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The article presents the problem of the progressive ageing of societies, which highly developed countries have been tackling already since the mid-20th century. The author describes the way elderly people are perceived by the rest of society and the possibility of rendering aid and support to them by their closest environment and by public institutions. The most important needs and expectations of the elderly have also been listed. Attention has been drawn to the need of self-development throughout one’s lifetime, not excluding old age, and to the growing necessity to lead an active life in one’s post-productive period.
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Older people represent a category which specifically constitutes the object of social worker intervention. The modern society treats the elderly with disbelief the uselessness, by creating a culture of young people where the older person finds his or her place increasingly difficult. Promoting the concept of „active aging” assumes education and formation for a lifetime, making withdrawing from activity progressive, by practicing activities beneficial to health.
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The paper deals with the women transition into the third age of life and with the role of the menopause in that process. The scope is on the ways the women face the aging in this culture, on the shifting of the others’ relations toward them, and on defining the new role for a women to be tаken after the period of fertility is once over. The cultural attitudes towards the menopause are of an extremely negative kind, although the menopause is primarly deifined in the terms of hormonal activity, as the definitive extinguishing of the ovaries function. ''Klimakteruša'' (woman in climax) is an ordinary term for the ill-balanced person who can't control the own behaviour; the fifty-year old woman suddenly becomes nonat tractive and useless “old witch”, just like there are no phases and nuances in between the maturity and the aging. Losing the functions of an erotic object and of the fertility looks to the most of the women like entering terrae incognita in the culture obsessed by youth and by the youthfully values. The paper is based on the answers the author collected from about thirty female friends and coevals from Belgrade and from a village near city of Šabac, concerning their experiences on this radical life turnover.
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The matters under consideration in volume VI of the Biography and Biography Research series, edited by Elżbieta Dubas and Anna Gutowska, are two leading issues that can be examined on the basis of biographical research. One of them is the stability and/or variability in biography, the other – biographical turning points. Both issues of reflection and biographical research are combined and interlock. The question of stability and variability is tackled in four chapters in this volume: by Agnieszka Zalewska-Meler, where the chapter is an attempt to grasp both common and unusual elements of sportsmen biographies; by Agnieszka Kowalska, indicating how educational, activating and integrated activities influenced individual lives of the homeless; by Tomasz Hauz, referring in his chapter to changes that take place in the lives of HIV-positive people; and by Aneta Tejchman, analysing the biography of Jan Ekier, an outstanding Polish artist, in search of a permanent feature of his scientific and artistic activity. The issue of biographical turning points is explored by the authors of the following seven chapters in this monography: Dorota Sieroń-Galusek raises the issue concerning the so-called biographic method/biographism in the context of selected academic works in the field of humanities and social sciences; Monika Chmielecka paints the picture of great biographical turning points in the light of the theory of transformative learning; Kamila Lasocińska connects the issue of biographical turning points with creativity, transgression, self-creation and adult creativity; Renata Brzezińska shows critical events of epiphanic nature in professional senior biographies; Marta Bożewicz presents the break-through experiences in the biographies of people having vocation for priesthood; Barbara Toroń-Fórmanek shows the relationship between an identity of a person in a penitentiary institution and their life course before going to prison; Małgorzata Lis proposes the concept of the four components (dynamisms) of upbringing according to Stefan Kunowski to be used for the research into biographical turning points in the history of upbringing. The volume concludes with three texts that refer to leading reflections on biographies and their research. Mariusz Granosik writes about a biographical transformation as one of the most important categories of contemporary pedagogy. Anna Walulik and Celina Kisiel-Dorohnicka analyse the anthropological ideas by Paul Ricoeur on the categories of stability and variability, and the identity and otherness. The publication ends with the text by Olga Czerniawska presenting chosen dilemmas of autobiography writing.
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The purpose of the present text was to capture common and untypical elements of sports biographies that were part of the time of interest and later involvement in competitive sport. On the basis of individual sports history, they tried to determine their regularity, recognize the problems associated with building an authentic and very often independent vision of themselves in the field of physical culture. The analysis of biographical texts (in accordance with the principles of hermeneutic interpretation) was accompanied by a graphical presentation of the process of events and experiences that have a decisive influence on the understanding of the philosophy accompanying the building and development of sports careers.
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One of the most commonly mentioned western imperialism’s arguments attempting to justify the cultural superiority of Europe is the situation of indigenous women in the Middle East. European colonialism often justified its “civilizing mission” by the necessity of setting them free from the oppression of patriarchal domination. In reality, the colonialism has intensified women’s subordinations in dependent territories. By an example of Assia Djebars’s fiction, I intend to examine how this phenomenon is represented in literature and whether the literature can become a tool in the struggle with the patriarchate and the imperial stereotypes of the double-colonized “native woman”. I will also analyze author’s literary strategies that are supposed to make women’s voice heard again.
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In this text, the author devotes attention to the issue of migration, touching upon themes that are related to aging, aging, quality of old man’s life. The reflections on the specificity of migration processes characterize the gerontological point of view of the problem. The author shows the specifics of migration, paying attention to their entanglement with the postmodern processes of globalization, thus delineating the context of the migration phenomenon, which becomes commonplace and affects both the younger and older, albeit the latter in a particular way.
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During the transition from youth to old age the maximum physiological parameters of men’s hearts are reduced. Based on the global experimental data refereeing to the cross- sectional studies and longitudinal changes in maximum physiological parameters of the heart in the aging process, using mathematical analysis and mathematical modeling and computer simulation, the authors have developed an innovative, comprehensive and reliable method for determining the rate), stroke volume (SV), difference arterio- venous oxygen saturation (AVDmax) and oxygen upmaxtake (Vo). 2ma XThe developed methods allow presentation of every maximum physiological parameter of the heart for the large and average endurance of men: a graphical presentation (with the use of a graph), an analytical presentation (using a mathematical equation) and in the tabular form. Such development of the maximum of physiological parameters allows determination of all the maximum heart parameters of men at any age and of any physical condition in a cross- section of all the parameters of maximum heart: COmax, maximum heart rate, SVmax, AVDmax and Vo2max.
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During the transition from youth to old age the maximum physiological parameters of women’s hearts are reduced. Based on the global experimental data refereeing to the cross-sectional studies and longitudinal changes in maximum physiological parameters of the heart in the aging process, using mathematical analysis and mathematical modeling and computer simulation, the authors have developed an innovative, comprehensive and reliable method for determining the maximum of physiological parameters of heart: cardiac output (CO) heart rate (maximum heart rate), stroke volume (SVmax), difference arterio-venous oxygen saturation (AVDmax) and oxygen uptake (Vomax). 2ma XThe developed methods allow presentation of every maximum physiological parameter of the heart for the large and average endurance of women: a graphical presentation (with the use of a graph), an analytical presentation (using a mathematical equation) and in the tabular form. Such development of the maximum of physiological parameters allows determination of all the maximum heart parameters of women at any age and of any physical condition in a cross-section of all the parameters of maximum heart: COmax, maximum heart rate, SVmax, AVDmax and Vo2max.
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The article presents a form of supporting and stimulation to activity of the seniors, little-known in geragogy and clinical gerontology, which is therapeutical influence of natural environment (ecotherapy). The use of ecotherapy in the induction of neurogenesis in the phase of old age is presented, as well as its use in creating the feeling of coherence, in supporting the seniors in critical situation, and also the meaning of ecotherapy for family life and strengthening family connections are emphasized. Here is an enormous potential in ecotherapy which can be functioning of the Universities of the Third Age or other institutions engaged in supporting and stimulation to activity of the seniors. used in many aspects of supporting the old. Ecotherapy should be very important factor in the functioning of the Universities of the Third Age or other institutions engaged in supporting and stimulation to activity of the seniors.
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Stepping man in old age does not mean stability and development, but it gives the potential to understand the meaning of his own life, poses in front of the unit next sentence, the goals that must be achieved. It also connects to a number of constraints and difficulties among other things, with a feeling of loneliness and isolation, which are particularly felt by the elderly. Therefore, the process of proper social communication is an important issue in dealing with the elderly. Proper communication can prevent feelings of humiliation, isolation, and degradation. The article is an attempt to approximate the issues of aging and its worthy experience in terms of proper interpersonal communication. Will be presented causes of difficulties in commu¬nicating with older people, the consequences of inadequate communication and ways to build a proper dialogue. The analysis will be based on theoretical knowledge and information gained through non-participating observation.
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The paper is a report from qualitative research. It is an analysis of a narrative of a woman who presents her life in the perspective of existential concerns, including her spiritual life and thanatic fear she begins to experience in the old age. The narrator shows how, during her whole life, her life goals have been changing – which of them have become or remained important in the old age. Analysis of her life account reveals some mechanisms that help her look at her life in retrospect, and emphasis on the issue of suffering she has been constantly experiencing since childhood shows some constructive strategies of dealing with it. It is particularly evident in her struggle with loneliness.
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The paper focuses on violence against seniors; a phenomenon that will increase due to the ageing of society. Two autobiographical-narrative interviews are presented – with older women who have experienced long-term domestic violence from their husbands. The goal is to show individual trajectories revealing the biographical struggle with trauma during 40 years of their adult life. Living in violent relationships, both women lived with lowered self-esteem. Long- -term, brutal violence evoked very strong, extreme emotions in the narrators, accompanied by suffering, fear and a sense of powerlessness. The analyses show an example of overcoming barriers and a heroic inner fight in the process of dealing with traumatic life experiences.
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Learning old age has an essentially individual character since it is dependent on many different factors. The first one is the age of a person which, as I argue by referring to personal experiences, has a huge influence on our attitude towards seniors – from the acceptance and respect for old age to its disavowal as a mark of a declining and decrepit lifeform. The second factor, nonetheless also important, is the experience of living in a multigenerational family in which the eldest members are deemed significant and entertaining respect. Another factor that shapes our perception of seniors is the level of environmental and widely societal awareness of the significance of aging processes and of their inevitability in the life of every human being. In that matter, we are still burdened with a feeling of inferiority as those who were bound to live on until the age of seventy, eighty, and ninety. Deeply ingrained, and stemming from a bad tradition, a belief that leads one to commonly associate old age as the one “on which God had failed” is very slowly being eliminated from the collective consciousness. The process is enhanced by a new opening of the last phase of life which as a result of constant lengthening acquires a new dimension, followed by a new meaning. Numerous examples of old people who take care of their psychophysical condition and their social and spiritual development are gradually retrieving old age to its rightful place in the human lifespan. In this process of change, a leading role seems to be played by a person’s spiritual development whose important component is spiritual practice wherein and thanks to which old age acquires the status of life’s period not worse than its previous stages.
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The research conducted by the authors on the situation of the elderly in one of the post-industrial districts of Katowice showed that degree of satisfaction of specific needs is diverse depending on their type, therefore, despite actions taken by organizational and non-governmental units and other institutions for senior environment, criterion of deficit in the sphere of interpersonal contacts and active participation in social life has not always been met.
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Defining the scope and form of old-age security should be based, among other things, on the principles of social justice and equality. Equality is the manifestation, and the instantiation of social justice and it means the equal treatment of equals. Therefore, distribution, especially the one made in the pension system, does not have to be equal, but it is to serve everyone, so it has to be fair and based on the cooperation system. Unfortunately, many pension privileges in Poland are not implementing the principle of equality. The study analysed, on the basis of a nationwide survey conducted in 2016, public opinions on equality in the pension system. In addition, in the paper, I show expenditures for retirement benefits of privileged persons in the Polish pension system. The aim of the article is to present the equality in the pension system in Poland, both in the theoretical aspect, and in the practical aspect. The logistic regression method was applied while attempting to reach the research aim of this study. In the paper, also, the following research methods were applied: statistical analysis, economic analysis of the law and analysis of documents.
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Global ageing is a challenge to human rights law as older people are far more vulnerable to a range of social, economic and political barriers that effectively exclude them from mainstream society. Thus, this book proposes a model of how to improve national ageing policies internationally by changing the current paradigm in the perception of older persons from passive receivers of care and assistance to active contributors to society. The author points to the need to improve the visibility of older persons internationally, promotes the idea of a treaty on their rights, and identifies areas where states and non-state actors can positively influence their social inclusion at the national level.
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For a long time, in the sociological discourse on the social situation of old people, there is a conviction that the distance between the generations is deepening. It appears in the reflections of both Polish and foreign gerontologists and sociologists. The theory of subculture of the aging is one of those reflections that took a condensed and structured form. The article will show the main assumptions of this theory according to Arnold Rose and some characteristic features of the social distinctiveness of older people in the light of Arlie Hochschild's research. They will be exhibited, among others, the factors favoring the formation of the old age subculture and areas of its functioning according to Rose, as well as some patterns of behavior observed by Hochschild among the members of the seniors’ subculture group studied by this researcher. The author will indicate certain processes that in Polish reality could / may favor the emergence of phenomena of a character of the old age subculture. The areas of social life related to the elderly and research topics or problems that may be inspired by the theory of subculture of the aging will be also introduced.
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Vitamin D plays a crucial role in calcium metabolism and bone health. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to impaired calcium absorption, increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, and secondary hyperparathyroidism, resulting in excessive bone breakdown and increased risk of fractures. Optimal vitamin D levels can increase bone mineral density and improve response to bisphosphonate therapy. Vitamin D is primarily synthesized in the skin by exposure to sunlight and can also be obtained from dietary sources. It is hydroxylated in the liver to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the primary form used to assess vitamin D status. Further hydroxylation in the kidney produces the active form, 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1.25(OH)2D), which regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism and promotes bone health. Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which the parathyroid glands overproduce PTH in response to low serum calcium levels, which may be caused by vitamin D deficiency. This overproduction of PTH leads to increased bone resorption, resulting in decreased bone density and increased fracture risk. Vitamin D significantly impacts bone density and fractures. Adequate vitamin D levels help maintain proper calcium and phosphorus metabolism and promote the formation and maintenance of strong, healthy bones. Individuals with low vitamin D levels are at higher risk of bone fractures. Serum 25(OH)D concentration is used to assess vitamin D status, with 100 IU of vitamin D increasing serum 25-(OH)D by about 1 ng/mL. A daily calcium intake of 1000-1200 mg and a vitamin D level greater than 20 ng/mL but not greater than 50 ng/ mL are recommended to prevent osteosarcopenia, a condition characterized by low bone mineral density, muscle strength, and mass. Both daily and pulse dosing of vitamin D have been studied with varying results. Daily dosing, which mimics the natural production of vitamin D in the skin, has been shown to maintain more stable and consistent 25(OH)D serum levels. On the other hand, pulse dosing, where a large dose of vitamin D is taken once or a few times a week, has been shown to effectively increase 25(OH)D levels, but also results in higher variability and fluctuations in serum levels. Daily dosing may provide more consistent and stable serum levels and may better maintain bone health markers. For individuals who have difficulty maintaining adequate daily vitamin D intake, pulsed dosing may still be an effective option. In terms of vitamin D supplementation, through either daily or pulse dosing, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and the Endocrine Society (EC) recommend a target level of 50 ng/dl or higher and safe levels between 30-50 ng/dl. A daily dose of 1000 IU for adults over 50 years of age and up to 4000 IU/day for adults is recommended, along with dietary or supplemetal calcium intake of 800-1200 mg. Obesity and malabsorption may affect vitamin D status and require higher doses.
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