A Wrinkle in Time

Of all my interests, I'd say my most peculiar one has to do with the elderly population. My earliest memory feeling like I had found my passion was discovering the field of gerontology. I know my desire to work with this population stems from my close relationships with my grandparents and great grandma. I've been blessed to have grown up with all my grandparents (5/6 of whom are still alive and well) and a great grandparent who lived to be 101 years "young". My parents fostered an inclusive family dynamic where visiting and vacationing with my grandparents were part of the normal routine.

As I started my gerontology studies in college, learning the statistics and the biological/sociological/psychological/cultural aspects of aging surprised me. Only about 5% of the U.S. population reside in nursing homes which carries mixed implications. On one side you have more "independent" living but I've seen how many of these individuals are underserved. I have been an occupational therapist for 5 years predominantly caring for the geriatric population. I've worked in nursing homes, patients' homes, adult day centers, short term stay hospitals, long term stay hospitals, intensive care units, and neuropsychological units which have opened my eyes to the various issues surrounding healthcare for this group.

Frankly, thinking about it is depressing but that's any societal wide issue I suppose. My way of combating the downward mental spiral is to focus on my role in this area and on the people who are the exceptions. I've met amazing individuals who are disproving the stereotypes of aging beginning with my own grandparents: my 87 year old grandma still (safely) drives a full size, manual pickup truck to transport items for the antique shop she has been running for the past 30+ years. My other set of grandparents travel more than anyone else I know taking minimally 3 international trips a year as they approach 90. I have a 90 year old patient who suffered a stroke but his goal is to return to work as a psychotherapist (30+ years).

Here are 3 areas I constantly think about regarding this age group:

1. Intergenerational activity: planting the seed that that the elderly still have positive roles in our society--and planting that seed early with children. There are many studies that highlight the benefits of intergenerational activity for both populations. To fix a systemic-wide, cultural issue I think it is crucial to address the implications for all members young and old.

2. Elderly quality of life: How can we improve it? How can solutions become more sustainable? A good read recommended to me by @ucsdsu is Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande - he discusses the concept of death, culture of aging in the U.S. , and shares unique stories and interviews including one with a geriatrician. Sadly there is a shortage of geriatricians and healthcare providers who specialize in geriatrics despite the rising numbers. Does this have to do with how as a society we view aging and old people? And how early we are influenced to view them more negatively?

3. Aging in the U.S. versus other countries: One aspect of aging I've noticed traveling is how much more active the elderly tend to be in the countries I've visited. I wonder if this is good or bad? Are they working because economically they need to or is it to give them something to do? Both? In Oaxaca, Mexico many of the street vendors included older people. A negative stererotype of American culture is that we throw them in nursing homes but honestly statistics disprove this and even visiting a country like Japan--who has the highest number of elderly in the world--there is a concern that nursing homes are becoming more scarce. This leads me to ponder if it's really the place people age that matters or the quality of life. How much does one influence the other?

This entry honestly took a different turn the more I started writing. Even after studying gerontology for 4 years and working with this population for 5 years, I still have so many questions. There doesn't seem to be an easy fix and unfortunately countries like Japan will be more heavily affected sooner than later. But I want to continue highlight positive aspects because I really cherish all that my grandparents have taught me and all the sacrifices other hard working elderly people do on a daily basis.

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Closing question: Are you scared of getting old (and why)?

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Twinning with my sassy grandma

My gentle, kind grandpa who passed at 92

My #1 fashion critic and great grandma who passed at 101

A peaceful moment captured during my travels in Vietnam

The face of a hard working cyclo driving also captured in Vietnam

Unedited image showing one of many elderly people selling combs on the streets of Oaxaca, Mexico

A colorful and sweet duo at a Oaxacan market selling weaved goods

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Thank you for visiting!

Fast facts about me: I started blogging here to challenge myself creatively and learn from others doing the same. Most of the time I am working in a rehab hospital as an occupational therapist. My free time is usually spent finding new food to eat, cooking, exploring new places, playing more volleyball, and making travel vlogs.

If you're new to my page, please introduce yourself! I'm still relatively new to Steemit and would love to meet you. I sincerely appreciate you scrolling this far.

Cheers,

Kat
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