Aging

April 18, 2014
by Jen

What are OS/OT?

With my birthday rapidly approaching, I have been thinking a lot more about the concept of aging. Aging is something we have discussed a lot in the OT program at USC. My class recently discussed older adults and the transition they make to retirement. I think this is such an interesting topic because with people living longer lives, they now need to retire at an older age in order to have sufficient funds for the remainder of their lives. I know people who retired in their early to mid-fifties, but have since returned to work. They have faced not only transitioning to retirement but also transitioning back into the workforce. My class also discused the concept of aging in place. Aging in place is where a person continues to live in their household as they get older as opposed to an assisted living center or nursing home. I was somewhat surprised only 1/6 of adults can do this. I had a client recently who lived in his own home until he passed away. As he got older he started to need assistance for a couple hours a day to help with cooking and cleaning. After a couple years of minimal assistance he began to need more and more assistance until he eventually had 24 hour caregivers at his house. Although it was quite a large expense, it was very important and comforting for him to be able to stay in his home up until he passed away. Another topic we discussed was older adults with dementia or cognitive limitations. I hope there is further research conducted on this topic as the number of people affected by dementia is growing. Occupational therapy can have a tremendously positive impact on the lives of people with cognitive limitations and can help reduce the barriers they face on a daily basis.

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