Thursday, April 2, 2015

Technology and the Aging population... Not always a bad thing????

Interesting thought regarding technology and the aging population. http://www.ejhi.net/ojs/index.php/ejhi/article/view/23

2 comments:

  1. It really do seem like my grandma like living independently like alot of other elderly people these days. Looking at this article makes me really think about it and technology really do enhance their capability to live on their own as long as they have teh things they need.

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  2. This study compares elderly pension holders in wealthy vs. poorer countries. They found that, unlike in wealthy countries where a larger pension enables an elderly person to have more independence, the elderly in poorer countries were more likely to stay with their family in one household, irregardless of pension size. The increased pensions were instead used to aid their children and grandchildren with expenses, rather than buy things like scooters or special staircase seats or showers, and instead rely upon their families to do things for them or help them with everyday tasks. This also saved them costs in rent or paying for a long-term care facility, and gave them an opportunity to spend their few precious years left with the ones they love. http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/XL/1/186.full.pdf+html

    This study talks about the changes in China that have been occurring with household size, and how multi-generational living arrangements are now going to the wayside. This is attributed to both lower reproductive output as well as changing social and economic factors (possibly in part due to the west's increasing influence in China). http://www.jstor.org/stable/23461906?seq=20#page_scan_tab_contents

    DQ: Which is a better way of living: with many generations under one roof, or keeping grandparents independent?
    DQ: What can be done about combative elderly who wish to continue living alone but it is evident that that will put them in their grave?
    FQ: How did the mother's age with her last child change in the industrial revolution? It went from menopause age to 30 or less.
    (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7983101)

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