When I first considered entering the health field, I was told by a local health care administrator that I should get a job as a CNA. From then on, I thought that I could never become a part of a health care field because I was afraid of becoming a CNA. I didn't think that I could take people to the bathroom or feed them or wash them. However, when my first year of college came, and when I realized how much I loved my science classes, I chose to try to get into nursing school.
That summer, I began my journey to get my license as a CNA. I knew how much getting my license would help me find experiences to write about in my nursing school application essay. I also knew how much I loved helping people from experiences in other jobs.
During the first four weeks of the class, we sat in a classroom and listened to a cheery nurse speak about toileting and bowel movements and hoyer lifts. As she spoke about her career as an RN in a nursing home, my perspective on the CNA job changed. I put myself in the shoes of the nursing home residents and realized how vulnerable they must feel. Every day, people walk into their homes and take off their clothes, change their briefs, and wash their bodies. I thought about how hard this lifestyle must be on their mental health and well-being.
Since obtaining my CNA license, I held positions in both an assisted living and a long-term care facility. I watched first-hand as residents decline because of a fall or some other ailment. I've seen dementia behaviors--hitting, screaming, taunting, crying, and even hallucinating. Worst of all, I can see the depression, the anxiety, and the desire to die. When I go home from work every night, I often think about how we could improve the residents' lives.
In Unit 11, I learned all about how technology has the potential to improve the quality of life of elderly people. A study from Czaja et. al. showed that people who used a computer system specifically designed for older adults had less loneliness and increased perceived social support after just six years of using the system.
Additionally, another study from d'Orsi et. al. showed that increased digital literacy along with other healthy habits can decrease the incidence of activities of daily living impairment such as folding one's clothes, brushing one's teeth, or going to the bathroom.
A study from Eliot et. al. demonstrated that increased internet use among the elderly led to less depressive symptoms and better self-rated health. In other words, when older people use the internet more, they feel better both mentally and physically. This same study showed that using the internet more led to lower incidence of chronic disease. At first, when I read this study, I thought that this might be because these individuals also have lower rates of chronic health problems. This may be due to the lack of access in poorer communities. However, a different study by Xavier et. al. showed that the promotion of internet use among adults from all backgrounds may, in turn, reduce cancer rates.
Similarly, a study from Erickson and Johnson showed that even when controlling for demographic differences, "internet use and self-efficacy were significantly correlated." In other words, older adults who used the internet believed in themselves more than those who didn't use the internet.
If the internet is so beneficial to elderly folks, why don't they utilize it more. A document from the Pew Research Center stated a few of the barriers to technology that older people face.
1. They are not confident in their own ability to use the technology.
2. People who have confident in their ability to use technology are more likely to be under age 65.
3. Most seniors stated that they need help using new electronic devices.
4. Older adults may have health problems or physical disabilities that make it difficult for them to use the technology.
5. Seniors with disabilities are much less likely to use new technology.
The same group of research from the Pew Research Center demonstrated five of the benefits for older people to use the internet.
1. It becomes a part of their daily routine.
51% of elders who use the internet every day visit the internet several times per day.
2. Although a small portion of older adults use social media, those who do use it tend to be highly active and engaged in the program.
For instance, 70 percent of adults who use Facebook log into the program every day.
3. Seniors are beginning to take part in online video games.
About a fourth of people over 65 play video games via the internet.
4. 58 percent of seniors say that technology has a mostly positive effect on society.
One out of five older adults say that they prefer to adopt to new technologies soon after they are released.
5. The majority of people age 65 and older think that having high speed internet in the home is a necessity.
Based on the above findings, it's safe to say that more should be done to help people over age 65 to obtain and learn how to use new technologies. Having access to the internet can drastically increase quality of life, sociability, and engagement. Walking down the halls of the long-term-care facility where I work, I see many people who stare at a TV screen all day. Imagine if we could put a tablet in each room and teach the residents how to search for funny videos or connect with their families. This is a necessary change, and I hope that care facilities soon recognize this need.