CULTURE, AGING AND HEALTH

Culture, Aging and Health

Culture, Aging and Health

Research

Ethnic group, Heath beliefs, Values and Practices

The ethnic group selected for this research is Irish. Self-reliance is a key mechanism for coping with ill health among the Irish people. However, Irish people complement self-oriented ways of coping by reliance on others during times of ill health. The most commonly used strategy is to confide in family or close friends. For some older women, daughters provide a steady source of reassurance and guidance about medical matters. In a couple of instances, family members are themselves nurses, which make them ideally placed to give health advice to relatives (Hill, Lipson & Meleis, 2003). However, it is also common to rely on advice from friends whom they meet socially in the Irish communities, which was itself a key source of practical as well as social support. At community centers, there are people who provide help and advice on matters relating to housing and employment. Furthermore, they give consultations about health problems, as well. In short, the attitude of Irish people towards their own health encompasses a large degree of resilience, self-help and fortitude in the face of real or potential health problems (Giger, 2008).

Role and status of elderly within the family

It is a common trend in Irish families that elderly live separately. There has been an increase in the number of elderly people living in separate homes. This is mostly due to the desire of the younger members of the families to live independently (Mulligan & Daly, 2009). Therefore, it reflects that the role and status of an elderly within an Irish family is not that of a key member of the family. There may be respect and care for the elderly, however, there is preference of sons and daughters to live distinctly from elderly members of the family. Elderly members have somewhat become secondary to the adult children like in most other countries. This is because of increase in urbanization, and labor mobility.

However, due to issues and difficulties in eldercare and their household, families need to step forward and take significant part in caring for the elderly. There need to policies which reflect on the health and welfare, and housing, to strengthen and support families as the primary source of care for the elderly. As a result of increased desire to have independency, there is little involvement of the elderly in family decisions (Marmot & Wilkinson, 2006).

Health practices and views

Family, social support and the Catholic Church are key resources which influence individuals' health behaviors and strategies in Ireland. In times of ill health, and at the end of life, emotional support and financial help from within Irish social networks are significant factors in coping. Furthermore, there is a reluctance to use more formal sources of help. However, perhaps not surprisingly, the usage of health services also depends on age (Watson, 2000).

This self-reliance also influences their use of health services. There are previous studies, which show that Irish people feel reluctant to use ...