Download or read book Elderhood written by Louise Aronson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2019-06-11 with total page 467 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction A New York Times Bestseller Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction Winner of the WSU AOS Bonner Book Award Winner of the 2022 At Home With Growing Older Impact Award As revelatory as Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, physician and award-winning author Louise Aronson's Elderhood is an essential, empathetic look at a vital but often disparaged stage of life. For more than 5,000 years, "old" has been defined as beginning between the ages of 60 and 70. That means most people alive today will spend more years in elderhood than in childhood, and many will be elders for 40 years or more. Yet at the very moment that humans are living longer than ever before, we've made old age into a disease, a condition to be dreaded, denigrated, neglected, and denied. Reminiscent of Oliver Sacks, noted Harvard-trained geriatrician Louise Aronson uses stories from her quarter century of caring for patients, and draws from history, science, literature, popular culture, and her own life to weave a vision of old age that's neither nightmare nor utopian fantasy--a vision full of joy, wonder, frustration, outrage, and hope about aging, medicine, and humanity itself. Elderhood is for anyone who is, in the author's own words, "an aging, i.e., still-breathing human being."

Download or read book Middle and Late Life Transitions written by Felix M. Berardo and published by Sage Publications (CA). This book was released on 1982 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The articles in this volume reflect a reorientation in the ways that scientists have viewed human growth and development....In this new perspective transitions are viewed as normal situations that are likely to confront anyone. Whatever the situation, each transition encompasses a bridging period often characterized by feeling of uncertainly and instability. During this interval the person engages in various degrees of social and psychological adaptations to the changing situations in his or her life. While such transitional processes have long been characteristic of the human condition, it is only in recent years that social and behavioral scientists have begun to rectify out limited knowledge concerning how people and families negotiate a wide array of mi- and late-life transitions....The current preoccupation with the transitions of middle and old age has evolved from several historical, economic, and demographic changes that have combined to shift our populations toward the middle of the age structure and have produced new stages int he life951576741 cycle. The result is that today most Americans can expect to pass through these new stages including long-term survival, the empty nest period, universal retirement, and an extended term of widowhood in late life characterized by solitary living...Many of these changes have in common that they involve periods of imbalance, often accompanied by strong emotions. Lives must be restructured, adaptations made, and modifications in both mental and physical behavior must occur. The descriptions of these transitions and the process by which adaptations to them are made are the subjects of the articles in this issue" -

Download or read book Meaning in Mid Life Transitions written by Edmund A. Sherman and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1987-01-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contributes to an understanding of the nature of mid-life transitions and crises by focusing on the unique personal meaning of the transitional experience for the individual. There is an implicit structure to the way in which such a transition is experienced by the individual, and this can be made explicit by the techniques and methods of the approach outlined and illustrated in the book. The value of making this structure explicit is that it enables us to understand and assess the nature and dimensions of the transition, whether or not it will reach crisis proportions, and to assess possible intervention strategies. Meaning in Mid-Life Transitions should be of interest to human service practitioners as well as teachers and students of human development and behavior. It evidences an integrative approach and structural framework, including a series of in-depth clinical and research studies.

Download or read book Life Is in the Transitions written by Bruce Feiler and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-07-14 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times bestseller! A pioneering and timely study of how to navigate life's biggest transitions with meaning, purpose, and skill Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Secrets of Happy Families and Council of Dads, has long explored the stories that give our lives meaning. Galvanized by a personal crisis, he spent the last few years crisscrossing the country, collecting hundreds of life stories in all fifty states from Americans who’d been through major life changes—from losing jobs to losing loved ones; from changing careers to changing relationships; from getting sober to getting healthy to simply looking for a fresh start. He then spent a year coding these stories, identifying patterns and takeaways that can help all of us survive and thrive in times of change. What Feiler discovered was a world in which transitions are becoming more plentiful and mastering the skills to manage them is more urgent for all of us. The idea that we’ll have one job, one relationship, one source of happiness is hopelessly outdated. We all feel unnerved by this upheaval. We’re concerned that our lives are not what we expected, that we’ve veered off course, living life out of order. But we’re not alone. Life Is in the Transitions introduces the fresh, illuminating vision of the nonlinear life, in which each of us faces dozens of disruptors. One in ten of those becomes what Feiler calls a lifequake, a massive change that leads to a life transition. The average length of these transitions is five years. The upshot: We all spend half our lives in this unsettled state. You or someone you know is going through one now. The most exciting thing Feiler identified is a powerful new tool kit for navigating these pivotal times. Drawing on his extraordinary trove of insights, he lays out specific strategies each of us can use to reimagine and rebuild our lives, often stronger than before. From a master storyteller with an essential message, Life Is in the Transitions can move readers of any age to think deeply about times of change and how to transform them into periods of creativity and growth.

Download or read book Coping with Life Crises written by Rudolf Moos and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-12-20 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines new developments in the area of human competence and coping behavior. It sets forth a conceptual framework that considers the interplay between environmental contexts and personal resources and their impact on how indi viduals cope with life transitions and crises. The selections cover the tasks confronted in varied life crises and describe the coping strategies employed in managing them. The material identifies the long-term effects of such life events as divorce and bereave ment as well as the way in which these stressors can promote personal growth and maturity. The book contains a broad selec tion of recent literature on coping and adaptation, integrative commentaries that provide the background for each of the areas as well as conceptual linkages among them, and an introductory overview that presents a general perspective on human compe tence and coping. Illustrative case examples are included. The first part of the book is organized chronologically ac cording to developmental life transitions confronted by many people-from the childhood years through adolescence, career choice and parenthood, divorce and remarriage, middle age and retirement, and death and bereavement. The second part covers unusual life crises and other hazards that typically involve ex treme stress such as man-made and natural disasters and terrorism. The book highlights effective coping behavior among healthy individuals rather than psychological breakdown and psychiatric symptoms. The emphasis is on successful adaptation, the ability to cope with life transitions and crises, and the process by which such ix x PREFACf. ".

Download or read book A Life Course Perspective on Health Trajectories and Transitions written by Claudine Burton-Jeangros and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-08-11 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book examines health trajectories and health transitions at different stages of the life course, including childhood, adulthood and later life. It provides findings that assess the role of biological and social transitions on health status over time. The essays examine a wide range of health issues, including the consequences of military service on body mass index, childhood obesity and cardiovascular health, socio-economic inequalities in preventive health care use, depression and anxiety during the child rearing period, health trajectories and transitions in people with cystic fibrosis and oral health over the life course. The book addresses theoretical, empirical and methodological issues as well as examines different national contexts, which help to identify factors of vulnerability and potential resources that support resilience available for specific groups and/or populations. Health reflects the ability of individuals to adapt to their social environment. This book analyzes health as a dynamic experience. It examines how different aspects of individual health unfold over time as a result of aging but also in relation to changing socioeconomic conditions. It also offers readers potential insights into public policies that affect the health status of a population.

Download or read book Transitions of Aging written by Nancy Datan and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2013-10-22 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transitions of Aging is a compilation of papers that deals with gerontology, particularly on the rural aged and aging women. This book discusses the aging transition both as social and biological phenomenon; that physical health can be better, as well as the social, spatial, and economic environment surrounding places of aging. This text also focuses on rural aging and the strong bond of an extended family, which can offer lessons to healthy aging. As regards aging in women, the book examines the problems they are confronted with and the programs that have been developed to deal with them. Part I addresses the personal transition of aging such as life satisfaction, physical activity, and competency in older women. Part II discusses family transitions of aging that include intergenerational relationships, widowhood, the clinical psychology of later life, and the economic status of late middle-aged widows. Part III describes the environmental transitions that the aging experiences such as aging and attachment to a certain place (for example, in an Appalachian community) and the older person's reaction as an initiator or a responder when he or she is confronted with environmental changes. This book also discusses studies made on institutionalization of the aged. This text is suitable for psychologists, gerontologists, sociologists, and social workers dealing with the aged, particularly the female senior.

Download or read book A Life Transitions Reader written by and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 136 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Aging as leveler for Mental Health written by Julia M. Morris and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Due to declining mortality rates and other demographic transformations, individuals aged 65 and above make up a larger share of the population within the United States than ever before, yet vast inequality remains in the trajectories of health and quality of life within the aging process (Abramson 2015; Ailshire and Crimmins 2011). Sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status are consistently linked to disparate rates of mortality and chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease (Kahng, Dunkle, and Jackson 2004). A driver of health inequities throughout the life course in U.S. is access to basic resources, such as a basic income and medical insurance (Cummings and Jackson 2008). As such, redistributive policies which become available to individuals in late-life, such as Social Security and Medicare, designed to limit inequality through the provision of the basic resources of income and medical coverage, may serve to reduce health disparities in late-life (Adler and Newman 2002; Beckett 2000; Brown, O'Rand, and Adkins 2012). By providing basic resources previously unavailable to individuals at the lower end of the socioeconomic distribution, these redistributive policies may decrease resource disparities between individuals in the lowest- and highest- socioeconomic strata (Adler and Newman 2002). In addition, regardless of this aimed redistribution of resources, biological features of aging also act to narrow the health gap. Specifically, it is hypothesized mortality selection among the most disadvantaged individuals, and delayed onset of illness for the most advantaged individuals, result in the convergence of health statuses among late-life adults (Brown et al. 2012; Brown, Richardson, and Hargrove 2016). While resource disparities important for physical health may decrease in late-life (Adler and Newman 2002), the cumulative burden and stress proliferation experienced by disadvantaged groups throughout the life course have been shown to continually widen health gaps as individuals age (Thoits 2010). As a result, theories about whether and how age serves to reduce, maintain, or widen health disparities have emerged. The "aging-as-leveler" hypothesis posits inequalities in health reduce across the lifespan due to reductions in resource inequality that occur with increasing age (Brown et al. 2012; Brown, Richardson, and Hargrove 2016; House, Lantz, and Herd 2005). The "cumulative disadvantage" hypothesis posits that inequality increases throughout the lifespan due to the ever-present and compounding impacts of stress, discrimination, and resource deprivation, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality among the most disadvantaged (DiPrete and Eirich 2006; Willson, Shuey, and Elder 2007). Centered in the middle of this aging framework is the "persistent inequality" hypothesis, in which health disparities are hypothesized to remain constant across the life course due to the competing effects of cumulative disadvantage with reductions in resource inequality in late-life (Cummings and Jackson 2008; Ferraro and Farmer 1996), and thus, increasing age does not reduce or widen health disparities observed in the early and middle years of life (Ferraro and Farmer 1996). Recent sociological scholarship explores these theories for physical health outcomes. Brown and colleagues (2016) find age serves to reduce health disparities, lending weight to the aging-as-leveler hypothesis. However, the authors additionally find evidence for the cumulative disadvantage and persistent inequality hypotheses when analyses focus on different physical health outcomes, racial/ethnic group comparisons, and lifespan of analysis (Brown et al. 2012). Similarly, research by Ferraro and Farmer (1996) provides evidence for the persistent inequality hypothesis for Black-White disparities in mortality and for serious medical conditions such as heart failure and disabilities. Yet, the authors find additional evidence for all three theories depending upon the physical health outcome being measured and analytical methodology being utilized (Ferraro and Farmer 1996). Indeed, scholars note these theories are not necessarily competing frameworks, but each provide insight into the multitude of ways resources and disadvantage interact throughout the life course to impact health, and disparities in health, as individuals age. As explorations of these theories focus on physical health disparities in morbidity and mortality, little is known about how these theories can help to understand trajectories of mental health outcomes in late-life. Prevalence of clinical depression and depressive symptoms in late-life are repeatedly found to be on-par with, or less than, the prevalence observed in midlife (Blazer 2003; Charles, Reynolds, and Gatz 2001), with an estimated 8%-16% of elderly adults experiencing depressive symptoms (Blazer, Swartz, and Woodbury 1988; Murrell, Himmelfarb, and Wright 1983), compared to 10%-18% across the life course (Hasin, Goodwin, and Stinson 2005; Williams et al. 2007). While the prevalence of depression is not shown to increase in late-life, the negative consequences of depression and depressive symptoms increase with age (Blazer 2003; Fiske, Wetherell, and Gatz 2009). Depression is shown to significantly hinder quality of life in elderly adults and is associated with functional limitations, reduced self-rated health, and limited perceptions of social support (Blazer 2003). As a result, the causes, consequences, and relationship of depression with the causes and consequences of physical health disparities in late-life warrant investigation (Fiske et al. 2009). My dissertation utilizes the aging-as-leveler, persistent inequality, and cumulative disadvantage perspectives to analyze and explore social factors associated with, and trajectories of, CES-D depressive symptoms using data from eight waves of the Health and Retirement Study (1998 to 2012). In the first empirical chapter, I test the notion that specific life transitions - caregiving and paid labor - are "inherently stressful" and "similarly stressful" across sex and race groups in late-life, while expanding upon understandings of how positive and negative social support moderate the association among specific life transitions and CES-D depressive symptoms. In sum, the first empirical chapter informs if - and the mechanisms through which - life transitions and social support are associated with CES-D depressive symptoms across sex and race groups in late-life. In the second empirical chapter, I assess if unhealthy coping behaviors mediate the association between caregiving transitions and CES-D depressive symptoms in late-life, and if the magnitude of observed associations vary across sex and race. These first two empirical chapters serve to build a comprehensive understanding of if and how mental health disparities exist across sex and race groups, to build a foundation for exploring theories of reduction, persistence, or widening of disparities in late-life for mental health later in this dissertation. In the third empirical chapter, I model trajectories of CES-D depressive symptoms and functional limitations to provide assessment of the aging-as-leveler, persistent inequality, and cumulative disadvantage hypotheses for both a mental health and physical health outcome. This chapter explores the roles of survivorship and baseline levels of mental and physical health as individuals enter the late-life period to inform assessment of CES-D depressive symptoms and functional limitation trajectories across sex and race groups. This exercise provides context to discussions of the aging-as-leveler, persistent inequality, and cumulative disadvantage hypotheses by focusing on how attrition due to death and baseline mental and physical health statuses shape observations of inequality across sex and race in late-life.

Download or read book Later Life Transitions written by Edward A. Powers and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: That there is diversity in the work and retirement behaviors and at titudes of our small-town respondents is obvious. Thus, attempts to legislate broad solutions to problems of Social Security and other factors of most interest to older persons can be assured of having both supporters and detractors among the elderly in rural settings as well as among other age groups. Within the diversity observed, how ever, are some results requiring further attention. The relatively positive adjustment to not working of the retired men in the study bodes well for those expecting to leave the work force in the next few years. This positive adjustment mirrors that observed in several other recent studies, of course. Still, those not making positive adjustments must be considered; they will continue to require the attention of various support services so that attempts to solve their problems will be successful. Equally significant is the fact that no clear picture of the work and retirement orientation of these rural men emerged. On the one hand, they were remaining in the labor force slightly longer than men in urban 67 68 LATER LIFE TRANSITIONS samples and the job satisfaction and preferred retirement age for men still working had increased over the decade. On the other hand, the value placed on work had decreased, attitudes toward retirement had become more positive, and the men were more work than non work oriented.

Download or read book Social Exclusion in Later Life written by Kieran Walsh and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 450 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on interdisciplinary, cross-national perspectives, this open access book contributes to the development of a coherent scientific discourse on social exclusion of older people. The book considers five domains of exclusion (services; economic; social relations; civic and socio-cultural; and community and spatial domains), with three chapters dedicated to analysing different dimensions of each exclusion domain. The book also examines the interrelationships between different forms of exclusion, and how outcomes and processes of different kinds of exclusion can be related to one another. In doing so, major cross-cutting themes, such as rights and identity, inclusive service infrastructures, and displacement of marginalised older adult groups, are considered. Finally, in a series of chapters written by international policy stakeholders and policy researchers, the book analyses key policies relevant to social exclusion and older people, including debates linked to sustainable development, EU policy and social rights, welfare and pensions systems, and planning and development. The book’s approach helps to illuminate the comprehensive multidimensionality of social exclusion, and provides insight into the relative nature of disadvantage in later life. With 77 contributors working across 28 nations, the book presents a forward-looking research agenda for social exclusion amongst older people, and will be an important resource for students, researchers and policy stakeholders working on ageing.

Download or read book The Perilous Bridge written by Naomi Golan and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Reproductive Decision Making in a Macro Micro Perspective written by Dimiter Philipov and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-17 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides new insights into the significant gap that currently exists between desired and actual fertility in Europe. It examines how people make decisions about having children and demonstrates how the macro-level environment affects micro-level decision-making. Written by an international team of leading demographers and psychologists, the book presents the theoretical and methodological developments of a three-year, European Commission-funded project named REPRO (Reproductive Decision-Making in a Macro-Micro Perspective). It also provides an overview of the research conducted by REPRO researchers both during and after the project. The book examines fertility intentions from quantitative and qualitative perspectives, demonstrates how the macro-level environment affects micro-level decision-making, and offers a multi-level analysis of fertility-related norms across Europe. Overall, this book offers insight into how people make decisions to have children, when they are most likely to act on their decisions, and how different social and policy settings affect their decisions and actions. It will appeal to researchers, graduate students, and policy advisors with an interest in fertility, demography, and life-course decision making.

Download or read book Handbook of Life Course Health Development written by Neal Halfon and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-11-20 with total page 667 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. ​This handbook synthesizes and analyzes the growing knowledge base on life course health development (LCHD) from the prenatal period through emerging adulthood, with implications for clinical practice and public health. It presents LCHD as an innovative field with a sound theoretical framework for understanding wellness and disease from a lifespan perspective, replacing previous medical, biopsychosocial, and early genomic models of health. Interdisciplinary chapters discuss major health concerns (diabetes, obesity), important less-studied conditions (hearing, kidney health), and large-scale issues (nutrition, adversity) from a lifespan viewpoint. In addition, chapters address methodological approaches and challenges by analyzing existing measures, studies, and surveys. The book concludes with the editors’ research agenda that proposes priorities for future LCHD research and its application to health care practice and health policy. Topics featured in the Handbook include: The prenatal period and its effect on child obesity and metabolic outcomes. Pregnancy complications and their effect on women’s cardiovascular health. A multi-level approach for obesity prevention in children. Application of the LCHD framework to autism spectrum disorder. Socioeconomic disadvantage and its influence on health development across the lifespan. The importance of nutrition to optimal health development across the lifespan. The Handbook of Life Course Health Development is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology/science; maternal and child health; social work; health economics; educational policy and politics; and medical law as well as many interrelated subdisciplines in psychology, medicine, public health, mental health, education, social welfare, economics, sociology, and law.

Download or read book Role Transitions in Later Life written by Linda K. George and published by Thomson Brooks/Cole. This book was released on 1980 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Mature Mind written by Gene D Cohen and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2008-07-31 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Golden Years are being redefined. The fastest-growing segment of the population, those beyond the age of fifty, are no longer content to simply cope with the losses of age. Mental acuity and vitality are becoming a life-long pursuit. Now, the science of the mind is catching up with the Baby Boom generation. In this landmark book, renowned psychiatrist Gene Cohen challenges the long-held belief that our brain power inevitably declines as we age, and shows that there are actually positive changes taking place in our minds. Based on the latest studies of the brain, as well as moving stories of men and women in the second half of life, The Mature Mind reveals for the first time how we can continue to grow and flourish. Cohen's groundbreaking theory-the first to elaborate on the psychology of later life-describes how the mind gives us "inner pushes" and creates new opportunities for positive change throughout adult life. He shows how we can jump-start that growth at any age and under any circumstances, fine-tuning as we go, actively building brain reserves and new possibilities. The Mature Mind offers a profoundly different and intriguing look at ourselves, challenging old assumptions, raising bold new questions, and providing exciting answers grounded in science and the realities of everyday life.

Download or read book Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood written by Jeffrey Jensen Arnett and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Helps students understand how culture impacts development in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Grounded in a global cultural perspective (within and outside of the US), this text enriches the discussion with historical context and an interdisciplinary approach, including studies from fields such as anthropology and sociology, in addition to the compelling psychological research on adolescent development. This book also takes into account the period of "emerging adulthood" (ages 18-25), a term coined by the author, and an area of study for which Arnett is a leading expert. Arnett continues the fifth edition with new and updated studies, both U.S. and international. With Pearson's MyDevelopmentLab Video Series and Powerpoints embedded with video, students can experience a true cross-cultural experience. A better teaching and learning experience This program will provide a better teaching and learning experience-- for you and your students. Here's how: Personalize Learning - The new MyDevelopmentLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals. Improve Critical Thinking - Students learn to think critically about the influence of culture on development with pedagogical features such as Culture Focus boxes and Historical Focus boxes. Engage Students - Arnett engages students with cross cultural research and examples throughout. MyVirtualTeen, an interactive simulation, allows students to apply the concepts they are learning to their own "virtual teen." Explore Research - "Research Focus" provides students with a firm grasp of various research methods and helps them see the impact that methods can have on research findings. Support Instructors - This program provides instructors with unbeatable resources, including video embedded PowerPoints and the new MyDevelopmentLab that includes cross-cultural videos and MyVirtualTeen, an interactive simulation that allows you to raise a child from birth to age 18. An easy to use Instructor's Manual, a robust test bank, and an online test generator (MyTest) are also available. All of these materials may be packaged with the text upon request. Note: MyDevelopmentLab does not come automatically packaged with this text. To purchase MyDevelopmentLab, please visit: www.mydevelopmentlab.com or you can purchase a ValuePack of the text + MyDevelopmentlab (at no additional cost): ValuePack ISBN-10: 0205911854/ ValuePack ISBN-13: 9780205911851. Click here for a short walkthrough video on MyVirtualTeen! http://www.youtube.com/playlist'list=PL51B144F17A36FF25&feature=plcp