Monday, December 9, 2019

Nursing Dependent on Medication

Question: Describe about the Report for Nursing of Dependent on Medication. Answer: The aim of the current paper is to examine my perception of how an aged person thinks and feels about the social he lives in. It about how my perception about an aged person life, thinking and activities have been shaped largely by the aged people that I have been in close contact with. Before I interviewed Mr. X, I thought that old people led quiet, inactive lives, were dependent on medication and there was an of helplessness around them. I had assumed that Mr. X (who wore a cheerful demeanour) would be sad that his children and grandchildren met him just once year because they lived in other countries. I expected most of his talk to be peppered by anecdotes from his old days in the army, about being lonely, and having to rely on medication, a failing eyesight, difficult to run errands particularly when he fractured a leg (I had noticed his leg in a cast a few months ago). Often old age is associated with being frail and weak. After my conversation with him I realised that though so me of my assumptions about aged people were true, Mr. X altered my thinking for good. The aged with positive thinking may live up to 7 years longer than their peers who tend to think negatively (Ng et al., 2016). In my perception before my meeting with Mr. X, I had always believed that the aged were frail people, who needed someone to care of them and were largely incapable of living alone in the community. The aged with a strong sense of positive perception reduces the threats associated with ageing. Such individuals are likely to have better memory than the aged who have negative perceptions about ageing and its impact on their lives (Fernandez-Ballesteros, Bustillos and Huici, 2015). To most questions of my interview, Mr. X's answers were the opposite of what I had expected. His attitude brimmed with positive thoughts. He agreed that he felt lonely at times and wished his children and him could meet more often. His wife, a diabetic was similar to him and both believed in ageing with a positive mindset. Though retired, his many hobbies kept him busy and physically agile. His association with a not-for-profit associated with war veterans gave him a feeling of immense satisfaction whenever he contributed to the cause of working for friends in the army. He played golf and helped his wife maintain a beautiful garden. His ailments did not worry him much. Mr. X practised tai chi. When probed about his life, the social and family support, he said he was happy and surrounded by people who cared for him. During the time when he suffered a fracture, his children took turns to help him and he said he felt he was a lucky father. The constant support that he enjoyed and the fact that all his needs were met helped him recover and he did not feel any mental strain during the period of recovery. Mr. X dispelled the belief that I held about the aged being grumpy and insecure, particularly when ill. Aged people satisfied with their quality of life are happy and content according to a study on their living conditions and outcomes (King et al., 2012, Ashe et al., 2015). Contrary to my impression of old people that I had seen since childhood, I always had an impression that they were frail, needed to be cared for, had diminished memory and a failing eyesight. Their statures were bent, and they had a desolate look in their eyes. Mr. X had dispelled some of my beliefs. He appeared strong, looked forward to meeting people, appeared happy, calm, busy, full of energy. The reason for his happiness stemmed from the fact that he was able to help war veterans, many of whom suffered from physical disability and mental problems. I noticed that was affable and easy to talk to, almost friendly, his eyes shone with kindness and he showed interest in answering my queries. I had not expected the interview to be a pleasurable communication. Another fact that I noticed was that Mr. X appeared rather alert for his age. Did tai chi practice have a role to play? Probably yes. Practice of tai chi has been known to improve cognitive function and mental agility. It is a mind-body exercise routine that incorporates choreographed movements that improve visuospatial processing. The practice of tai chi enables the elderly to remain agile through moderately aerobic activity. The positive impact on cognitive function occurs due to special neurophysiological pathways. The meditative component of tai chi reduces stress, anxiety and depression. When the exercises are performed in a group mood enhancement occurs and coping skills of the tai chi performing receive a boost (Wang et al., 2014 ; Wayne et al., 2014). Also, the attitude of the spouse towards keeping positive frame of mind affects the psychological well-being of a person. In Mr. X's case his positive attitude towards ageing and life in general was reciprocated by his wife. Their attitudes led to adoption of health promoting behaviours so that their overall quality of life was above average for their age (Momtaz et al., 2013). Optimism and having a spouse with an optimistic outlook can improve health outcomes of aged couples (Kim, Chopik and Smith, 2014). In conclusion, the interview with Mr. X altered my opinion of what it was to be able to live a contented life as a senior citizen. While I thought that the old live a decrepit life filled with insecurities and are largely dependent, Mr. X lived a busy, purposeful life. While he was reassured about help from his children, the interesting hobbies, a well adjusted social life, an optimistic spouse helped him to live n active life. His cognitive functions were above average and this could be attributed to the tai chi practice that he seldom missed. He could bond and communicate well with young people as well as his peers. His recovery from a leg fracture was not difficult because of his positive outlook towards life. References Ashe, M., Schiller, C., Franke, T., Belle, J., Sims-Gould, J. and Sale, J. (2015). Words of wisdom patient perspectives to guide recovery for older adults after hip fracture: aqualitative study.Patient Preference and Adherence, p.57. Fernndez-Ballesteros, R., Bustillos, A. and Huici, C. (2015). Positive Perception of Aging and Performance in a Memory Task: Compensating for Stereotype Threat?.Experimental Ageing Research, 41(4), pp.410-25. Kim, E., Chopik, W. and Smith, J. (2014). Are people healthier if their partners are more optimistic? The dyadic effect of optimism on health among older adults.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 76(6), pp.447-453. King, J., Yourman, L., Ahalt, C., Eng, C., Knight, S., Prez-Stable, E. and Smith, A. (2012). Quality of Life in Late-Life Disability: I Don't Feel Bitter Because I Am in a Wheelchair.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 60(3), pp.569-576. Momtaz, Y., Hamid, T., Masud, J., Haron, S. and Ibrahim, R. (2013). Dyadic effects of attitude toward aging on psychological well-being of older Malaysian couples: an actorpartner interdependence model.CIA, p.1413. Ng, R., Allore, H., Monin, J. and Levy, B. (2016). Retirement as Meaningful: Positive Retirement Stereotypes Associated with Longevity.Journal of Social Issues, 72(1), pp.69-85. Wang, F., Lee, E., Wu, T., Benson, H., Fricchione, G., Wang, W. and Yeung, A. (2014). The effects of tai chi on depression, anxiety, and psychological well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(4):605-17(4), pp.605-17. Wayne, P., Walsh, J., Taylor-Piliae, R., Wells, R., Papp, K., Donovan, N. and Yeh, G. (2014). Effect of Tai Chi on Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(1), pp.25-39.

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