Keywords: life story;seniors;reminiscence;creative activities
We summarize the theoretical background and basis for creative activities focused on the life story work with the seniors as realised in “Centrum MEMORY“, Bratislava, Slovakia. Older adult clients with various levels of cognitive functioning could benefit from the combination of creative and reminiscence activities. The importance of creativity and its benefits in senior life is outlined and emphasized.
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Keywords: late adulthood;old age;seniors;William Wharton;novel;femininity;University of the Third Age;stigma;stereotyping;sexuality;erotica;sex
The issues of old age, once neglected in terms of reflection and research on this period of life, in recent years took on another dimension. With the growth of the elderly population in the world, more attention is gradually paid to issues related to improving the quality of life of seniors. Of particular interest are those aspects of life that have a direct impact on the sense of well-being of the elderly, namely: family, health, finances. The aspect of health is, however, considered mostly in the context of an overall psychophysical fitness, access to health care, adequate pensions enabling the purchase of medicines, rehabilitation, etc. In contrast, they less frequently deal with issues related to sexual attractiveness of the seniors and their erotic needs. Old age still does not go hand in hand with the sexual appeal. Elderly women are seen as unnecessary, invisible. They are not perceived as being able to evoke sexual desire. This social reception affects the senior women’s perception of themselves. In the eyes of a community an elderly woman may still be attractive intellectually, but not physically. Stereotypes built around the old age also assume that people in late adulthood have no sexual needs.
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Keywords: electrical stimulation devices;video games;virtual reality;elderly
Developing Western societies are characterized by growing numbers of older people. This trend will increase in coming decades. Medicine and health care of developed countries have to stand against new needs of societies rich in people over sixty years old. This paper will briefly review new technologies and ways of treating disorders of older people on the one hand, and reception of these methods by older patients on the other hand. We briefly describe therapeutic methods used in clinical neuroscience dividing them into 3 categories: therapies based on implantation of external devices into the organism, therapies using video games, and therapies using virtual reality. These therapies will be discussed according to three rules that have been proposed considering the approach to effective therapeutic methods targeting older people. It can be assumed that older people tend to be afraid of using unknown solutions, even to improve their own health states. Contrary to this claim, most of researches report very high rate of acceptance of the aforementioned techniques by older people. However, laboratory teams should treat older people with extreme care so as to not provoke aversion to technologies used in intervention.
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Keywords: elderly;risk factors;falls;prevention
The process of population ageing is observed not only in Poland but also in other European countries. Physiological processes of ageing reduce the functional capacity. In particular, associated diseases, progressive weakness and failure of the motor system increases the risk of collapse in seniors. Dangerous consequences of falls, inter alia, injuries, can often cause death, what justifies its classification as a so-called geriatric giant. Health and psychosocial consequences of falls should be noted. Therefore, there is agreat need for induction of preventive measures. Results of numerous studies constantly show that an effective intervention in preventing falls in seniors should include, first and foremost, multidirectional rehabilitation, which aims to improve balance and increase postural strength muscle. In addition, prevention should include: patient education, pharmacotherapy prescribed by a medical specialist, eyesight improvement, elimination of potential risks surrounding the patient. The introduction of multi-directional prevention of falls can reduce the risk of their occurrence up to 50%.
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Keywords: education of seniors;victim of domestic violence;prevention of domestic violence;protection of victims;violent person
The article discusses domestic violence as dangerous, unlawful and violent conduct, which currently threatens the generation of seniors. The author stresses the need for primary prevention of domestic violence in the context of the education of seniors at the University of the Third Age. In the text the author presents the content focus of preventative lectures to the target group of seniors. In connection with the content of primary prevention is highlighted to the opportunity to help the victims of domestic violence through the association for assistance to victims of crime „Bílý kruh bezpeči". On the basis of the exploratory investigation, the views of seniors on the issue of the domestic violence are presented in the text.
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