Aging In American Youth Culture

Words: 1924
Pages: 8

What are your perceptions on aging? (What is old, physical appearance, behaviors, American Youth Culture, etc.) The American Youth Culture can make aging in America a difficult struggle for individuals to go through. In the class discussion, what we considered to be “old” had a range that began at age 40 and went up to age 85 and above. Some of the most popular reasons as to why we thought a certain age should be considered old were major health declines, exiting the workforce, and the fact that they have less to live for in general. The fact that individuals have less to live for as they age is a sad truth. Towards the end of life, individuals do not have much to look forward to, which had been stated by several individuals in the “Living …show more content…
I have one grandmother who I would classify as new old even though her age falls into the old old age bracket while I would classify my other grandmother as closer to old old even though she is not yet retired and only in her fifties. My grandma Pam faces a few severe health limitations having smoked a majority of her life. She has been in and out of the hospital several times because of her health and needs medication to keep medical conditions under control. She relies on dentures to eat and overall has a lower quality of life despite still being relatively young. On the contrary, I would classify my Nana as young old even though her age falls into the old old age bracket. She faces a few limitations such as not wanting to drive in the dark, not wanting to be around large groups where she might not be able to sit down, or the inability to face more strenuous conditions like intense heat or humidity. Her senses are not what they once were but she is able to carry a conversation without needing the other individual to speak up and she is able to read easily with the help of her glasses. She’s also aware that her taste buds are a little off and likes to have someone else taste test when she’s cooking. My dad has moved her washer and dryer to the main level so she no longer has to walk downstairs to the basement and risk falling. Overall, these limitations are minor and she is able to be involved with her community and family, go to most events, and enjoy her day to day life. My father is middle-aged and states that it has been all downhill from 40. His hearing and eyes are much worse now than when he was younger. He also feels significantly more pain after a day of hard work. He’s been to the doctor’s office to have an echocardiogram done as he was experiencing chest pain and heart conditions run in the family. Most days he can be a bit crabby as the majority of his time is spent working