In chapter 11 the reader learns the different groups that the elderly are put in. This chapter also has a great emphasize on caregiving. There are many types of caregiving, formal which is done by a professional and informal which is done by someone unprofessional. There a many problems that come when someone is providing these services if they are not prepared.
The elderly use to be classified in one whole group, but now they are classified by the young-old and the old-old. There are many living arrangements that the oldest-old could live under. Although most prefer to live independently there are some who live with an adult child or nursing home. Informal caregiving is a big part when talking about how much our lifespan has grown. This type of caregiving is mainly based on family or friends that provide caregiving services. When a family has a daughter most of the caregiving falls onto her shoulders and this ccould easily be a burden on her if she is busy with her own life being a wife, mother, and employee. This is not always the case, there is a great percent of spousal care as well. Most of the time it is the wife who is caregiving her husband. In some cases the idea of caregiving for the elderly is reversed. Some elderly parents could be in good health and therefore caring for an adult child or grandchildren. With caregiving comes stress and the importance to not overwelm yourself is high. To manage ones stress the author suggests to take time for yourself, to to talk to a professional caregiver, and to have a big support group (Hillier & Barrow, 2011).
This chapter has a lot of information for caregivers and the reader can conclude that the oldest-old may be healthier than what most people assume. They could also learn the different types of places where the oldest old would live in.
Hillier, S. & Barrow, G. (2011). Aging, the individual, and society. 3-28. 9th ed. California: WADSWORTH.
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