disengagement and activity theory

In 1992 Zimbardo argued that majority of older people do remain socially involved with family and friends and more they become older they become very close to families. And if older people only like the way they want to interact that does not mean that they are disengaged. Majority older people experience reasonable health problem and a good social life and as they do not spend much they may have enough money to enjoy a high standard of living.

Some older people may result in a loss of income and could not engage themselves socially and after leaving work for retirement they loose the work colleagues who they use to socialize before, that make sure disengage themselves and loss interest in their life. Older people with physical disability may lose contact with friends or going out as they may not be able to drive, see or hear. As they getting older they start feeling stereotype as being useless or too slow to cope because younger people are developing new skills that taking time for them to understand and how it works

I believed the reason they are like that is because people nowadays ignore them and never understand their needs. We always talk about technologies or going on holiday and latest mobile phone and tariff. When they speak to us we just reply simple answers to them instead showing them the new way of life we are living. All they can hear us talking about being online wirelessly and bidding on eBay etc but none of us have time to show them how use a computer or what is a picture message. That why they got the habit to be the way they are and do not bothered to learn new things as they keep getting older.

Activity Theory

In 1966 Bromley wrote that activity theory in elderly people is when they need to stay mentally and physically active in order to limit the risk to get illness and feel older. Being physically active can improve physical health in later life. Older people like walking, gardening, yoga and swimming to keep them active. As some older people who been exercising a lot when they were young like cycling, playing squash can carry on doing it when they get older. Older people who live in residential care home do lots of activities like board games (scrabble) group discussion and quizzes and dance movement from music. As people get older, their nerve cell in the brain gets weaker and that can cause loss of memory. To prevent this disease, some older people choose to be mentally active by taking courses and get involve in studies, meeting friends and have conversation and discussion about the course itself and stay late in the library with group of friends doing activities and engage them in discussion.

When older people feel have health problem like hearing, vision or disability, they feel very difficult to interacts with others as the relatives, and friends reduced social contact with them which make them disengage and feel depress

Once we grow older we have to take our own responsibilities by engaging ourselves in outdoor activities instead of depending on children and friends. By engaging ourselves it can make us live longer and keep physically active