Quality Of Life Among The Elderly

Quality Of Life Among The Elderly Loneliness is a geriatric giant leading to impaired quality of life, greater need for institutional care and increased mortality. Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003 The phenomenon of loneliness occurs in people of all ages it may be a particular problem in the elderly according to a study carried out at Edinburg University in the nursing science department. It is acknowledged that loneliness is not necessary accompaniment to ageing and that ageing is not solely responsible for the development of loneliness in the elderly people; however there is a relationship between ageing and loneliness. There is a need to understand the casual relationship between life-events and loneliness, how to predict it and whether negative consequences maybe alleviated.(Routasalo, Pitkala, 2003). This study is about loneliness among the elderly people. I was interested in this topic because the fact that many old people are still experiencing loneliness at different levels cannot be overlooked. Loneliness and social isolation have often been used to characterise the social world of older people and as an indicator of their quality of life (Victor, scamber and Bond, 2009) but loneliness among the elderly has been under addressed.Like many other social science concepts,loneliness is often a taken-for-granted idea from every day life.Loneliness is a common problem among the elderly that lead to widespread unhappiness and social exclusion. The purpose of this study is therefore to portray loneliness among the elderly ,the main influencing factors and strategies to address it. This study is entirely based on Qualitative Research methodology by probing into different academic disciplines so as to gather a deeper understanding of this particular topic. WHAT IS LONELINESS? Loneliness is a situation experienced by the individual as one where there is unpleasant or inadmissible lack of (quality of) certain relationships. This includes situations in which a number of existing relationships is smaller than is considered desirable or admissible as well as situations where the intimacy one wishes for has not been realised. (De jong gierveld, 1987, p.120 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) (Peplau, 1981 quoted in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) defines loneliness as the unpleasant experience that occurs when a persons network of social relations is deficient in some important way either qualitatively (Quality related) or quantatively (size related). Loneliness categories (Weiss, 1973 in vangelisti and pelman 2006, p. 585-500) categorise loneliness as: Emotional loneliness This is as a result of absence of an intimate figure or a close emotional attachment (a partner, best friend) e.g. in divorce or widowhood. We can further subgroup it as: Developmental Experienced when there is a need for intimacy balanced by a pursuit for personal happiness and independence (goals). Internal Often includes feelings of low-esteem and vulnerability. Social loneliness This kind of loneliness arises with the absence of a broader group of contacts or an engaging social network like friends, collegues and people in the neighbourhood. It can also be termed as Situational/Circumstantial which can be explained by situations like loosing a relationship or moving to a new city. Measurements of loneliness among the elderly Loneliness is subjective(It is based on somebodys opinions or feelings rather than on facts or evidence) and is measured using questions that seek perceptions of relationships,social activity and feelings about social activity(British Columbia ministry of health ,2004) Loneliness is very cultural and temporally specific(jylhà ¤ 2004).It is and has been difficult to compare levels of loneliness accross cuntries because the meaning of loneliness is highly cultural(and possibly temporary)specific. Variations in measures used to measure loneliness by researchers in different countries has made it difficult to make a comparison across different countries. Findings of the study Main factors influencing loneliness among the elderly Health resources Chronic poor physical or mental health, Sensory impairments, Falls and Self-rated health and Health expectations (Tijhuis et al 1999) found that increase in loneliness was attributed to poorer subjective health but not on activity limitation or cognative function.Lonely and isolated peoples health may deteriorate becausethey lack the environmental support,social ties and assistance by others that become critical factors in the maintainance of their independence later in life.(Bosworth and schaie 1997 p.197) Mental health issues such as depression can impact self-rated score in an indirect way as those who are depressed may evaluate their social relationships negatively and therefore create apparent associations with other risk factors when infact it is depression that is the issue.(Russel et al,1997) Social resources E.g. Availability of family, friends and Social contacts Recognition of the importance of the importance of the relationship between social engagements and quality of life is not new (Victor, scamber and Bond, 2009). Social relationships and social engagements are a very important part of quality of life in old age according to (Victor, camber and Bond 2009).Rowe and Kahn (1997) suggest that a high level of social engagement is a key factor in achieving the goal of successful ageing. This same observation has been made in ideas of healthy ageing and active ageing. Demographic factors E.g. Age, gender, household composition, neigbourhood and Marital status Age and gender Being widowed and living alone are more common among women because of their tendancy to outlive male partners. Neigbourhood Favorable neighborhood is associated with feeling safe and secure. Immediate neighborhood is of particular importance to the well-being and quality of life of older people(bowling 2006,Victor,Scamber and Bond 2009)Whilst there has been much focus on the importance of maintaining older people at home this has been often interpreted as the narrow confines of the built dwelling or house rather than the wider environment of neighborhood or locality. Yet place is clearly important in providing the spatial context within old age (Berkman et al., 2000; berkman and Glass, 2000, Victor, Scamber and Bond 2009) Household composition Most people who live alone are lonely but not all people who live alone are lonely.Living alone also interacts with many other variables to create varying pictures of loneliness.Living together with someone and living in ones own apartment(as opposed to an institition) showed a positive influence on feelings of loneliness for this population(Holmen et al 2000 as cited in gierveld,Tilburg and Dykstra in Vangelisti and perlmans 2006) Material resources E.g. Home ownership, access to car and education Qualifications Economic status and self-esteem have been found to have a relationship with loneliness. Loneliness was expressed by those older persons with less adequate self-rated economic conditions and those living in actual poverty.(Mullins,Elston and Gutkoiski,1996) agrees that the less financially adequate individuals perceive their situation to be the more lonely they were. Access to Transport/car Driving status and transportation have an effect on the loneliness and social isolation of the elderly because of their role in facilitating access to the social network.(Kivett 1979) categorized older rural adults with transportation problems as a high risk of loneliness. Many seniors are restricted to pre-arranged van trips with community or volunteers drivers. Dependence on others for transportation related socializing may change the nature of social interaction for those people (Hall Havens,1999). Programs for seniors will be ineffective if they cannot access them. Life Events E.g. Bereavement ,widowhood and onset of illness Death of a spouse and living alone is a major additive risk factor for loneliness and isolation. Events like widowhood emphasize that bereaved persons are especially vulnerable for emotional isolation(loneliness)rather than social isolation (Van baarsen et al,1999) Discussions of findings Given the potential harmful effects of social isolation and loneliness in seniors,it is important to persue this issue in order to reduce emotional damage to seniors and inappropriate health and social service usage.However,caution should be observed when again interventions without knowing the target population and assessing the possible negative consequences of the planned intervention.( British Columbia Ministry of Health.March 2004) Strategies to address loneliness and isolation for older people. A survey done in campaign launced by leeds metropolitan university on behalf of the british gas to combat isolation and lonelness developed recommendations with the older people to address the issue of isolation and loneliness.Through interviewing older people and trying to identify what they want,the following suggestions were arrived at. Involving older people in planning,developing and deliverly of activities that target social isolation and loneliness. Practical,flexible and low level assistance that could help older people to remain indipendent,gain confidence to identifytheir own solutions and support them in retaining their own social networks. Individually tairoled solutions to meet specific needs,within a variety of activities available within their local neighborhood and within the reasonable travelling distance. Transport that takes the mobility of the elderly into account. Availability of Services that cater for specific groups such as carers,ethnic minorities,older men and those with hearing impairments or mobility problems and those who have been isolated for a long time. Support and encouragement for the elderly to learn new skills as well as the opportunity to share their skills with other older people.

Falcon-Star Software Essay

Falcon-Star Software is newly established Software Company which came into existence in 1994. It has offices in both Washington and Canada. The company is based on providing web based solutions to its customers worldwide. It aims to fulfill all our customers’ software based and customized application based needs. Our mission is to provide quality service to our customers who need our help for their businesses at reasonable rates and provide them the best solutions that will solve their problems for a extensive period of time. At the moment we have two offices to develop our software, our main competitors are also situated close to us and also across the globe, therefore we have to be much focused and plan our strategies accordingly else we can run out of business. Our company is divided into three main departments of information systems group, provisioning services Group, and manager of customer Service. Each department has its own set of directors under whom each of the heads of the departments and managers will be functioning. Since our organization is new we don’t have too many departments that is why each person will be doing multiple roles at the same time. You will be answerable to the CEO who will be there to over look your work and help you with your decisions. (Robbins & Judge, 2005) Since we are in the initial stages of our business therefore we all need to work as one team and plan things ahead so that we can reduce the mishaps that can occur in future. As the manger of our departments I expect you all to be very clear of the mission of this company and based on that you define and identify your goals. This would include strategic planning and staff planning. Your senior managers are going to establish the over all objectives for the company and its your job to turn them into tactical objectives and make your less seniors workers understand them. (Fleming, 2005) Leadership is an important part of becoming a successful manager. It is your ability to lead other people so that they look up to you, trust you and therefore give in their best. It is your responsibility to take care of your sub ordinates who will be helping you with your work. Motivation is an important part of leadership. You need to keep your employees intact with the goal of the company. Make them understand their importance to this company. Employees are one of the greatest assets of a company and we don’t want to lose this asset. (Employee Engagement – A Concept Clean Up) As a manager you are responsible to look into all the matters that are under your control. In order to make things works in a systematic way you will have do organize your team of workers, time and resources in the most efficient manner. It is not about giving instructions only. You need the right kind of people to work under you and delegate responsibility to them . There should be clear division of work. And each department is accountable for its outcome but they all should work for one common vision. Well planned and organized work is a sign of good management and that is what we want our managers to be like at Falcon-Star Software. It is your duty to measure the performance of your department and your employees by comparing it against the targets that you had set for your self and if there are any shortcoming you need to over come that by taking appropriate corrective actions. This will help you in not repeating the same mistake again and learn more from the past experience. As it is said by Hertzberg that giving feed back is very important if things are going the way you wanted them to be. (Echols, 2005) Apart from them you are responsible for coordination between your different activities. The goals of each department should be the same. Try to avoid situations which would end up wasting resources, money and effort. Our aim is to give our customers the best developed software to fulfill their requirement. Communicate with your staff and encourage them. Failure to keep satisfied employees can adversely affect the business. Different managers have different ways of approaching problems. You can choose your own ways of doing work as long as it’s giving us result. You should understand your role and what we want from you at work. You have to plan, organize, control, communicate, and lead the organization and its employees. Our focus is our customers. We together have to work as a team so that our goal is met and we are able to compete with our competitors successfully. For that we require efforts from every individual however, the role of a manager in a company is versatile. They give fuel to the organization. Its now on your ability and work and commitment and how you undertake pressure. (Echols, 2005) Works Cited †¢ Fleming, John H. (November 2005). Where Employee Engagement Happens. Harvard Business Review †¢ Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge (2005). Organizational Behavior, Twelfth edition: Pearsons Publishers †¢ Employee Engagement – A Concept Clean Up. bsiconsulting, Retrieved June 26, 2008, from http://bsiconsulting. com. au/pdfs/Engagement%20Clean%20Up%2003. pdf

Brave New World: How Technology Affects Society

October 29, 2012 Brave New World: How Technology Affects Society Brave New World, a place in which people are created from scientific labs through a process call the Bokanovsky Process, and where being born from parents is a shame for society. Where conditioning is use for training babies to act and think the way people in society wants them to do. A place where a popular drug call Soma is used to control and keep the society happy and stable, and causes principles and morals to disappear or change.Where entertainment is use to convince people of the phrase â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone†, and becomes a society that is always happy, no problems, and organized. The Bokanovsky Process is another way of reproducing ninety-six human babies from one egg by transforming it into buds, which each bud becomes an embryo. (pg. 17) Normally one egg produces one embryo which becomes one human adult, but in this case the Bokanovsky Process manipulates the egg to produce more than one em bryo by budding.After budding the egg for a couple of times it is dosed with significant amount of alcohol, and then later budded again until it creates more than eighty-six embryos, and since they’re all from the same egg they all are identical twins. Because the Bokanovsky Process is being used to reproduce more population, it has become one of the major instruments of social stability. (pg. 18) It causes people in society to wear uniforms with batches to identify what kind of twin they’re from, and what kind of job they are meant to do.Conditioning is done when the majority of the identical embryos are now full grown babies or children, they are placed in various repetition environments and experience in order to custom them the way they supposed to think and react. A very good example is when the babies are placed in front of books and flowers and start to like or get familiarize with it, once they are starting to like and giggle they give them electric shocks. It makes them get horrified or scared every time they see books and flowers, so that when they are older and full grown they would hate or not like books or flowers. (pg. 0) For society conditioning the children or babies that way is to make them hate the country, but at the same time love all the country sports so that they consume manufactured articles as well as transport(pg. 31), which helps the society increase in labor and income. Now Soma is a type of drug that works with society’s way of entertainment to avoid any unnecessary feelings, such as being in love, the feeling of wanting to form a family, or being stressed and worried. Soma is a drug that raises a wall into someone’s mind between reality and fantasy, which makes the person go into a soma holiday.As for the entertainment, Soma is always serve with coffee or as candy in many different places like restaurant and concerts while placing music by saying to take more soma or repeating the phrase everyone belong s to everyone. An example would be of a song like this, â€Å"Bottle of mine, it’s you I’ve always wanted! Bottle of mine, why was I ever decanted? Skies are blue inside of you, the weather’s always fine: for there ain’t no bottle in all the world like that dear bottle of mine. †(pgs. 8-79) Which basically describes how one feels after taking a couple of grams of Soma, which this actually helps to maintain control and organization in society. The Bokanovsky Process, Conditioning, Soma, and Entertainment all work together to create a world in which everyone is happy with no struggles, no problems or worries. A world where society is always in control and organized by using soma to keep the people conditioned as they are. Where there is no such thing as parents and family, love and friendship, and a new world of identicals with different jobs but with same culture. A Brave New World.

The Ideal Society As Suggested By Plato - 993 Words

The ideal society as suggested by Plato is composed of three classes: the producers, the auxiliaries, and the guardians. The producers are the craftsmen, farmers etc.; the auxiliaries are the warriors/soldiers; and the guardians are the rulers. This hierarchy places the rulers at the top of the food chain followed by the auxiliaries with the producers at the bottom. In this society, each group is required to perform is appropriate function and only that function. It is the rulers’ job to rule, the auxiliaries uphold the convictions of the rulers, and the producers are to limit themselves to exercising their natural skills. Plato argues that state justice requires each individual it conform to the societal role they have been given and not to interfere with any other business. In Book IV, Plato theorises individual justice to be a mirror reflection of political justice. 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