Transition Through The Ages

Hi everyone, 

Today's post is on a topic I had to cover for the Participation in Occupation paper I am doing.  The task was to produce a video clip with several other classmates on a chosen topic.  However, because I found it difficult to link up with fellow classmates in the given timeframes, I produced a movie clip made up from a sequence of photos taken on my cell phone.  The topic I chose to cover was occupation transition.  More specifically, the occupational changes people experience as they transition from early adulthood to their 60s and older.  My movie clip shows a middle aged adult and a person in their 60s performing the everyday task of putting on shoes to go for a walk. 

To help plan and organise the sequence of events, and the best angles to shoot each frame/photo, I created a storyboard.  I found using the storyboard extremely helpful. It enabled me to: 

·         formulate my initial ideas more deeply and finalise decisions,  

·         decide the best way to shoot the frames to get the best photos given the resources I had at my disposal. 

·         decide what photos and how many I would need to tell the story of "Transition Through The Ages". 

·         identify and deal with issues prior to shooting the photos, which I believed reduced the amount of time spent during the shoot.

What is occupational transition?  Basically the term refers to how occupations like ADLs change due to some transition such as aging, illness, or disability a person may experience.  Due to New Zealand’s aging population I chose to explore the changes people experience as they transition from early adulthood to their 60s and older (Radomski, 2008).  According to Statistics New Zealand, the "... 65+ age group is projected to make up over one-quarter of New Zealand’s population from the late 2030s, compared with 12 percent in 2005 ... [and the] number of people aged 65+ is projected to increase from half a million in 2005 to 1.33 million in 2051.... [Also, Statistics New Zealand states] the largest increases in the 65+ age group will occur in the 2020s and 2030s,when the large birth cohorts of the 1950s and 1960s move into this age group" (p.1).  The main aspects occupational therapists need to keep in mind when dealing with people who are experiencing a shift in age are that their occupational function will change due to:  

·         declining physical abilities and capacities.  As people age their body functions slowly decline.  For example, body and bone mass reduces, and vision, hearing, vestibular function, and range of motion decline (Radomski, 2008). 

·         declining cognitive abilities and capacities.  As people age their cognitive abilities and capacities decline due to gradual brain shrinkage, for example, "decreasing memory capacity, decreasing abilities in areas of abstract reasoning and novel problem solving" (Radomski, 2008, p.290).  Despite brain shrinkage people still maintain their "... enriched perspectives based on lifelong learning and integrated experiences" (Radomski, 2008, p.290).  

·         shifts in coping strategies, values, priorities, goals, spirituality, behavioural patterns, and beliefs (Radomski, 2008). 

·         Personal context, which according to Radomski (2008), refers to the "... intrapersonal environment that shapes an individual's experience. These factors play a role in determining the client's unique response to the onset of illness or impairment and contribute to his or her ability to adapt" (p.289). 

·         Social context, which includes a person’s social resources, their roles and preferences, and what influences their occupational participation, satisfaction, and well-being (Radomski, 2008). 

·         cultural context, in which according to Radomski (2008), the "dominant culture influences the ease with which a person ... feels accepted and integrated into the community" (p.298).

References:

Statistics New Zealand (March 2006). Demographic Aspects of New Zealand's Ageing Population. Retreived from http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/older_people/demographic-aspects-nz-ageing-population.aspx

Radomski, M. S. (2008). Assessing context: Personal, social, and cultural. In M. V. Radomski, & C. A. Trombly Latham (Eds.), Occupational therapy for dysfunction (6^th ed.) (pp. 284-309). Baltimore, United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.