Unit 6

        The various readings in Unit 6 discussed gender relationships and living arrangements in older adults. It is important to note that each week, I am astonished at how much I learn.  I have essentially taken enough WMS courses to pick up a minor, and yet the weekly material continues to dig up scores of information that I haven’t even considered. Perhaps this is a reflection on the contemporary study of feminist issues, and it’s failure to consider the older generation in its studies and theories. I am happy to be in a class that puts focus on the older generation, as I am learning so much.

        The first article I would like to speak on is, How Important is Sex Later in Life, by Gott and Hinchliff. It isn’t surprising that few studies are conducted on the importance of sex for older adults. The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles have only recruited participants up to 44 years of age. The survey, as considered by the Department of Health, neglects to collect data from participants over 44. Personally, 44 seems like a random cut-off age- I would be curious to find out why they decided to stop collecting data after that age. There is a societal consideration that all older adults become asexual after a certain age. I’m not sure where and why this stereotype came about, because it doesn’t make much sense. The study conducted by Gott and Hinchliff found data that suggests otherwise.

        The interviews were quite fascinating. All participants who had a current sexual partner attributed at least some importance to sex in their relationship. For this group, sex was seen as an important component of a close and emotional relationship. Participants put a big emphasis on the relationship aspect. For those who were uninterested in sex, their relationships simply came to a standstill. Their partners could either not perform or were no longer interested in having a sexual relationship. Besides the participants who could no longer perform, I think that the study would yield similar results in a test group of younger participants. At any age, sex drive varies from person to person, and I believe this study was a reflection of that. Unfortunately, society is quick to ignore sexual relationships among older adults.

        The question now, is why? Perhaps the ignorance is society’s inclination to mark older adults as “grandparently.” Not many people want to consider their grandparents as sexually active. This brings up another important point I found in the article, Weighing the Grandma Factor, by Angier. Angier noted, “calling a woman grandmotherly is a shorthand for kindly, frail, harmless…etc.” There is a negative stigma around the word, simply because, in short, it means “old.” In my Journalism classes, we are ill advised to use the word “senior” for anyone who hasn’t called him or herself a senior directly. My teachers tell me that the word might be libelous or harmful to someone who isn’t actually a senior yet. Is growing old that horrible in our culture that calling someone a senior actually libelous? That sounds a bit crazy to me.

        I reflected the knowledge I learned in the articles about living arrangements in my mini research assignment. However, I will note that the article Dying and Death in Nursing Homes, by Doress Wortes, was a moving one. It speaks about the responsibilities women hold in preparation for death of a loved one, and the grief that comes with that.

Unit 5

This week, I was most intrigued by the articles, Menopause is the “Old Good”: Women’s Thoughts about Reproductive Aging,” by Heather Dillaway and Like Mother, not Like Daughter: The Social Construction of Menopause and Aging, by Rebecca Utz. According to Dillaway, Menopause, like other gaining processes, has “been constructed by clinical communities and popular culture as a solely biological or physiological event and a negative period of loss.” Although, contemporary feminist research suggests that women find menopause an “inconsequential or positive experience overall” (Dillaway 398).

        In Utz’s article, mothers and their menopausal daughters were interviewed on the aging process. Utz discovered that the physiological experiences were similar in both women, but each generation had different attitudes when it came to menopause. Generally, the mothers accepted menopause as part of the aging process, where their daughters felt the need to control the physiological process. “Compared to their mothers, the daughters have greater access to health-related technology, received more education and possess a greater overall awareness of their bodies (Utz 152). All of this makes perfect sense. Contemporary society puts pressure on everybody to stay young, because “beauty” as defined by society, is young.  The younger generation has had more access to technology and information that slows the aging process. It only makes sense that menopause would be bothersome, as it is a natural aging process that they cannot control.

        After reading through the experiences and thoughts of the women in each article, I was curious how my own mother felt about menopause and aging. So, I asked her. The conversation I had with my mother was a great supplement to this week’s readings. She said that women are finally catching on to the fact that menopause can open you up to the best time in your life. “Oh, I could talk about this for hours,” she said. I had opened up a can of worms. “I have a confidence that I didn’t have as a young women, I have found my voice and my inner strength. It’s really an opportunity and a time for women to get reconnected with her deepest self and a time to rediscover passions.” My mother added that today, there are more options to combat the physical challenges that menopause once brought, such as bio identical hormones. These options help women move more gently through the process. All in all, there’s never been a better time to be a menopausal woman in the history of the world! In a final word, my mother explained the new-found freedom menopause has brought. “I actually tell a joke that estrogen was never really a friend of mine. It was such a blessed freedom to be free of those mood swings, free of PMS. In many ways, I felt free from my cycle - that is when I opened up to being a writer and an artist, it was a second blossoming.”

        This conversation certainly opened my eyes to something that I have not yet even considered. The way I see it, menopause does not sound like a loss. In fact, it sounds beautiful. What we lose in the aging process in society’s definition for physical beauty, we gain in confidence, passion and freedom. If embraced, it is a time in which the ego is shattered and women blossom. Menopause? Sign me up!

Research Assignment 3

Older women can take several steps to improve their overall health and well being in an effort to remain in their homes late into life. I believe that one of the biggest factors is focusing on personal health. Good overall health should include a balanced, personalized diet and vitamin regimen along with daily physical activity. It isn’t necessary for the elderly to partake in vigorous physical activity, but daily activities like walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, etc. is beneficial for overall health. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, more than 60 percent of U.S. women do not engage in the recommended amount of physical activity, and physical inactivity is more common among women than among men. For older women, physical activity can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. It can also lower the risk of falling and improve cognitive function. A community can take steps to improve the physical well being of its members.  For example, a community could build safe, accessible walking and bicycle trails or provide community-based programs to meet the needs of older women. I believe that physical health is the key to independence. When an older adult is in good health, he or she will inevitably have more independent than one who is not.

                    There are still things that can be changed to make the nursing home feel less institutionalized. After conducting some research, I found that in 2009, the U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aimed to “transform nursing homes into environments that are more like [residents’] homes through both environmental changes and resident-centered caregiving.”  Included in that proposal were plans to individualize personal care, giving residents more choice over their daily routines, and a call to de-institutionalize the environment as a whole by removing things like meals served on standard trays.

                    I found numerous alternatives to nursing homes on the AARP website.

        The Village concept supports the needs of older adults medically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. The Beacon Hill Village in Boston is one of the mot prominent examples of a Village concept. The AARP maintains that the elderly can reap many benefits from living in a Village. The biggest benefit is that the living structure “allows older adults to remain in their communities, delaying or even preventing the need for institutional care.” I strayed from the AARP website to research more alternatives to nursing homes. On the U.S. government’s website for Medicare, I found an alternative in the PACE program. PACE stands for the “Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.” The program features medical and social services that can be provided at an adult day health center or at the customer’s home.

                    I was interested to research homelessness in older adults because I rarely associate homelessness to the elderly. According to a study by the National Coalition for the Homeless, elderly homeless persons are more prone to “victimization and more likely to be ignored by law enforcement.” I gathered that older persons and homelessness is a vicious cycle. The longer that the elderly remain homeless, the poorer health they are in. The poorer health they are in, the less apt they are to take care of themselves. The cycle continues as aging takes its horrible toll.  

Research Assignment

        I spent a decent amount of time searching the Internet to find an agency that was geared specifically toward the care of elderly women. I happened to find one in Massachusetts – but I simply could not get a representative on the phone to speak with. After that, I found a company called “Visiting Angels,” that serves senior housing care in Rhode Island. The company serves seniors in Cranston, Pawtucket, Providence and Warwick.

        According to the company’s mission statement, Visiting Angels aims to provide non-medical senior care. “Our Angels provide in-home care, respite care, senior personal care, elder care and companion care so that elderly adults can continue to live independently in their own homes throughout America.”  The company itself is easily accessible online and through the telephone, but it is located in Providence, Rhode Island.

        Visiting Angels was established in 1998 by three experienced directors. Their goal was to create a network of homecare agencies across the nation. In four years, their goal was realized. The directors of Visiting Angels hold the philosophy that they are “in business to provide the best care possibly to seniors as well as others who need in home care while giving total respect to the care giving staff.”       

        I was interested to learn that the elderly in need of services can personally choose the “Angel” they would like. Each senior is given the opportunity to interview his or her caregiver.  Further, the senior is in charge of his or her own schedule. I thought that this is a unique and beneficial feature, as it gives patients a strong sense of independence. As we learned in class, maintaining independence is necessary for the elderly, because it affirms their autonomy. The more independent seniors are, the more active they will be in every aspect of their life.

        As previously stated, I searched the Internet for a bit before finding this agency. I searched numerous agency websites, and I found the Visiting Angels website to be one of the best. The company’s website is user-friendly. It was colorful, easy to navigate, thorough and informative. Someone could spend hours just reading through the information the website provides. It also features a minute-long YouTube clip that explains what the company does, for those who are not keen to reading.

        Unfortunately, I could not find an agency that was geared specifically towards elderly women. After a short phone interview with the company, it was clear that Visiting Angels does not incorporate any feminist ideas about aging in its policies and practices. I did not learn much from my phone interview with company employee Joe.  Joe was able to tell me what the company does, but after that he was not much help.  According to Joe, Visiting Angels is a non medical homecare agency, we provide certified nursing assistants to provide services in the home such as assistance in hygiene, errands and shopping and other help.” Afterwards, I asked Joe if Visiting Angels upholds any feminist values, especially when working with older women. Joe wasn’t able to answer this question. In fact, he wasn’t able to answer any of my other questions regarding feminist ideals and practices. This told me that the company is not geared specifically towards women.  If it is, their representatives need to learn more about these practices and ideals so that women can have their specific questions answered.

http://www.visitingangels.com/homecare-services

Unit IIII

Often, the elderly can feel as though they are stagnant. This is a term called "compression of mobility". People who experience compression of mobility are unable to do the things they want to do, because their body simply does not allow for it.
Of all the readings this unit, I was most interested in Meika Loe's, "Doing it my way: old women, technology, and wellbeing."  This article broke the stigma I had about old ladies being stuck in their ways. The reality is that most old women embrace technology, and utilize it in many ways. Just the other day, my nana was talking about her Facebook. Well, I didn't know that she had a Facebook - but the information was additional confirmation that older ladies are using technology and social media more and more. She told me that mainly, she looks at the photographs my brothers upload, who both live across the country.
I was also very interested to learn about Dan Buettner and his formula for longevity. Buettner partnered with National Geographic and hired a team of longevity researchers to identify sites around the world where people lived better, and subsequently, longer. In these pockets, inhabitants live to age 100 at a rate that is 10 times greater than in the United States. The Blue Zone claim is: “by improving their lifestyle, people can look and feel better at every age, and add 12 years to their life expectancy.” Buettner concludes that a big factor in longevity is personal happiness; happy people live better lives, and they live longer lives. Some other factors include a healthy diet, exercise, a low-stress lifestyle or participating in activities that reduce stress, an awareness of a life purpose, a loving community, a loving family, etc. I'm sure the list could go on and on. I have noticed a subtle shift in health awareness in our nation over the past ten years. Generally, people are trying to eat better and exercise more frequently. We are more aware of high-fructose corn syrup, GMOs and hydrogenated oils. Some distributors are requiring food packaging to alert buyers if the product contains GMOs. Additionally, some companies now offer employees exercise and nutrition programs.
I do not think that it is any coincidence the people in these blue zones are living longer. With all of this new information buzzing about in my mind, I took the “True Happiness Compass” and “Vitality Compass” tests. My results weren’t bad! For the “Vitality Compass” test, my life expectancy was 93.6 years of age, with 76.9 healthy years – free of cancer, heart disease & diabetes. Due to my habits, my life has accrued 12.7 years. It was a little scary looking at hard numbers that predicted how many years I have to live on this earth. I am, although, very interested in Buettner’s suggestions for vitality.  I got an “A” for my True Happiness Grade– well good, I feel quite happy and I wasn’t ready for this test to tell me otherwise! “You feel competent, independent and have good relationships with friends. Your positive attitude reflects your desire and ability to thrive on a day-to-day basis. The result page gave me two personalized recommendations to continue to find happiness in my everyday life. It suggested that I hang out with happy people and see the sun. I fully agree with both of these recommendations. My mood is dramatically affected depending upon the attitudes of others around me. Sometimes, I call people “emotional vampires” (not to their face), because they seem to just suck any happy emotion right out of me, with their negative outlook on life. I wish I was better protected from these emotional vampires. Lately, I have been working on keeping my “emotional defenses” up, so that I can maintain my state of happiness even around the people who suck it out of me. Perhaps I should try a garlic garland? The second recommendation to “see the sun” was another fitting reminder for me.  The text informed me that sunlight prompts the body to manufacture endorphins that give you a happy feeling, similar to a runner’s high. I believe that the amount of sunlight I see in a day plays a big role in my mood. Consequently, I’m not exactly the merriest version of myself in the dark days of winter. According to these tests, I should be aging gracefully...we'll see!


Loe's article reminded me of this YouTube gem: http://m.youtube.com/watch?
v=M95CAeiOPtE , while relatively unrelated - it's pretty adorable.

Unit III

People often talk about retirement. They joke: I can't wait to just retire, move to Florida and lie in the sunshine all day long. While the dream is a valid one, the reality does not hold true for everyone. The last two weeks, I read a variety of articles and journals regarding the economics of aging and retirement.
According to a new analysis of U.S Census Department data, "the majority of older women in America are unable to cover their basic living expenses and the percentage of those in distress is 50 percent higher than that of men." This is a harsh actuality.  Women are second-class citizens as is - it would only make sense that growing older would bring a whole new bag of problems. A majority of the readings were in reference to widowers or divorced women. These are women often living without financial benefits, trying to survive on a very limited income. This week, my own nana came to mind. She has been a widower for about 30 years. She lives in a subsidized senior housing unit and is on a small fixed income of Social Security. My parents help with her insurance payments each month. My nana is completely happy, but when I think about her economic situation, I can't help but question how that weighs on her. Don't get me wrong, I know she is one of the lucky ones - but can living under such restrictions make someone feel helpless? Retirement can bring changes to the quality of life a woman experiences. If a woman hasn't prepared for retirement, how can she maintain her quality of life? In many cases, a woman will have to shrink her life down in an effort to find a new lifestyle that suits their financial situation. There are big questions that come along with retirement. Has an individual put aside enough money to get them through retirement? Is that individual covered by insurance if they ever have to go into long term care? Can they afford prescription medicine? The answers to these questions vary across all classes and all races. According to Economic Problems - Two Steps Back, "two out of every five minority households nearing retirement can expect retirement income that is less than double the poverty level." Minority households nearing retirement can expect a lower standard of living than non-latino whites. This means that minority WOMEN can expect an even lower standard of living than non-latino whites. A majority of this demographic has not had fair opportunity to earn a corporate job. Therefore, they are less likely to have a good pension plan.
Another big part of the readings this unit focused on the life of widowers. While marriage does give some economic security, most women often outlive their spouses and outlive their savings. Because lifelong marriage to a single partner has become less common across all racial, income and ethic groups, there is an increasing threat to economic security.  According to The Economic Consequences of Widowhood for Older Minority Women, "13% of women over 40 were divorced." Consequently, women are "much less likely than men to have a defined benefit or defined contribution retirement plan. Widowhood can pose a more serious threat to older minority women. Often times, Black and Hispanic women do not qualify for Social Security because they have not made the required 10 years of contributions. Additionally, many to not qualify for spousal or widow benefits because "they are either ineligible as a result of the marriage requirements, or a spouse was not fully covered at the time of his death." I was disheartened to learn that even when minority group women DO receive Social Security, they will only acquire the minimum payment.
I found the article by Katie Davidson to be one of the most interesting reads within the unit. Davidson explained that losing a spouse is one of the most traumatic experiences someone will go through, regardless of the quality of the marriage. It brings an overwhelming feeling of loss and loneliness. A widowed man is much more likely to find a new partner than a widowed woman is. The article examines the many reasons for this. As a man grows older, his "pool of women" grows. An older man's pool includes younger women, single women, and divorced women. As women age, the pool of available men shrinks down. The article also raised the point that men are more willing to remarry after widowhood than women are. When interviewed, a majority of the widowers did not want to get remarried because they were not ready to abandon their new-found freedom and independence. On the contrary, the majority of the men were looking for someone to take care of them.
I think it is time that we change the preconceived notion of retirees as "greedy geezers." I know that my own judgement has changed!
To further evaluate some of the issues and complications of retirement and widowhood for women, please visit the following websites:



http://www.kiplinger.com/article/retirement/T047-C000-S002-12-retirement-strategies-for-women.html This site gives women a 12-step strategy to help with retirement.
2.  http://www.wrei.org/Publications_EconomicsAging.htm On this website, you will find a comprehensive report on the economics of aging women in the U.S.

3. http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v63n3/v63n3p47.pdf  This is an in-depth article that explains Social Security, what women can expect from it and how they can acquire it.



Also, I know that this isn't exactly related to this week's material - but I found a great TED Talk on the stereotypes of aging. Here is the link if anyone would like to check it out. It is a quick, 10 minute watch.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mn8haRJMWWY

Unit I

            The assigned texts this week highlighted the present double standard in American society. It bears mentioning that I find myself feeling a sense of anxiety as I read through the texts. I don’t think about aging on a day to day basis, but when I do – it does get a little scary. Why is this? Well, I do think that society’s stigma on “old” does have a lot to do with it. I wouldn’t say that I am afraid of getting older because I will look old, I am afraid of getting old because it would mean that my time here is limited. As I type it out, I know how stupid that sounds. Of course my time is limited. For all I know, I could walk outside of this building and get hit by a RIPTA (knock on wood). I do believe that the way American only speaks of “old” in a hush; we ignore the inevitable in every way. We do not think about it and we push it away until the inevitable becomes a reality - until we are finally old.  Why should getting old mean an end of anything. Sure, maybe the body cannot do everything that it once could, but that in itself could open doors to a whole new set of activities and hobbies.

As I continued read through the assignments, I gained more of an understanding as to why our contemporary culture is afraid of aging, and more specifically why women are so afraid of it. Susan Sontag began her article speaking about the anxiety a woman feels when someone asks her, “how old are you.” I thought that this was funny, because this is a question I fear myself; not because I don’t want people to know my age, but because I look like I am about 14 years old. It’s a horrible question, and when I explain to people that I am 22, their response is usually the same. “You’ll be happy for that some day.” Well, if after 35 I start re-dreading the question, I fear it is one I’ll just have to come to terms with hating. According to Sontag, “being physically attractive counts more women than it does men.” For women, beauty is associated with youthfulness. A midlife crisis for a woman is more likely to be associated with an aging appearance, wrinkles, and the loss of sexual feeling. In men, a midlife crisis may arise when he realizes that he has not been as successful as he had once dreamed. That being said, our society offers fewer rewards for aging woman than it does to men. Aging women feel less beautiful and sexually empowered. Therefore, they are less likely to attract a younger man. In contrast, older men do not embody this principle. We often see older men having affairs with younger, “more attractive” woman. Although I have only touched on a portion of the double standard of aging between men and women, I believe that this is one that is chiefly important.
            In Chetna Narayan’s, “Is There a Double Standard of Aging?” Older Men and Women and Ageism,” I was encouraged to read that the younger generation has a positive outlook on the older generation. The article explained that a study was conducted that explored young people’s attitudes towards elder adults ages 75-80.  More specifically, the study compared attitudes towards elder men against those towards older women.  The questionnaire asked students to rate qualities on a scale. Some of the characteristics included: cheerful/crabby, fair/unfair, generous/frugal, humble/arrogant, and grateful/ungrateful. According to Narayan, the outcomes were interesting. The results found that younger people have a better perception of older men and woman than expected. It was even more interesting that the students put women in a more positive light over men.  Narayan did mention that the fact that the group answering the questionnaire was composed of psychology students. I think that it would be very interesting to carry out a similar questionnaire with a random group of students, perhaps across the university. I am curious to see if the results would vary.