Factors, Experiences and Quality of Life in Aging (Psychology)

This essay examines the factors influencing the quality of life of elderly individuals, particularly in New Zealand. It explores how pet therapy, volunteering activities, internet access, and family relationships impact the well-being of older adults. The essay also delves into positive life experiences, such as the role of technology and social interaction, in promoting a fulfilling life for the elderly. It emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach, considering both the challenges and opportunities that come with aging. The study highlights the significance of social connections, emotional support, and access to resources in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life for older adults. Furthermore, the study presents the importance of family relationships and social activities for the elderly to age gracefully.

Running head: AGING 1
Aging
Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Assessment of quality of life varies from one person to another considering academic gazes from
the various disciples including those of geography, health economics, psychology, philosophy,
health, literature among many other perspectives. Among these factors, social perspectives outdo
other factors. Quality of life is so dynamic that it has been identified in relation to the values of
people and their circumstantial priorities in life events. The elders of New Zealand undergo
quality of life mainly through a predicament which is interesting and involving a prominently
developed placed home support (Boisen et al., 2016).
The factors which influence the quality of life of the elder adults in New Zealand are discussed
below:
Pet therapy intervention
This factor mainly plays a great role in the adults with affected mental and somatic disorders
thereby improving their healthy relationship with the given animal on matters relating to
company. It also has important roles in the psychological, physical rehabilitation and educational
improvement of the adults involved. The well-being of adult patients in New Zealand is therefore
improved which at the long run improves the quality of their life. This is mainly explained by the
use of dogs and other pet animals in the co-therapist’s sector in New Zealand to enhance an
emotional and catalytic mediation in the social processes which helps in the improvement of
quality of life (Rodgers, Neville, & La Grow, 2017). The use of pet therapy in the emotional and
cognitive mood disorders of the elderly has become an important practice which is used in the
management of adults with such problems even though it has very little data supporting its
scientific effectiveness. This factor has also improved the management of anxiety symptoms
including the psychotic features in the adults hence making it very effective in encouraging

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emotional motivations and stimulation through psychology (Hui Gan, Hill, Yeung, Keesing, &
Netto, 2019).
Volunteering activities
This factor has been found to improve the well being of the adults in the New Zealand through
positive effects such as reduced instances of mortality, improved mood, reduced hypertension
and improving the physical health and emotional indices of the older adults in New Zealand.
Older people in New Zealand who are participating in volunteer activities have been found to be
stress free mostly though decreased depression, an increased morale and an enhanced longevity.
Research has shown that when the older adults participate in the provision of services which are
really helpful to other people, their moods are positively enhanced and an increased joyful
feeling and hence happiness (Szabo, Allen, Stephens, & Alpass, 2018).
Internet access
It is found that as the elderly persons in New Zealand and those from the rest of the world age,
they lose their social connections. This is really a distracting effect on the psychological stability
of the adult hence negatively affect their well-being. Providing internet access to the elderly
enables them to connect with their social life sectors therefore providing them with the
psychological satisfaction they need. This also enables them to improve their self esteem and
optimistic relationships and connectedness in the social life at regular intervals. This greatly
reduces boredom, associated symptomatology and social isolation (Szabo, Allen, Stephens, &
Alpass, 2018). It therefore does this through sharing of essential interests, recreational activities
and hobbies hence an improved social contact with friends both new and old one. This greatly
opens a new reconnect in the world via communications which are geared towards an deletes the

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lack of social connect therefore improving psychological health (Hempel, Taylor, Connolly,
Alpass, & Stephens, 2017).
Family relationships
This factor greatly affects the way the elder people live independently. For the elderly people,
family relationships are very important because they provide an important aspect of mutual
emotional support and practical support between the members of the family and the aged adult.
This also continues through generations to come and involve exchange of insights, knowledge
and experiences incurred in the daily life. This greatly enable caring among family members
hence family support at large. This factor has been seen in a study involving families of the
Chinese and the Europeans where the emotional contacts among the family members were
importantly recognized in many cultures there. The study explained how family relations led to a
high degree of respect among the family members and helped in the maintenance of contact of
the elder people hence promoting obedience. This eventually makes the elderly parents to be
very happy and they can enhance financial and material support for care giving. Interviews
carried out during a certain study showed how family contact can be destroyed as the they said
that families have had a lot of issues such that when one lives to the next door to where they
reside, they eventually move to a new place hence making families to scatter as other children
live in different centers of New Zealand and even overseas. Some other families experience
intra-family conflicts making them unwilling to ask for help because most of them knows how
their fellow family members do become very busy most of the time (Wright-St Clair, Neville,
Forsyth, White, & Napier, 2017).
The positive experiences of life for the older adults considering holistic viewpoint are discussed
below.

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It is essential that for the determination of the experiences of life in a positive perspective
identification, a holistic way should be put into practice and considered. Most of the factors
which are mainly affecting the quality of life for an adult can be improved by various positive
experiences of life. These factors include the following:
Technology
As commonly known, many older adults are not well conversant with the current technology and
it is very hard for them to operate most of the technological gadgets which are upcoming in the
developed world. This is also accompanied by lack of understanding the way these gadgets work
and therefore, many older adults do have great difficulties in finding the governmental
organizations and its units from the mobile diaries because they can barely identify and find
names that mostly did not relate to the respective function. Among the older adults, we find that
most of them are not able to fluently communicate and speak appropriately because they have
defects in hearing words duet to the old age as well as lack of clear sight due to blurred vision.
Advancements in technological knowhow of the current gadgets like the developments made by
introduction of internet posses a hard situation for the older adults in the access of such things
like internet. This is due to the fact that they are mostly involved and interacting with people of
their age who are not able to access or use the internet. In the homes of these older adults, the
computers should be placed in places which are easily accessible to them and also be guided on
how to use such gadgets. Noise instances which may distract them should also be avoided and
reduced to the lowest level to maintain concentration during the periods of use (Peek et al.,
2015).

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Volunteering
This is a second factor which is a positive life experience of the older adults. Mostly, the willing
older individuals who are working in an organization are finding it easy to help other people and
do it passionately with a keen eye of making it a priority even to the fellow working members.
They involve in several activities which are basically of great help to others, these include
visitation of homes, advocacy, engagement in leaning activities and creating cooperation in
groups, giving in the community-based leisure and academic activities. They can also engage in
foundations that aids in the control of health conditions like asthma (Wojtalik & Eack, 2019).
Social interaction
This is the third factor of positive life experience which basically is influenced by a person’s or a
family’s flexibility and some elements of relationships. It is also affected by the variations in
personalities. This factor also involves the identification of the values revolving around
relationships of emotions between the different members of houses. It can therefore be explained
that maintaining and encouraging the contact and checking on one another within a society with
continued interaction among them will eventually lead to the exploration of new things and
learning of new ideas which will basically improves a person’s life especially the older adults
(Himanshu, Arokiasamy, & Talukdar, 2019).
In conclusion, all aged person’s lives are affected by various factors which leads to deterioration
or elevation of mental health. Positive factors which helps in improving their lifestyle generally
enhances their survival and supports their quality of life. Healthy lifestyles and appropriate
environments significantly support and improve older adults’ way of life by improving their
quality of life therefore they can age gracefully as they pass knowledge and blessings to the

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coming generations which follow the same lineage of living. They are there suppose to be
involved in social activities, volunteering, participation of societal activities which help them
grow psychologically and avoid boredom and social neglection.

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References
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Hempel, M. E., Taylor, J. E., Connolly, M. J., Alpass, F. M., & Stephens, C. V. (2017).
Scared behind the wheel: what impact does driving anxiety have on the health and
well-being of young older adults? International Psychogeriatrics, 29(6), 1027-1034.
Himanshu, H., Arokiasamy, P., & Talukdar, B. (2019). Illustrative effects of social capital on
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Peek, S. T., Luijkx, K. G., Rijnaard, M. D., Nieboer, M. E., Van der Voort, C. S., Aarts, S.,
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Szabo, A., Allen, J., Stephens, C., & Alpass, F. (2018). Longitudinal Analysis of the
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The Gerontologist, 59(1), 58-68.

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Wojtalik, J. A., & Eack, S. M. (2019). Cognitive Enhancement Therapy Improves Social
Relationships Quality of Life among Individuals with Schizophrenia Misusing
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Wright-St Clair, V. A., Neville, S., Forsyth, V., White, L., & Napier, S. (2017). Integrative
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