[Xmca-l] Re: Memory, aging and culture

[Greg Thompson <greg.a.thompson@gmail.com>]

So then: Why no 5th Dimension for nursing homes?

(perhaps we are too much of a generationally downward-looking society?)

-greg


On Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 11:33 AM, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:

> What you remind us of, Valerie, that the problem under discussion is
> pervasively felt in our various social worlds with their various ways of
> organizing human relations in the face of scarcity. It is part aging of
> some populations, devestated economies of others, ecological devestgation
> of others..... the kill-for hopes and fears of others.
>
> About care at home. A friend of mine who was born in a small, poor, Vermont
> town around  1915 once talked about the way that the old folks in his town
> were cared for at home. When they could no longer able to care for
> themselves, they were given a space in the attic or a back room where there
> was no heat.... kind of like being assigned to an ice flow.
>
> My aunt, who lived in NYC from about 1945 until her
> death a few years ago, lived in one of those alienated apartment buildings.
> But she lived opposite the mailboxes and over time her apartment became a
> late night refuge for neighbors dragging in from long work days, or to pick
> up packages the mailman could not leave at the post-box. She died among a
> veritable building full of people caring for her.
>
> I believe (Peter will know) that there is ample evidence to show that
> simple conversational practices where, for example, college kids come
> visiting to chat about what they are doing and in turn getting their
> elderly and memory-challenged interlocutors chatting about anything at all,
> but about what they did that day, what they saw on television, what they
> used to do when they were young, recuperates all sorts of function.
>
> It does not require a rocket scientist to create a zoped.
> And culture has everything to do with it!
>
> mike
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 4:42 PM, valerie A. Wilkinson <
> vwilk@inf.shizuoka.ac.jp> wrote:
>
> > Hello, everyone!
> > This thread is way too exciting to just sit on the sidelines.  I am
> > invested
> > in this because I did time with my aging grandmother, and abused her in
> my
> > ignorance of how to deal with the frustration of "dementia" without a
> > social
> > network to support.  Only my father "laying down the law" so to speak,
> got
> > "the family" to put my grandmother in a retirement home.  Which was
> > horrible.  All she had was one picture of the dog in a frame. Three
> > dresses.
> > Hospital gown. (Sigh.)
> >
> > Shift to Japan and teaching a GST discussion seminar.  I'm toying with a
> > phrase, "Where Humanity meets Science and Technology".  Also, I have a
> > unique opportunity to give two lectures to Engineering students about CSR
> > (Corporate Social Responsibility) which leads almost directly to Ethics.
> > And not the ethics of THE BOTTOM LINE.  There has been work done with
> this,
> > such as 3BL (3 Bottom Lines) Financial Capital, Social Capital, and
> Natural
> > Capital.
> >
> > For example, UK and "austerity programs".  My friend had to intervene to
> > get
> > a parent out of a home because they would not re-evaluate certain tests,
> > reports of deliberately starving and putting water out of reach.  He is a
> > priest and a very conservative person and is not making this up.  He has
> > real friends who experience the impact of these policies for themselves
> and
> > their parents. I am in Japan. I had to make a choice between an
> "insurance
> > backed" rehabilitation hospital and rehabilitation with my
> "dysfunctional"
> > family.  Family wins hands down, because I know, I have been here for 33
> > years and had two babies, I know what the nursing staff and
> rehabilitation
> > staff will do and what they won't.
> >
> > Not wanting to toss myself in a self-devised oubliette, I want to talk
> > about
> > this for real.  I am nearly 60, my mother is still alive, and this is all
> > very real to me in lived-life personal ways. I know something of the
> > experiences of students whom I teach, who are entering adulthood with the
> > voices and classes of a team of teacher and staff who are tasked with
> > helping them enter adulthood, and take on the full responsibility of a
> > member of society.  20 seems really young!
> >
> > I have a feeling that my dashed out note may not survive coherence tests,
> > but the key is quality of life, and richness is cultural, and human
> > richness
> > abides in a loved familiar environment.  This connects to the old and the
> > very young.  Some studies have linked SIDS to being a very lonely baby.
> Of
> > course I "cherry-pick" my stuff according to my bias.
> > Valerie
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu
> > [mailto:xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu] On Behalf Of peter jones
> > Sent: Monday, December 09, 2013 5:47 PM
> > To: lchcmike@gmail.com; eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
> > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: Memory, aging and culture
> >
> > 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-diabet
> > es-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-l
> > ocked.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
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>



-- 
Gregory A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Anthropology
883 Spencer W. Kimball Tower
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
http://byu.academia.edu/GregoryThompson
Status: O