Older Adults--Euthanasia; Taking Life for Granted

Euthanasia can be defined as the act of a merciful, relatively painless killing of a terminally ill or severely injured individual. Euthanasia can be seen as one of the most controversial and complex issues in today's society. A constant debate exists to whether the matter should be legal or not, however there is an immense grey area. Should a patient who has lost complete functionality of their brain be taken off life support? Does a dying, suffering cancer patient have the right to be put to death to escape the pain? I find myself experiencing a battle of my morals when trying to understand such tragic scenarios. Having done research on euthanasia in the past, I always find it almost impossible to take a stand on an opinion. Nonetheless, I was determined to adequately analyze the matter of euthanasia in terms of older adults.

The social group most influenced by the act of euthanasia is the elderly. The NHS (National Health Service) euthanizes approximately 130 000 elderly patients every year. In attempts to free spaces in hospital beds, doctors are killing off older adults whom they perceive as terminally ill (Doughty, 2012). I see this statistic to be a sickening example of ageism. We do not have the right to place value on another individual's life in terms of their age. The lives of younger patients are saved at all costs, while the lives of elderly patients are being given up on. I feel that the act euthanasia is a complete disregard to the sanctity of human life. Although I do agree that in certain situations euthanasia is acceptable, I believe that the legalization of active euthanasia would be an mistake. The authorization of euthanasia would lead to its usage transforming from a last resort to a viable option for patients. The sense of hope for all elderly would be abolished. From the perspective of a terminally ill older adult, a recovery will begin to seem irrelevant and pointless when euthanasia is being offered, and in some cases pushed upon them. Every life deserves to be fought for, regardless of one's age. 

Although we are called to trust the medical expertise of our doctors, we must understand that no individual should be given the ongoing authority to take the lives of other human beings, especially without their consent. Non-voluntary euthanasia refers to the euthanization of a patient who is not able to make such a decision for themselves. The city of Holland, where "active euthanasia" is legal, provides a prime example to the corruption of euthanasia.  I chose to place quotations around "active euthanasia" because upon doing research into the medical systems of Holland, "active euthanasia" hardly defines what they are objecting patients to. Recent studies have uncovered that in 1990, 1030 Dutch patients were killed without their consent. Of 22 500 deaths due to withdrawal of life support, 14 175 patients were denied medical treatment without their consent (If Mercy Killing Becomes Legal, 2012). The legalization of active euthanasia leads to a direct abuse of power. We must not draw a blind eye to this issue. If euthanasia becomes morally accepted and legal in our society, the effects on the elderly population will be catastrophic. Our society already abuses, belittles and takes for granted these human beings for no reason other than old age. We do not need to add euthanasia into the list of great injustices that older adults face. 

The notion of euthanasia is in complete contradiction of the social democratic ideology. This ideology  exemplifies the values of social equality, justice and cooperation. It stands by the fact that everybody should have natural right to life. It also promotes freedom and ensuring equal chances for all. (Straka, 2012) There is no greater social inequality than the assumption that your life is of lesser value than another. This is exactly what euthanasia objects older adults to. Euthanizing an elderly ill patient gives off the horrid impression that an older life is not worth saving. Non-voluntary euthanasia is the ultimate thief of freedom. To take away one's life without their consent shows a complete lack of respect towards the life of that individual, especially an elder. The knowledge and wisdom that come with age can never be put into value. let alone deemed as not important. The aspect of "equal changes for all" is also being disclaimed by euthanasia. Doctors that are permitted to perform euthanasia are given the authority to decide whether a life is worth saving or not. It is likely that if euthanasia becomes widely legalized, patients of older age will not be given the same effort to be saved, which they deserve as human beings. 

As I said earlier, the grey areas that surround euthanasia make it almost impossible to reach a complete census to whether it is right or wrong. It is also difficult to grasp the matter without having to actually face it in reality. I sympathize deeply with any family who has to watch a loved one suffer, and for those suffering themselves. However I do feel that euthanasia being illegal for the most part is beneficial from a long-term perspective. It teaches us that life is sacred and that every life deserves fighting for. 

-Jenna

References 

Doughty, S. (2012, June 19). Top doctor's chilling claim: The NHS kills off 130,000 elderly patients every year | Mail Online. Home | Mail Online. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2161869/Top-doctors-chilling-claim-The-NHS-kills-130-000-elderly-patients-year.html

IF MERCY KILLING BECOMES LEGAL. (2012). Euthanasia suicide mercy-killing right-to-die physician assisted suicide living wills research. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from http://www.euthanasia.com/mercy.html

Straka, S. (2012). Social Democratic Ideology. SWRK1006 Slides Oct 12 Ideologies.

Older Adults -- Aging in Canada: Symbiotic Relationship: Grandparents and Grandchil...

Older Adults -- Aging in Canada: Symbiotic Relationship: Grandparents and Grandchil...: I am awake and it is night time. I am not crying. I can hear talking in the kitchen. I try to listen, but I cannot hear what they are sa...

My grandmother was so instrumental in my child rearing...although she's in the spirit world there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her and how she shaped who I am today.  I think of all the beautiful things she taught me and the various teachings with regard to our sacred medicines.  She taught me respect for our Mother Earth.  My fond memories include how her home was the most beautiful place to be.  The lilac trees at the entrance to the property.  I still can recall the the smell of foods cooking in her kitchen.  How happy I felt simply being there.  The huge garden full of every kind of vegetable, every type of  apple tree, the grape tree, and the cherry trees in abundance.  Flowers everywhere. I particularly enjoyed our walks together to church. How we had tea together and played card games and watched her favorite shows, Another World and the Price is Right. I went back to her home a number of years ago to recapture that feeling but it left long ago with her.  She was the reason that it was heaven on earth. Miigwetch for the post... Janet

Symbiotic Relationship: Grandparents and Grandchildren

I am awake and it is night time. I am not crying. I can hear talking in the kitchen. I try to listen, but I cannot hear what they are saying. I can hear my sister breathing, she is always with me. I roll to the edge and quietly get out of bed. Of course she hears me; she is rolling out right behind me. She is holding on to my pajamas as we crawl down the hall. We stop and listen as we get closer.  We know where we want to be and we are moving under the kitchen table. We make it. We are sitting between all the feet. They are playing cards and talking. I still cannot hear what they are talking about but I am happy to be under the table. I am picking at the rug. The rug my grandmother works on when she is holding me in her lap because I cannot stop crying. It is one of the many rugs that my grandmother made to bring money into the house.  I love all the colors in the rug; I try to figure out whose shirts are where. My sister is doing the same thing. I am happy she is with me. I have no idea why we believe that she does not know that we are here. She does not have mother’s eyes in the back of her head, she has bug eyes and snake ears. She can see everywhere, she can hear everything. I guess that would come from raising eight children alone.  It is not long before the sweet milk tea is passed down to us as we sit under the table. I touch her hands as she passes me the cup. We sit up, leaning against our grandmother’s legs. She passes us cookies. She lets us finish our tea and cookies and brings us back to bed. Love enveloped us when we were with grandma. She was a huge influence on my life. I thought everyone grew up with their grandparents. I never knew this was not the truth until I went to school. It was a very hard lesson to learn.

When I was growing up, in my school, my family was the only family who grew up with their grandparents. Aboriginal children aged 14 and under are more likely to live with relatives or non-relatives than are non-Aboriginal children. In the winter 2003 Issue of Canadian Social Trends, Anne Milan and Brian Hamm who wrote “Across the Generations: Grandparents and Grandchildren”, report that in 2001, one in two hundred and fifty children live with their grandparents only.  Is this a trend that is growing?

In 2001, Canada had an estimated 5.7 million grandparents. Each grandparent had an average 4.7 grandchildren. Two percent of women and one percent of men under the age of forty five were grandparents. Two thirds of women and one half of men aged fifty five to sixty four were grandparents. Eighty percent of women and seventy four percent of men over sixty five were grandparents. Thousands of Canadian grandparents are finding there are some things they never retire from, including having to raise children again. According to Statistics Canada’s quarterly publication Canadian Social Trends, one percent of grandparents were raising grandchildren without parental involvement. These households are referred to as “skip generation households” and consist of grandparents and grandchildren without the middle generation. They also stated that the census data showed that two thirds of these grandparents were financially responsible for the household.

Grandparents may be able to provide a safe haven for vulnerable grandchildren whose own parents may be experiencing marital problems, separation, divorce, health or disability problems or other difficult situations. The reasons for this arrangement may be mixed and may change over time, with grandparents being caregivers or care recipients. Whatever shape the roles take on, it seems that the symbiotic relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is here to stay.

The close relationship between grandparent and grandchildren is very special. Children learn about the elderly, (though I never thought about my grandparents as old), gain a sense of history, and share the perspective of an older life experience. Older children can offer assistance to an elderly grandparent. The youthful enthusiasm of grandchildren can offer the grandparents renewed purpose. Grandparents offer an objectivity that might be difficult for parents to achieve. They can offer love, advice, a listening ear, emotional support, or financial help.

I cannot imagine my life without my grandmother. She was my rock. She is the one who told me: “when you set your foot out the door, always make sure you have clean shoes on, a woman in a dress or skirt very powerful, and make sure you have lipstick on your pumpkin” and “always, ALWAYS, stay classy”. These are words I will never forget. She gave us a stable life full of love and compassion. She taught me how to be a decent person. She showed me that respect for self brings about respect for others.  She was the one who I called first when I needed help. I think about her every day and wish that she was around to meet my children. I strive to be the person who she was: a woman, respectful, compassionate, and dedicated to her family, an example for everyone to follow.

Grandparents, as primary or occasional caregivers, reside in the same household or not, live nearby or on the other side of the country, have the potential to be very influential in the lives of their grandchildren. Sometimes, grandparents are also the financial head of the household. These grandparents may be able to provide a safe haven for vulnerable grandchildren whose own parents may be experiencing problems. In exchange, grandparents may enjoy a sense of purpose and may be in a position to both give support to, and receive it from, their grandchildren. The motives for living in a multi-generational or extended family may be mixed and may change over time, with changing roles as caregivers and care recipients. The symbiotic role between grandparents and grandchildren is here to stay.

Miigwetch,

Kimberly

Anne Milan and Brian Hamm 2003. “Across the Generations: Grandparents and Grandchildren.” Statistics Canada - Catalogue No. 11-008 Winter 2003 Canadian Social Trends

Kemp, C. 2003. “The Social and Demographic Contours of Contemporary Grandparenthood: Mapping patterns in Canada and the United States.” Journal of Comparative Family Studies 34, 2: 187-212.

Statistics Canada. 2003. “Aboriginal Peoples of Canada: A Demographic Profile.” Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 96F0030XIE2001007.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-002-x/2004/02/04804/4072394-eng.htm      

Diabetes in F.N. Communities

Diabetes has become a disabling and deadly disease within the First Nations suffering a rate three to five times more than that of the general Canadian population.  According to the Assembly of F.N. 2005 agenda for restoring and improving first nations health, the health of F.N. people is as important as the health of the individual promoting health, preventing disease and protecting the health of communities is pivotal in any collective action.

Community health planning and the understanding of the broader determinants of health must be led by the very communities who know intimately the problems of food, security, safe water, overcrowding and other issues facing their people.  Only then will chronic disease prevention, including injuries and substance abuse, do well as other urgent public health problems facing communities be successfully tackled.

Many First Nations over the age of 35 or older had or have become diagnosed with Diabetes and not have known the complications associated with this disease.  AFN did a report on Diabetes along with the Canadian Diabetes Association model.  It lays down the groundwork in six key areas; prevention, treatment, education, policy development, research and surveillance. 

It begins to discuss Diabetes health indicators in each of these areas with a focus on adult health from a national perspective.  These diabetes health indicators are the policy tools which will help to identify the gaps, priorities, opportunities and promising strategies that will help to inform decisions about how to best allocate resources in reducing the burden of diabetes among First Nations people.

Meegwetch,

Arlene

References:  http:www.nada.ca/wp-content/uploads/504pdf.

                      Assembly of First Nations website

Neo-Conservative view on Old Age Security

The principles and ideologies of the neo-conservative government are clearly being demonstrated in the change of the old Age Security program by our federal Government of Canada. The aging population in Canada brought on the change as the number of Canadians over 65 will greatly increase in the next few decades (Service Canada, 2012). According to the government the Old Age security is unsustainable because it is projected to increase in a whopping 108 billion by 2030 and they want to maintain this program for future generations (Service Canada, 2012). This change can be seen in the roots of this ideologies view of the need for social welfare, the focus of its inefficiencies rather then the effect it has the people (Straka, 2012). This lack of focusing on the effect of people neglects those who are truly in need.


Through reading the articles I have found that an increasing number of older adults approaching retirement age” are unable to work due to disability, declining job skills or other reasons” (Milligan, 2012). This creates a bigger gap in the amount of years that would eligible to receive their pension and this greatly saddens me because of the fact they are one of the most vulnerable communities. I was always taught to respect the elderly and I can’t imagine making them work longer and for their hard earned pension, which in my opinion is pretty minimal to begin with.



Hoda



Kevin, Milligan. "Does Harper really need to raise the retirement age?." Globe and Mail [Toronto] 27 02 2012, n. pag. Print. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/the-economists/does-harper-really-need-to-raise-the-retirement-age/article2316982/>.




Federal Government of Canda. Service Canada. Old Age Security Program. 2012. Web. <http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/oas/changes/faq.shtml>.

Discrimination in the Workplace-Canadian Liberal Perspective

One of the more prominent discriminations towards older adults is the association of ageism, which characterizes a set of abilities and qualities of an older person within a certain environment (Steinberg, Donald, Najman, Skerman, 1997). Within the workplace this has become more noticeable throughout the years and has affected the lives of many. Surveys were done and calculated, focusing on older adults in the workplace, and the negatives and positives. There showed to be more positives, however there was more focus towards the negatives, and frankly, that is all most people hear about.

There are five positive perceptions towards older adults within the workforce which were recorded within the analysis of the survey. They include: older adults making better decisions, can be reliable in crisis situations, they are more dependable, they produce better quality work, and they co-operate well on the job (Steinberg, et. al,. 1997). The negative perceptions of older adults within the workforce consist of: they are not as creative as the younger workers, they can be harder to train, and they may not adapt as easily to new and advancing technology (Steinberg, et. al,. 1997). As well within the survey the perceived age for older adults within the workforce consisted of the average age of 56-60 (Steinberg, et. al,. 1997).

They compared the stereotypes of both employee's and the employer's about older adults in the work place and both showed about the same results and beliefs. It showed that there were more positives than negatives however there was more of a focus on the negative perceptions. This could most likely be due to the fact that the advancement within society has been so great over the past decade that people find it difficult for particular age groups to be considered "able-bodied". However this is a stereotype because it is not true. There are many older adults who are quite capable to hold a steady position within the work force. Discrimination then takes place because employer's would much rather put more focus towards the younger adults because they find them easier to train, and will spend less time training, and more time making money for that employer (Stuart-Hamilton, Mahoney, 2011).

Looking at this issue in a liberal perspective, there is a focus on the individual and the worth of oneself (Pearson, 2012). There is a focus on the abilities of a person and the potential they can have as a being. They look at taking away the blocks in front of them, and to work past the struggles placed before them. They need to work through the problems and resolve them so they can continue to grow and gain experience as a better person. They have to respect the environment around them, and take the proper precautions to advance in the situation which would be benefit them in the greatest way possible, without causing harm to anyone or anything (Pearson, 2011).

Therefore, older adults in the workforce need to be able to work on their own, and be able to advance in their priorities, without being discriminated against. With the discrimination of ageism, it is difficult for them to be successful, and I believe everyone should have that right. People need to become more aware that there are still plenty of able-bodied older adults in the workforce, and we should not discriminate against them. Rather, we should be looking up to them, after all, they've been working hard longer than we have, and they deserve recognition.

-Amy

References:

On Liberalism. (n.d.). Canada History. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from    
              http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents/leaders/Pearson/On%20Liberalism.html

Steinberg, M., Donald, K., Najman, J., & Skerman, H. (n.d.). Older Workers Forum. Online Library. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store

Stuart-Hamilton, I., & Mahoney, B. (n.d.). The Effect of Aging Awareness Training On Knowledge Of, And Attitude Towards, Older Adults. Educational Gerontology. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/713844305

Social Determinants and the Impacts of Poverty

     The age demographic of an elder on our reserve is of 55 and older (Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, 2009).   The Federal Government defines a senior at age 65 (Hick, S. 2007).  I believe this difference is based on the life expectancy rates of Aboriginal people.  The majority of our band members who are defined as an elder have a chronic disease. (Mnaamadzawin, 2011)

    Our detrimental living conditions based on our economic situation has had long lasting health impacts. [For Generations to Come, The Time is Now a strategy for Aboriginal Healing A Final Report, 1993]  Community members also experience high levels of chronic stress. (Mnaamadzawin Health Services Annual Report, 2011) Stressful experiences result from coping with conditions of low income, poor quality housing, food insecurity, disability and the lack of supportive relationships, and social isolation. (Mikkonen J. &Raphael D., 2010)

    Poverty in First Nation communities has reached epidemic proportions.  The disparity between Canadian society and Aboriginal people in Canada has been profiled numerous times by the media, specifically Canada A.M.  and the Globe and Mail.  They have also highlighted abject poverty (3^rd world conditions) in fly in northern communities. 

    The international community is also well aware of Canada’s treatment of Aboriginal people as our First Nation leaders have been proactive of taking our issues and presenting them to the United Nations based on articles read with the editorial section of the Anishnawbek News ("n.d.").

    The Liberal Party leader, Bob Rae delivered a speech to the Canadian Club of Toronto recently and advised the following: “we need the federal government to act as a catalyst to bring provincial, territorial, municipal and Aboriginal governments to the table, and lead essential discussions on clean technology, foreign ownership, carbon-pricing and sustainable development of the oil sands. In addition, we need to engage in a full partnership with Aboriginal peoples if we are to break down the marginalization and poverty that has unfortunately become a persistent problem” (htpp:/www.liberal.ca/newsroom/bobrae/canadianclubspeech).

    The above statement reflects a social democratic ideology but how far can the Liberal Party actually impact our present government in recognizing our social conditions?  Harpers plans to implement changes to the Indian Act with Bill 45 may well be another attempt to hinder our communities.

Miigwetch,

Janet

REFERENCES

Aboriginal Healing Foundation Steering Committee - For Generations to Come - 1993
York University (Tornot, Ont.) Scholl of Health Policy and Management, Gibson Library Connections Inc.

Anishnawbek News

Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation - Band Policy, Band Council Resolution - January 2009

Canada A.M.

"Liberal Party Leader, Bob Rae delivers speech Retrieved from:
htpp://www.liberal.ca/newsroom/bobrae/canadianclubspeech

Hick S. (2007). Social Welfare in Canada: Understanding Income Security (2nd ed.) Thompson Educational Publishing, INC.: Toronto Canada

Mikkonen J., Raphael D. (2010) The Canadian Facts: Social Determinants of Health York University (Toronto, Ont.) School of Health Policy and Management, Gibson Library Connections INC.