These files are maintained strictly for historical reference, research, and recordkeeping purposes, and the content has not been altered or updated since archiving. Content on this site may not meet current digital accessibility standards. If you require an alternative, accessible format of any information found on this site, please contact Bruce Jones, bjones@ucsd.edu to request an accommodation.
These files are maintained strictly for historical reference, research, and recordkeeping purposes, and the content has not been altered or updated since archiving. Content on this site may not meet current digital accessibility standards. If you require an alternative, accessible format of any information found on this site, please contact Bruce Jones, bjones@ucsd.edu to request an accommodation.
Hi Mike, All
I can't identify a literature but am sure there is one (culturally
orientated) out there such is the prospective scale of the
challenges. Emerging you would hope?
In Feb 2011 I gave a presentation and workshop in Paipa, Colombia.
I used a case study of an elderly lady living alone.
Very common here in the UK and yet the audience in Colombia could
not really identify with this scenario.
The family would assure the well-being of their family member,
except in extremis.
In this sense the culture in Colombia could be said to be 'rich' in
comparison with the loneliness and alienation frequently
experienced in the UK.
Mental health services in the UK have lost 1700 beds in the past
two years (Health Service Journal) due to austerity measures. This
might mean family have a 30 mile or more trip to visit a relative
in hospital.
There are studies that espouse a role for telecare to facilitate
people maintaining their independence with other sources of support.
You might refer to the health policy debate and eventual emergence
of a 'dementia strategy' or other governmental response as measure
of some sort?
In terms of the sciences and political (mechanistic) domains of
Hodges' model, governments (e.g. UK) needs to know how prevalent
the problem is. Therefore the emphasis is still upon diagnosis, or
more accurately 'screening'.
I have advocated for more local use of geographic information
systems - GIS to consider such activities. For example, which
family doctors are referring people, which are not and if so why not?
There is a fascinating question(?) in what a culture considers
'challenging behaviour'? With this is 'tolerance' of individuals,
through to family and communities. When medical language is
introduced then 'sense making' is radically altered (of course)?
The cultural impacts are yet to be fully realised and if there is a
connection with diabetes may be even greater than thought (without
scaremongering)?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029453.400-are-alzheimers-
and-diabetes-the-same-disease.html#.UqWAnOLm72k
The cultural expectations around driving could also be very
interesting, having the grace to give up the car when the time
comes. This will (is) not easy for a great many people.
Hope this helps.
Peter Jones
Lancashire, UK
Blogging at "Welcome to the QUAD"
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/
Hodges Health Career - Care Domains - Model
http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/
h2cm: help 2C more - help 2 listen - help 2 care
http://twitter.com/h2cm
On Monday, 9 December 2013, 0:47, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
wrote:
Facinating.
The link between involvement in cultural practices as a function of
age/health and memory
seems to have opened up a lot of considerations of common interest.
As Geraldine suggests
word meaning is a central phenomenon associated with memory loss
and Peter reveals
himself as deeply involved in the issues that Laure's question
provoked. And look at the
geographic/temporal distribution of this concentrated "intelligence."
Peter, is there a literature on cultural differences in partterns
of say, dementia, or Alzheimers, when societies adopt our most
civilized practices? Clearly you are pointing toward a shift in the
kinds of issues changing demographics will pose socially and
economically, which I think requires a corresponding shift in
cultural practices and their associated meanins.
Am I tracking this right?
(Asked the old man, speaking of dimentia)
:-))
mike
On Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 3:53 PM, peter jones <h2cmng@yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:
Culturally one of the factors must be what is 'home'?
Another extends beyond cultural perception to involve politics and
policy. With an ageing population we (health services - private as
well as public) need older adults to retain their independence and
if needed to be cared for at home and to die at home and not in
hospital.
The following may help in specifics around dementia.
http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/349714/13/dementia%20specialist%
20nurses.pdf
Culturally are we ready for more people to die at home?.
I also blogged this w/e about residential care and deprivation of
liberty:
http://hodges-model.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/reading-and-writing-
minutia-of-locked.html
There are other posts on dementia & memory which may illuminate
several dimensions.
Regards,
Peter Jones
Lancashire, UK
Blogging at "Welcome to the QUAD"
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/
Hodges Health Career - Care Domains - Model
http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/
h2cm: help 2C more - help 2 listen - help 2 care
http://twitter.com/h2cm
On Sunday, 8 December 2013, 21:49, Martin John Packer
<mpacker@uniandes.edu.co> wrote:
I suspect that 'memory loss' with age also depends on cultural
*practices* of memory. I know couples where one person is largely
responsible for remembering things for both. In the US, the UK and
elsewhere we tend to put old people in institutions where no one
knows their history, whereas in cultures where old'uns continue to
have a place in the family, their relatives know what they need to
recall and can do so for them, or help them do so.
Martin
On Dec 8, 2013, at 12:43 PM, Laure Kloetzer
<laure.kloetzer@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Mike,
I agree the question was quick and fuzzy,
sorry. I wonder to what extent
the extended complaint on memory loss (especially loss of episodic
memories, related to specific events of one's life) by people who
are
getting old in our current societies is related to cultural factors
(including social expectations towards a precise memory, esp.
relating to
one's own life events, and anxiety to get old, including fear of
Alzheimer
pathology, for example). We know that the way we sleep, our sleeping
cycles, are influenced by our culture. I guess our perception of
our memory
performance and accuracy is also influenced by cultural factors,
and I
wonder if some colleagues have been working on these topics.
Which cultural
dimensions worsen or improve the situation regarding memory
problems and
aging ?
Thanks for your help !
Best regards,
LK
2013/12/8 mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com>
What does the term, cultural perceptions mean, Laure? The answer
to that
question would help a lot in answering your questions.
mikec
On Sun, Dec 8, 2013 at 12:44 AM, Laure Kloetzer
<laure.kloetzer@gmail.com>wrote:
Hi,
I am looking for references on aging, and how memory loss is
affected by
cultural perceptions. Would you have some references to point
me to ?
Best,
LK