Myths and theories about aging compile a big part of understanding the processes of aging. Throughout the history of science, there were different studies on interpreting the results of aging, its prevention, and consequences. However, most of the Earth’s population does not go as far as to research the topic, instead drawing their conclusions from day-to-day experience. Therefore, the myths about aging are created. While people build most of them relying on the stereotypes, certain myths are considered to be scientifically and statistically proven. The need to differentiate between myths and facts arises when it comes to the Aging Nursing. Treating the elderly requires a variety of skills as well as understanding the mindset of the people of old age. This results in different types of studies that focus on taking both nursing skills and aging theory into consideration. To know the difference between myths and facts and to understand certain theories about the aging processes means to take better care of the elderly.
Myths of Aging
According to Merriam and Kee (2014), there are three main myths about the elderly. The first myth states that most of the people of old age live in the developed countries. The authors rely on the gathered data to disprove this myth. According to the research, this myth is based on the fact that most of the developed countries’ population consists of a bigger percentage of older people, and that does not necessary mean that the elderly is equally spread across the Earth. Indeed, developed countries have a greater number of the elderly as their citizens, but such countries tend to have a more moderate population compared to some Third World countries. Therefore, the assumption that most of the older people live in the developed countries proves to be wrong.
Further, second myth claims that all people of old age are the same. This myth can be easily dispelled when the diversity of cultures and nationalities is taken into consideration. It is possible to state that the older people are somewhat identical but only within the framework of one culture. Then again, every person grows and lives in a different environment, and the experience that everyone receives varies significantly. The fact that cultures differ from one part of the world to other in significant ways reveals this myth to be incorrect as well.
Third myth declares that men and women age in the same way. In reality, according to World Health Organisation, “people age in unique ways, depending on a large variety of factors, including their gender, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and whether they live in industrialised or developing countries, in urban or rural settings” (as cited in Merriam & Kee, 2014, p. 131). It is a statistically proven fact that women’s life expectancy is bigger than that of men. Moreover, women are biologically more resilient and are better adapted for any hazards. Thus, the third myth also diverges from reality.
From the professional point of view, nursing perspective on aging is quite simple. Nursing profession requires taking care of every patient independently of their age. Therefore, the need for a specific teaching arises. Said teaching is efficiently incorporated into the Aging Nursing courses. Although the researches show that students tend to keep their perception of myths and stereotypes about the elderly intact, the main focus of the Aging Nursing is not exactly to dispel some myths or avert students from stereotypes (Sarabia-Cobo & Pfeiffer, 2015). The nursing profession requires equally treating every patient, but older people are naturally in need of a more attentive attitude.
Theories of Aging
Agronin (2013) describes different theories about aging as well as one of the first works – Cicero‘s On Old Age. However, more accurate and scientifically supported theories began to emerge only in the early 20th century. One of the first publicly acclaimed theories was Freud’s theory of psychosexual development. Although this approach brings a new perspective on the aging and developmental processes, it only covers early childhood and does not take into account social factors. Almost a century later, George Valliant formed his stage theory based on previous works including Freud’s research. While taking a more philosophical approach, Valliant succeeds in elucidating both biological and social sides of the aging process. This theory could be applied to better understand the mindset of older people, therefore making it easier to improve the quality of nursing care. However, other aging theories could be incorporated in the nursing practice in such way, too.
Personally, I believe that aging is mostly influenced by the social surroundings of a person. The experience that one receives when communicating with other people and the events that take place in one’s life are the factors that determine the rate at which a person is aging. Moreover, biological aspects of aging seem to differ greatly from person to person making it harder to tell if it is – regarding old age as a state of mind – an important factor at all. Therefore, I tend to agree with stochastic aging theories because environmental influences, in my opinion, are more easily explained and thus, result in much less uncertainty.
Conclusion
To summarize, myths and theories play a significant role in nursing practice and in understanding the elderly as well. While most of the myths are scientifically refuted, theories are improved from decade to decade to better represent the social and biological aspects of aging. Furthermore, it is paramount to pay attention to more relevant theories because they may be the key factor in improving professional skills in nursing. Because of the same reason, it is also a must to differentiate between facts and myths.
References
Agronin, M. E. (2014). From Cicero to Cohen: developmental theories of aging, from antiquity to the present. The Gerontologist, 54(1), 30-39. Web.
Merriam, S., & Kee, Y. (2014). Promoting community wellbeing: the case for lifelong learning for older adults. Adult Education Quarterly, 64(2), 128-144.
Sarabia, C. M., & Pfeiffer, C. C. (2015). Changing negative stereotypes regarding aging in undergraduate nursing students. Research Gate. Web.