Chapter 7 really intrigued me.The book defines intimacy as, “the need to be close to, to be part of, and to feel familiar with another person” (Hillier and Barrow, 2011).Human intimacy is something that everyone experiences no matter what the age. I know for me, it is very important. I am a very family oriented and close person. When I meet someone I become really close to them and trust too easily. This applies to the aging population as well, but I feel that it may actually mean more to them. When people grow older, so do their friends and families; people move away and some pass away. This is a time in their lives when they realize just how much others mean to them, they cherish time spent with others. I know that this chapter really opened my eyes to how my Meemaw talks with me and acts with me. As she grows older, she sees less and less of her friends because so many of them are unable to move around well, and the others are deceased. This is why intimacy and bonds are so important to her. She calls me all the time asking when I will come visit and talk with her. I used to find it rather irritating but now I just know that she is longing for interaction and intimacy with someone she loves. She has recently moved into an assisted living area where she can interact with others her age and do fun activities, this has been very helpful for her because it is filling that need of human interaction and intimacy.
Hillier, S., & Barrow, G. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. (9th ed., pp. 3-28). California: WADSWORTH.
Hey Tori, I think this Chapter 7. You may want to edit your title. But Chapter 7 is very detailed in it's discussion. You captured what was discussed nicely. Knowing that be active plays a big role in later life to many areas was surprising to me. I always wondered about this topic but never had the audacity to ask an elderly person.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Melanie! I realized that after I hit publish, thank you!
ReplyDeleteTori,
ReplyDeleteI agree that intimacy is experienced and needed by everyone. I have a very large family and we love getting together and spending time with each other. Many times we would plan our get together around the older members of the family. We would include a birthday party for the older members whose birthday would fall around that time to make them feel extra special and feel like they were a part of the festivities and not a hindrance or problem.
We should always try to take time for the elderly members of our families because one day it may be us in that position, and we will want to have someone around to spend time with us. You are right that we become irritated with the many requests from elderly family members, but try to do as many of them as you can because you will look up one day and they will not be there and you will have regrets for not doing some of those things. It may be more of a benefit for you than for them.