After spending the past couple of week outside of the class visiting different sites, we finally made it back to our classroom. This session back in class was very interesting because this was our first set of presentations on current events regarding aging. The first presentation was about elderly driving and when and if they should have their license removed due to old age. This got me wondering how and if this could be a positive thing because maybe on the surface people may think one’s numerical value should be the ultimate determining factor in when one should stop driving however, I would challenge that argument and discuss the fact that there are studies that show some 80-year-olds have the same cognitive ability and reflex ability as those who are 50 years younger. I also feel that by preventing someone from driving based on their age not only perpetuates ageism but it could also place an elder in a situation where one can no longer enjoy the freedom of mobility, which can have a harmful effect on their mental health and also can prevent them from accessing healthcare and participating normal daily living activities. Our group followed that presentation by discussing loneliness which seemed very fitting because transportation can be one’s means to interacting with others based on their location. As a group we felt that loneliness in the senior community seems to go unscrutinized on a large scale so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to discuss some aspects of senior loneliness and how it can lead to health problems. It was also nice receiving feedback on how community leaders can use technology to reduce the amount of loneliness seniors experience especially those in rural areas. All in all, it was a very productive class session which made for great discussion.
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WAYNE B HARRISONWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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