Aging and the Life Cycle
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The aging process for many includes physical or mental deterioration which can place considerable strain on both the individual and his or her life partner, who now has to contend not only with his or her own diminished function because of aging but also must take on a new role as caretaker. The result for the caretaker-partner is increased tension and stress at a time of life when stress should be reduced, and this stress can itself contribute to the physical and psychological problems of the elderly leading to impaired function, increased deterioration, and even suicide. How well an individual does in his or her new role as the partner deteriorates will depend on that individual's own reserve of inner strength and what sorts of external support they receive from family and community. There is little doubt that this is a significant issue given the fact that suicide is the 13th leading cause of death in persons aged 65 or over. In spite of this, few studies have focused on suicide attempts among the elderly ("Suicide attempts in elderly psychiatric inpatients," 1992, 953). Those studies that have been conducted have related the issue to various concepts of psychopathology and often to a conception of the life cycle. At every stage in life we are faced with the need for individual and social adjustments in response to changes in roles, expectations, and patterns of behavior. The critical factors for the adjustment of the older
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changed perspective about his or her place in the life cycle or about the nature of the family. The most frequent examples of this included recognizing one's own mortality, recognizing the mortality of one's parents and grandparents, and appreciating previously unrecognized strengths or vulnerabilities in one's parent or spouse. An adult son, for instance, indicated a fresh appreciation of the dedication of his mother who had not only raised her own children, but was now caregiver for her parent (Mellins, Blum, Boyd-Davis, and Gatz, 1992, 23).
One of the changes in family situation that contributes to a changed perspective of one's place in the family life cycle is the illness or physical or mental deterioration of either partner in a marriage. Such deterioration creates a caregiver-dependent relationship, and the degree of support from family and others has a role in determining the degree of stress. There are various levels of deterioration possible in aging, and it is likely that the experience of the caretaker-partner depends to a great degree on the level of deterioration in the other partner. One of the more devastating forms of deterioration is seen in Alzheimer's patients as they gradually lose mental ability and e
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Approximate Word count = 4148
Approximate Pages = 17 (250 words per page)
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