Review article
CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF AGING AND GETTING ILL
Mirko Štifanić
Abstract
In this work the author analyses cultural and historical aspects of
ageing and getting ill with the help of contemporary relevant literature.
It is the author's conclusion that none of the theories define the
proper way of researching such a complex process of ageing and the
ageing individuals' situation. The main purpose of sociologic studies is
to help understand the process of ageing and defining social and healthcare
policies in every day conditions and thus affecting the attitude
of every individual, family and the society itself towards the constantly
growing group of elderly ill persons. The understanding of the concept
of old age and the ageing process is helpful when it comes to affirmation
of those behaviour patterns that are an alternative to the previously
one-sided, stigmatized and at times segregation-like attitude
pointed at the persons of over 65 years of age. Such politics would be
quite helpful for institutionally guided social and health care reforms
in order to enable a different quality, in some segments an entirely
different approach to the elderly citizens hoping that they would not
feel redundant and dispoasable as a part of society as it is the usual
case in the difficult conditions of a country in transition. Furthermore,
maybe it would be possible to reach the answers to more and more
complex and important social, healthcare, Iegal, economic and ethical
questions that are: a) actual, b) insufficiently covered, c) lacking an
overall and detailed defining in our country and in our language.
Keywords
aging; getting ill; healthcare and social system; decentralization
Hrčak ID:
102480
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2003.
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