Humanistyczny obraz starości Przesłanki dla gerontologii humanistycznej
The humanistic image of old age Premises for humanistic gerontology

Author(s): Elżbieta Dubas
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Pedagogy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: old age; humanistic gerontology; dignity of the person; holistic experience of life
Summary/Abstract: The study, which is an attempt to sketch the image of old age in relation to humanistic values and its holistic approach, takes into account selected contexts. One of them is the perspective of triunity, i.e. the unity of body, psyche and spirit, and the others - the combined space of the inner and outer worlds and the objective and subjective dimensions of old age. In such a view, it is impossible to omit looking at old age in the context of multidimensional development and in the perspective of broadly understood learning. An attempt was also made to see the beauty in old age, if only because this is not a common way of viewing old age today. Space is also devoted to difficult existential experiences that are common to older people, in particular Alzheimer's disease. The category of "accompaniment on the way" turned out to be extremely accurate in describing the relationship between one person and another along the way of life and old age. From the drama of experiencing existential worries, the perspective of treating old age not only as a task and challenge, but also as a gift was derived. Aging can also be viewed as maturing, becoming fully human. And finally, the last context, with a strong current appeal in the 21st century – the perspective of the digital era, and here also an attempt to find a humanistic vision of old age. The indicated contexts emphasize the dignity of the elderly person and the holistic dimension of old age, resulting from the individual experience of the full life cycle, the overlap of experiences throughout life and the intertwining of individual experiences with a rich spectrum of internal and external determinants of old age and aging processes.

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