introduction We are Team Bowenians, a group of dedicated volunteers who aim to help the elderly in Singapore by raising funds for O’Joy Care Services under the Youth for Causes 2010 Project. navigation About Us Current, Upcoming and Past Events FAQ (Coming Soon) Leave a Comment Contact Us affiliates Youth For Causes Official Website O'Joy Care Services Archives June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 Credits Edited @ Juneloves. Layouts @Glamouresque.	Sunday, September 12, 2010 writeup on the elderly, part ii Having taken a look at the demographics of the elderly yesterday, let us go deeper into the concerns and woes of the aged. PART II: So you say you are troubled – A closer look at the issues faced by the elderly Elder Abuse Elder Abuse is a blanket term that refers to harming older adults. It can range from emotional abuse (such as scolding, name-calling, shouting, ignoring, threatening the target and so on) to physical harm, which can come in the form of hitting, confining or giving excessive improper medication to the victim. The victim may also be subject to financial exploitation. For example, the victim’s abusive family members might use his property or money without his permission. In extreme cases, the victim may be driven out of his home or be deprived of his basic needs such as food and clothing. Elder abuse is committed mostly by family members of the aged. Unfortunately, the elderly may not be able to take effective action due to poor physical conditions and/or low self-esteem. Some of them may even have mental handicaps that impair their judgement, making them easy targets for abuse. The Family Health and Wellness website lists the following as common signs of elder abuse: appearing depressed and withdrawn does not want to spend time away from their family or a caregiver appears afraid to make their own decisions appears to be hiding something about a caregiver Appears to have no spending money May put off going to the doctor Appears to have experienced too many household "accidents" Marital Issues Those who are married may face marital problems upon reaching old age. Possible causes include physical illnesses, changes in gender roles as well as retirement and financial problems. The reasons differ on a case-by-case basis. Mental health issues In general, aged experience slower reaction times and agility than their younger counterparts. Their ability to think clearly and to recall memories becomes diminished as well. Some of the mental complications that the elderly may face include, but are not limited to, dementia, delirium schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Depression Depression is a commonly found condition amongst elderly women – the lifetime risk of getting depression in females is around 10% higher than males. Depression can be resultant of a rapid chain of several personal losses. Some of the medication that the elderly take, such as progesterone and anti-cancer drugs are known to be associated with depression. Depression can be treated with psychotherapy and anti-depressants, which are often used in conjunction with each other. Need to learn self-care Some members of the elderly need to improve their methods of personal health maintenance. Caregiver Stress Caregiver stress refers to caregivers experiencing guilt, frustration and/or anger due to their caregiving responsibilities. More often than not, caregivers giving care to the elderly and/or disabled require the help and support of their family, friends and community. However, studies show that they usually choose to perform their caregiving responsibilities alone. This may increase the caregiver's risk of depression and illness, and/or strain the relationship between the caregiver and the care receiver. Death and dying, Grief and loss With the rise of end-of-life issues, the elderly may start to have some concerns and woes regarding death, such as the fear of dying or a sense of remorse and regret if they feel that they did not live life the way they wanted. These concerns may also generate a feeling of grief and loss. Relationship Issues The above-mentioned problems faced by the elderly often extend to their loved ones inadvertently , causing strains to their relationship. Such relationship problems can be a culmination of the previous problems, or be the result of misunderstanding between the aged person and his loved ones. Consider the following example - the maid caring for an aged woman experiences caregiver stress, causing her to vent her anger on the elderly lady on a few occasions, leading to arguments. This, when coupled with other factors, can sour the relationship between the two. That concludes our two-part writeup on the elderly. We hope that it has given our readers some insight into the problems faced by the elderly. - Team Bowenians Saturday, September 11, 2010 Writeup on the elderly, part i When you are approached by one of our volunteers soliciting for donations, you might pause and wonder – why exactly does O’Joy Care Services need these donations – after all, some people feel that the elderly have the best time of their life. After retirement, they are left to their own devices. They have accumulated vast experience throughout their life and would thus be an invaluable aid to the younger generation. With these good prospects, life should be a breeze and there would be little need for them to be counselled. But is that really the case? Let us take a look at some statistics about the elderly that will probably change your mind. PART I : Elderly Numbers – Demographics of the Elderly in Singapore According to the Statistics Singapore website, 8.8% of the resident population is aged 65 and above. This figure has been on a steady increase since Singapore’s independence in 1965. Back then, the percentage of the elderly was only at 2.5% - an indicator that Singapore’s population is rapidly ageing. So what is the big deal about the ageing population, you may ask. After all, with increased health benefits and advancements in medical technology, most of us would strive to live longer. But then again, living longer presents its own variety of challenges. When one ages, his body becomes physically weaker and is more prone to sickness. This, when coupled with other factors, leads to a gamut of problems. The blunt reality - 2.5 million members of the elderly worldwide face some form of maltreatment. That is equal to half of the population of Singapore as of 2010! In 2007, O’Joy Care Services analyzed the situation of the 58 clients who completed their counselling therapy over the year, of which: - 59% had to deal with relationship issues - 40% had to deal with grief and loss - 37% suffered from caregiver stress - 31% had depression - 21% need to learn self-care - 10% had to deal with death and dying - 6% had mental health issues - 3% had marital issues - 3% suffered from elder abuse From these figures, we can conclude that majority of the clients have emotional issues. We will take a closer look at the various problems faced by the elderly in tomorrow’s writeup. - Team Bowenians Friday, September 10, 2010 A word on caring for the elderly Over the past week, we went around collecting comments why it is important to care for the elderly, and how we can go about showing our care for them. These responses come from several teenagers. Imagine if the elderly you speak of was your parents. That means they have almost past their parenthood years in which they have brought you up till you were old enough to take care of yourselves. Therefore, it is important for us to care for the elderly as through their hardship, the age they have come to is the time for them to relax and in turn for us, the youths to take care of them as they are now worn out and can no longer be willing to do anything without assistance. Be honest, considerate and polite. In other words, apply basic manners and show appreciation in any way I can convey them. Help them in need, be there for them. - Nur Atikah bte Musa, 15 years old They (the elderly) are a valuable asset to society. I would be filial and helpful to them. Talk to them, play with them and make them feel happy. - Wisely Ong, 15 years old The elderly are a valuable asset to Singapore and should be given important care by our younger generations. They are the ones who have taken care of us till our independent life stage. Therefore, we should be willing to take care of the elderly when they are dependent on us. If we don't take care of them, who would? I would not disrespect them by displaying cruelty to them. Be considerate and show filial piety to them! In fact, spend some time to play with them or talk to them to make them feel elated. - Mohammed Shareef, 14 years old The elderly contributed to the country and needs care when they are now older. I will offer my seat to the elderly in a crowded bus. Without the elderly's hard work in the past , it's impossible for us to enjoy the wonderful living conditions that we are having now. I can help them on the housework, chat with them to get them out of being bored and spare a thoughts for their feelings. *Messages have been edited slightly for grammar and do not neccessarily reflect the views of Team Bowenians and O' Joy Care Services. - Team Bowenians
every wrinkle is a reflection of a true and beautiful life story