Intro
Hi, my name is Ja’Nasia and I am the first in my family to go to college. I love hanging around family and friends, as well in my free time I like to paint, build Legos, or play board games. It has been two years since I moved to Atlanta for school and I like it so far.
My personal experience with older adults is pleasant. When it comes to my family members that are older, I treat them with respect and make sure they are comfortable and need anything if I am up and moving around. Them as well loves for me to come around and just hang out with them. If I am driving on the road, I give them grace because at the age they are at it can be difficult navigating traffic. Professionally I am around older people during work and when I interact with them it is mostly short conversations. However, I am respectful and try to start conversation with them because they can be wise. We work at a facility, so it is a lot of moving around if they need to be moved for comfortability I try to accommodate.
I took this class to understand older adults better and be able to empathize with them. Older adults go through many stages of health and physical changes which can take a turn on their body, so I want to be able to steer them the best way possible with the knowledge I have.
The Meaning of Age
When I think of older adulthood and later life I think about those between the ages of 40 – 100+. These adults are starting to go through changes in life and sometimes look back on their younger life. So, they have to start taking their body, mind/emotional, and health seriously. There is a different social construct for them in the world to connect with, get help from, and have internal growth as they age. My imagination takes me to those who have lived life and not in such a rush. Some older adults are retired and just focus on them and their health being active and hobbies. While others are laid back and have self-reflection, it just depends on the person.
I would consider my chronological age 45 or 50 slowing down on life and done raising kids. I would like to reflect on my earlier ages and hang with my social crowd. Focusing on my health and retiring while still earning money. When I envision myself, I see fit, feeling young and still healthy. As an activity I would workout, go walking with friends, and just being active anyway possible. I have hobbies like knitting, building Legos, and sometimes puzzles. Spending time with friends and family would bring me pleasure and going out still with my age crowd. Just because I am older doesn’t mean I can’t have a night life. As long as I maintain my health and can be in this atmosphere then why not.
When it comes to problematic conditions when aging I don’t take it on as fear because all older adults go through this. For example, menopause starts to kick in by 45 and so forth, so women have to take their health serious because if not the conditions can become worse. However, all women go through this so i don’t see why I should be feared of the age approaching. There are other conditions that can occur, but I would just have to take them head on and fight it the best way possible.
Hi Ja’Nasia, I enjoyed reading your post because I can relate to a lot of what you said. Two things I agree with are that older adults can carry a lot of wisdom from their life experiences and that getting older does not mean you have to stop enjoying life. I especially liked your point about still having a nightlife and staying active because I feel like people sometimes treat aging as if life has to become boring or limited. I also agree that taking care of your health becomes more important as you get older, but I like that you do not look at aging with fear. Your post shows that later life can still be social, active, and enjoyable while also being a time for reflection and growth.
Hi Ja’Nasia! Great post, congratulations! I also love Legos; I just built the shark one. I like your thoughts on problems that come with aging, just being a part of life that happens to everyone. There is not much we can do in most cases to prevent issues involved with aging, such as menopause, as you said, dementia, fatigue, and weakened immune systems. This means that the best way to live your life to the fullest is just to live it.
I also enjoy what you said about not rushing. When thinking about older age, I hope to really enjoy my time and stop rushing.
Hello, Ja’Nasia I had a great time reading your posts. I loved how you pointed out that having a social life and enjoying life does not have to end as you become older. I also think that maintaining an active lifestyle, engaging in hobbies, and spending time with loved ones can enhance the quality of later life. Because you prioritized taking care of your health over being fearful of the changes that come with aging, your viewpoint on menopause and aging was also intriguing. You can approach elder adulthood with confidence and optimism if you have that mindset, in my opinion. It was interesting to understand more about your viewpoint!
Ja’Nasia,
Congratulations on your college journey! We are happy to have you with us. As you describe the experience of aging, I find it interesting that you talk so much about your commitment to treating older adults with respect. That is a wonderful foundation as you learn more about this area of practice.
As we talk about aging this semester, I think you will find that the years between 40 and 100 include a number of life stages. I totally get that 40 seems like a time of transition, and no one would disagree. In our readings and podcasts, we’ll talk about how much more significant the change becomes when we hit our 60s and 70s. We have come to think about our “later years” as our fourth chapter. It’s the time when we have moved past the commitment to work full-time, raise children, and be responsible on a regular work schedule. That doesn’t mean we don’t have responsibilities in older age. They are different, with a different pace, as you mentioned. What all of those words mean and what that looks like is exactly what we will be talking about for the next 14 weeks.
I think the challenges of menopause are probably the very early stages of the aging process. We’ll spend our time talking about what happens when we reach that fourth chapter and the physical and mental challenges we could face. Many of us fear dementia, for instance, because the idea of losing our memory can be pretty scary. Others have concerns about physical conditions they know other older adults in their family have experienced – say, high blood pressure and arthritis. We will talk a lot about the challenges of aging and how we, as a society and as a profession, need to respond.
Looking forward to the conversations.
Dr P