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

developThe Original Human ConditionAging is a phenomena we are all familiar with, a trait lineament of all humankind, in fact, of all living organisms. What are the effects of aging, specially those which go beyond the biological aspects and effect the social aspects of changing roles, seniority, and give-and-take 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 extend family? Going back still farther, what can 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 have had the opportunity to be involved in the direct care of the elderly. Over a flowing of time, I have come to accept living ones last years in a nursing home as an eventual approach pattern response to the aging process. As a result of this study, I stay having an enlarged perspective and an enhanced sensitivity to the psychosocial aspects of aging.Aging DefinedThe encyclopaedia of cultural Anthropology (1996) was a helpful source to gain a rendering 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 level best fife span one has lived, performance on a series of physiologic tests which index biological age, and patterns of the age&SHYspecific risk of mortality. scorn this universal biological content, it is notable that aging takes on a variety show of forms, many which show regular associations with aspects of culture. Rather than focusing on age, it may be more appropriate to review 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 Han dbook of North 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 peaceable 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 throne M. Roberts. New Haven, CN. HRAF Press