“Why Do the Aged Live in Aged Care Facilities”. Essay

“why do the aged live in aged care facilities”. The reason I decied on this question was from personal experience that I have always wanted to discover . ever since I was little I was taken by my mother to give out eatser eggs and talk with the aged many time I would think to myself why are they so sick ? why are they here? Do they not have children to live with ?. When I was quite young every week I would visiting my great grand father who was living in an aged care home, I remember holding his hand arund the court yard and speaking to other patients that lived there.

At one stage he punched my cousin in the face I never was told this until I much older this was because of alzhimers. Even then I would wonder why my grandmother wouldn’t let him stay at her house and why he died shortly after he was living in the home. I never got to say goodbye. As I have become older and hearing about the aged in my school topics such as community and studies I thought that it would be the perfect chance for me to fulfil a long lost question . My study revolves around the factors of wellbeing which links into the syllabus of community and family studies.

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The definition from the text book of community and family studies is thought that “the aged is made up of people over the age of 65, there main concerns are there health such as there hearing my decrease ,deteriorating eye sight,there physical capabilities are decreased due to very poor diet intake. Loneliness may be encounted due to the lose of spouse or friends because of illness and death. this links into there self esteem deteriorating, feeling worthless which develops int there skills diminishing.

All elements of there wellbeing such as physical, mental,socio-emotional ,safety and security , and economical needs are changed through age. These factors all relate straight back to and concludes Maslow’s hierarchy of self-actualisation , esteem needs,social needs e. g. love and belonging ,safety needs e. g feeling of self security and physiological needs e. g. food ,water and shelter. Through the resreach of secoundary and primary needs I want to find a concluding answer to my hypothesis question “why do the aged live in aged care facilities”.

Over a period of nearly 5 months I have collected a series of information to conclude my hypothesis question “ what are the reasons the aged live in aged care facilities” through research of both secondary sources and of my own research of primary sources , the following results have come from the thoughts and feelings of people on an outside view. In the survey taken of 24 people there were agers ranging from 16-60 years, there where five questions asked starting from the following below: How many people in your family have been placed in aged care facilities” years 16-26 said that 2 have never known of anyone in aged care facilities , 3 knew around 1 to 3 people and a small proportion of 1 knew around 4 to 6 people who have or still reside in an aged care facility. As the ages progressed the amount of people have had aged family member ,27-37 1 person knew none ,5 knew around 1-3 . in the age group 38-48 2 said they have never know of anyone in a aged care home and 4 said they knew around 1 to 3. he statcis showed that agers 49-60 knew more then all the age groups , 2 said they knew 1-3 people and 4 said they knew 4-6 people who reside in a aged care facility. The percentage showed that 20. 8% of all age groups have never known of a family member in a aged care facility,58. 3% of all age groups knew 1-3 family members ,20. 8% knew 4-6 . “What is the most common chronic disease someone aged 65 years and over suffers from in your family from the following? ”. In the age groups 16-60 years 8. 3% of people have known of anyone in there aged family members who have suffered with arthritis , 12. % of all people knew of family members suffering with diabetes, 37. 5% of all surveyed knew of family members having cancer,16. 6% knew of there aged family members with an hearing impairment,8. 3% knew of a visual impairment problem with an aged family member,4. 16% said that they have known of someone with dementia ,8. 3% knew of someone suffering with alzeimers and only 4. 16% knew of another sort of chronic disease with aged family member. Do you personally feel that lifestyle can be a reason for chronic disease and mental disabilities with the aged if so what the following?

When looking at the these results 12. 5% f people agreed that poor diet was thought to have caused a chronic illness or mental disability,41. 6% said alcoholism could be the cause for the eventual effects to an aged persons health weather mental or physical, 25% said drug use could be a factor and 20. 83% said there may be other reasons for the cause of mental disabilities or chronic diseases. “what where the reasons for your family member being placed in the aged care facitlity? ”33. % of the people surveyed agreed that ‘those suffering with a mental disability made it hard for them to be looked after by a family member’ in other cases it was seen that by a large majority of 50% agreed that ‘they became really sick and needed the proper treatment by professional’ and 20. 83% thought with no judgement and agreed to the fact that they ‘Wouldn’t no / no one has ever been in a aged care facility in my family that I know of. ’ “Do you ever visit your family member in the aged care facility if so how many times? ” This last question the results where found that 41. % vistit a family members in aged care facility once a week , 4. 16% visit once a month ,33. 3% of people visit every 2 weeks and 20. 83% said that they have never visited a aged realitive in a aged care faciltity due to the fact that either they don’t have a family member in a aged home or just have never taken the time. Through the results collected from the survey it has been found that a large percentage of people are aware of the issues that arise with the aged, the questions that were answered link into there wellbeing like safety and security ,health, sense of identity ect.

Such examples like emotionally the aged need to be around family to feel a sense of feeling safe within themselves a high percentage of people visit there aged family members in aged car homes but then again quite a reasonable size don’t visit them also. Health issues are seen as a main reason for the loose functions of an aged person. Common illnesses such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis and seeing/hearing impairments effect an aged persons wellbeing which from there opinions put on a strain for the family members resulting in the aged being resided in an aged care facility.

Many opinions from this survey varied from ages, it was seen that the older the age group the more they knew of people who had or is in an aged care home, but as there where different ages being questioned it did not affect the results. A second form of primary research was taken through open ended questions in this a series of questions it was asked to give an answer as the person saw fit the results concluded the following: “do you think as an adult child it is /would be your priority to look after there aged parents? throughout ever answer the answer was “yes” or “yes when possible” each person felt that it is the responsibility of the child to look after there elderly parent when quoting someone they said “ I think as an adult you should always look after their elderly parents as it is their responsibility as long as the care they need is not beyond their help” . most demonstrated a passionate yes as it is seen as the “ right thing to do”. “have you ever known of any aged person/s that’s been/is in a aged home?

If so who and how many? ” when looking at this question each person had there own take some new 1-3 peoples yet not where all a personal realationship “ old people that my mumuse to work for , my mum would take them out once a week just to get out of the nursing home there where 3 of them 2 women and 1 man I didn’t no them personally only through the stories my mum would tell me “. “what do you think the reasons for the elderly residing in the aged care homes are e. g. sickness, disabilities ect? when looking at this question many responded with “old age ,chronic illnesses,care which is beyond the help of the adult child ,disabilities ,dimensia ,wheelchairs linking into disabilities, no family members able to care for them, to old to look after themselves ect “ through this questions a wide a opinions varied many resulted in the thought that a illness was the main reason for them residing in a aged facility yet some questioned the thought with “ no family to look after them”. “what do you personally know about aged care homes? an aged care home is seen as a place of a caring facility hence the name “ aged CARE facility”. When asked the question many answered with “a caring facility provided for the elderly but also for the physically and mentally handicapped elderly, a caring staff that provide more than just shelter, food and activities” each answer resulted to the fact that it’s a place where the aged go to be looked after weather disabled, ill or incapable to look after themselves due to there age and there strength ect.

Statically there must be be good support in aged care homes as a total of 8. 5 percent of elderly woman in the cenus 2001 and a total of 4. 4 percent of elderly man in the cenus 2001 in Australia. “what are your personal opinions on the fact the aged are sent to nursing homes? ” With this question the opinions varied with people some agreed some didn’t e. g. my personal opinion is that I don’t personally like them as even though it may be difficult for their family to take care of them I don’t believe in the thought of somebody else taking care of my family member” or “ honestly I think people are cruel to send their parents to a nursing home” these opinions state how they are against the idea others have said “in some cases it cant be help” or “GOOD if the home chosen meets the needs of the elderly person,good if it is well run ,clean, and provides stimulation, entertainment and good if it has caring staff” though these opinions the idea is seen as a good thing with a right state of mind . any don’t realize that there different types of responsibilities that must be taken to look after an erldery person e. g. housekeeping , cooking, financial and legal responsiblites, overssing what is needed to ensure that there cared for and there needs are met at all time and providing them with physical care. (elder care guide by carol mcgownan and cindy streekstra). “If you have elderly parents/or if the day comes when your parent becomes older and unable to look after themselves give reasons t why or why not you would send them to a aged care home? when looking back to the results of this question many resulted with a variety of answered this was generally the same as there other answers many like the question before they either agreed or disagreed some even thought in between e. g. “I would send them based on the mutal desicison that they cant be looked after at home and that specialized care is necessary. when I physically cannot look after them” others responded with “ I don’t want them to feel abandonded “ or you have the complete oppistie yet on the lines to some sort of care e. g. I would change my lifestyle around to look after my parents if they became to old and unable to look after themselves. ” Yet compared to a statistc from secoundary sources its said that in surveys taken its shown that the elderaly can have childish tactics and very demanding and very unmanageable quoting from a carer at a nursing home and she quotes “when family member take control of the care of an elderly family persons they are personally invloed and will tend to get more frustrated because of this its no fault of the family member ,unfrotunely hearts and emotions are wrapped up in this person. think care should be left to outsiders that way family members can visit stress free and not have to worry 24/7 what mum/dad is doing”( With these responses it was a general some up of who agrees with aged care home or not ,the results where evenally spread to both agree and disagree/. “once you become older and incapable to look after yourself what would you feel is the right option for you e. g. your children or an aged care home? Why or why not? ” This was a finishing answer to the open ended questionare it gave a personal look at what you would feel is appropriate for you “when you become older and cant take care of your self” . any stayed with there original thought that “it’s the childrens responsibility to look after me “ or the thought that it’s the right thing to do by sending them to a aged care home “ I wouldn’t want to burden my children with my care,so when the time comes and it is necessary a nursing home is where I should be “ . Having a personally relationship doesn’t mean that awareness isn’t out there with the elderly many people have there own take on what’s wrong and right many have valid reasons for there opinions others just think its “morally wrong”.

Throughout my time of looking at secondary sources I had started my primary research I started off my surveying people from ages 16-26 27-37 38-48 and 49-60 . i made up a series of questions e. g. “How many people in your family have been placed in aged care facilities? ”,” What is the most common chronic disease someone aged 65 years and over suffers from in your family from the following? ”, ”Do you personally feel that lifestyle can be a reason for chronic disease and mental disabilities with the aged if so what the following? ”, “what where the reasons for your family member being placed in the aged care facitlity? And “Do you ever visit your family member in the aged care facility if so how many times? ”. with these questions I mainly called did call surveys and gave out surveys to people between the agers of 16-60 24 surveys where carried out. After I gathered all the suverys I needed I recorded the results in my book . which I then recored down in tables on word document for my final copy. This process took nearly a month as I also carried out a different research method of open ended questions . I made a list of questions as an interview I mixed them in together e. g. do you think as an adult child it is /would be your priority to look after there aged parents? ” , “have you ever known of any aged person/s that’s been/is in a aged home? If so who and how many? ” , “what do you think the reasons for the elderly residing in the aged care homes are e. g. sickness, disabilities ect? ” ,“what do you personally know about aged care homes? ”, “what are your personal opinions on the fact the aged are sent to nursing homes? ”, “If you have elderly parents/or if the day comes when your parent becomes older and unable to look after themselves give reasons t why or why not you would send them to a aged care home? and “once you become older and incapable to look after yourself what would you feel is the right option for you e. g. your children or an aged care home? Why or why not? ” . these questions have be answered with first hand opinions all of them where short but to the answer it took me a while to find people to take the time to do them many didn’t no what to think , but I had to consider bias and ethics weather or not I agreed with there responses I still had to take them down as valid statics. hroughout my research I had to make sure that I didn’t have any personal views that determined my statics many people asked when me giving the interview/open ended questions what I thought on the matter or to explain the question more ,I found that I had to try and not say much as it could determine the opinion of the interviewees . I found that gathering the information took a lot of time to get the right information ,then concluding the results without predicting the end result so soon. It was a long process of different methods but it helped me conclude an answer for my hypothesis question.

This was the first part of my research as my topic isn’t specific as questions reguraly talked about ,I had to look for information that related to the topic such as e. g. the statcics realating to the aged such as disabilites , chronic diseases within these topics I had to norrow down my results to things that most commonally effect the aged . with these sources I rpinted out the information and highlighted the information that I would need to look at the most. as the information I looked at was about the “aged globally” I was trying to keep it mainly to Australian stastcis.

I then found and Australian article about such things as the emotional issues relating to the elderly this helped as it showed how it linked up with the physical issues the elderly suffer from within this report it showed factors of wellbeing e. g. health,sense of lonliness ect. I researched at the library and found a series of books which had nothing to do with my topic majority of things where to broad I then found a book on stories about people who have had there family members in aged homes due to illnesses.

I researched my secoundary sources for a long period of time this was quite time consuming as there where a lot of thing to look at to find acutall valid resources. Many thing I would have to look over and over again to make sure it would link up with my question. With this part of the research I found it difficult to just narrow it down to a 2 week process as I was always worried that I may find better information that could thourughly help me.

I finally found my last piece of information, I found chat room forums with people discussing this issues many where aged carers and others who were family member who needed to talk about there stories relating to the topic “should children have to look after there elderly parent? ”. this helped a lot it brought up valid argunments on the topic many had different opinions and ideas . I had to narrow down a lot of things by highlighting the most important parts as a lot of things where repetitive.

After I found all my secondary research I then concluded it in my literature review. Over a period of nearly 5 month I have collected research to conclude an answer to my hypothesis question “why do the aged live in aged care facilities” through different types of methods of the following. My sample group wasn’t specified to one group I was spread out over the community within my school my teachers, students, and my friends out side of school and family members ect. I carried out different types methods from both my primary and secondary sources.

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