at the medication list and stop there. She wanted to know more about Dimitri’s life, family, and what his family thought of his situation. I enjoyed this because a good doctor doesn’t just treat diseases. They also understand the person. Doctors hold a lot of power because families feel as if they need to accept whatever the doctors say. Aronson shows why patients and families should still have a choice in their care.
Cruikshank’s whole point about Alzheimer’s disease “standing for aging in America” makes sense. I think she means when people think about getting older, they think about dementia or losing their independence. This can make people feel as if dementia is a normal part of growing old. Aronson takes a different approach to this because she is more focused on the person instead of dementia being the entire story. From the Dimitri example, she takes some time to understand who he is and what would be most comfortable. I believe a lot of people connect aging with dementia too quickly. An article I found was by Jonsson (2024) which made me thinks about this in another way. Jonsson explains that normal changes can happen as people age and can sometimes be treated like medical problems that eed to be fixed. This article discusses how older people can feel pressure to take immense responsibility for their health and avoid signs of aging. This ties with Cruikshank because they both show how society ca twist normal parts of aging into being negative. It also ties with Aronson because they both show why medical care should look at the person than just a diagnosis. After I’ve read all these chapters, I was still wondering how doctors can tell the difference between something that truly needs to be treated or a normal part of aging. This is a vital question because older adults deserve great medical care, but they also deserve to be able to age without feeling like their bodies are constantly having problems.
Jønsson, A. B. R. (2024). Medicalization of Old Age: Experiencing Healthism and Overdiagnosis in a Nordic Welfare State. Medical Anthropology, 43(4), 310–323. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2024.2349515
Koen,
You have the high points here. Cruikshank raises the issue that getting older is synonymous with getting sicker, and Aronson counters by taking a gerontologist’s approach: asking questions until you get the answers you need. Lots of folks have discussed the article you chose, and I’ll talk more about it after I finish grading these posts.
I think the question of what to treat and what to leave alone haunts all of us, doesn’t it? But when we talk about older adults, the most important thing is to determine what is best for that individual within that specific set of circumstances. Sounds a bit lit social work, doesn’t it?
I have talked a number of times about the featured image process. If you would look at my previous comments and see the video about using the blog you can find out how to put ;the image in the proper place. Also, try to get your work in on time and you will do better.
Dr P