Aging:The Original Human Condition Essay -- Geriatrics Health Papers

AgingThe Original Human ConditionAging is a phenomena we are all familiar with, a trait characteristic of all homokind, in fact, of all living organisms. What are the effects of aging, especially those which go beyond the biological aspects and effect the social aspects of changing roles, seniority, and treatment of the aged? What was the original human condition before high-tech medical interventions redefined death and dying, before the industrial age changed the nature of the nuclear and extended family? Going back still farther, what female genitals the behavior of chimpanzees tell us about the origins of our responses to the aging of those around us?Having worked in the field of geriatrics, in a nursing home setting, I subscribe to had the opportunity to be involved in the direct care of the elderly. Over a period of time, I have come to accept living ones finish years in a nursing home as an eventual normal response to the aging process. As a result of this study, I porte nd having an enlarged perspective and an enhanced sensitivity to the psychosocial aspects of aging.Aging DefinedThe Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology (1996) was a helpful source to gain a definition on aging which includes the concepts of life course, seniority, and treatment of the aged. Aging can be measured by common biological content proportion of the maximum fife span one has lived, performance on a series of physiological tests which index biological age, and patterns of the age&SHYspecific risk of mortality. Despite this universal biological content, it is renowned that aging takes on a variety of forms, many which show regular associations with aspects of culture. Rather than focusing on age, it may be more appropriate to polish the life cy... ...k, NY Harper Collins College Publishers Colliers Encyclopedia. 1983. New York, NY Macmillan Educational Company Goodall, Jane. 1990. Through a Window My 30 Years with Chimpanzees of Gombe. Boston, MA Houghton Mifflin Company Handbook of northmost American Indians. 1984. Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Institution Semour&SHYSmith, Charlotte. 1986. Dictionary of Anthropology. Boston, MA G.K. Hall and Company Encyclopedia of Cultural Anthropology. 1996. New York, NY Henry Holt and Company Marshall, Loma. 1976. The Kung of Nyae Nyae. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press Dentan, Robert Knox. 1968. The Semai A Nonviolent People of Malaya. Orlando, FL Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Maxwell, Robert J. and Phillip Silverman. 1989. Geronticide. In The Content of Culture Studies in Honor of John M. Roberts. New Haven, CN. HRAF Press