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Myth 2: You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks (Tia)

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Myth 2: You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks (Tia)

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A couple years back when I was taking classes at Edgewood College for my undergrad, I had this older Navy Veteran who was in a few of my classes. He and I talked a lot over military things and one day we had a conversation about him being older in college. He said that he always wanted to have a degree and he wasn't going to let his age stop him from doing that. He retired out of the military so he spend nearly 20+ years in the military. He was financially set because of it, but he wanted a college education and it didn't matter that he was older. I think this is really important for elders to know because you're never too young to start, anything!

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Myth 3: As you Age, You Naturally Become Older and Wiser (Madalyne Confer) 

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Myth 3: As you Age, You Naturally Become Older and Wiser (Madalyne Confer) 

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This is a common theme I hear. With my grandparents, I can confirm this myth is true but not true. If you were ever to meet my grandparents on either side of my family, you will see they are complete opposites. One grandpa over time has become less filtered and is somewhat wise. The other grandpa has become wiser and smarter. All of the other people I met, they have become more unfiltered and will give advice if needed.

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Sean- Myth 1-Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels

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Sean- Myth 1-Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels

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The myth that old age automatically classifies you as someone who can't exercise or be active or do "young activities" is preposterous. Until the age of 78 my father was still doing house renovations, framing, plumbing, and every other thing that a general contractor may be involved with. Yes, people that are at older ages can be at a higher risk of certain things such as decreased balance and increased incidence of falling, however that does not preclude them from physical activity. It seems as though a lot of people try to define someone else simply by their age. They see them as that identity only and nothing else. This is an obvious myth since every person's body is different. Sure, there are plenty of people at age 70 that may have brittle bones and decreased mobility and may struggle to be active. But there are also people like my uncle who ride around on four wheelers and they're stronger than most 20-year-olds. Most definitely people are not defined by their age. People are defined by their decisions and their compiled reactions to their environment regardless of age.

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Jocelyn – Myth 4: Elders Are Not Productive, Especially at Work

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Jocelyn – Myth 4: Elders Are Not Productive, Especially at Work

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Someone that debunked this myth was an older gentleman that came out of retirement to work in the lab I worked at because “the job listing sounded interesting”. He was in his mid 60s when he started and easily outperformed everyone else in the lab that were predominantly in their early to mid 20’s. He was always ahead in his daily schedule and would often pick up extra tasks in between. He worked there for a total of a little over 3.5 years and attained all the certifications that toxicology, infusion, and ocular departments had to offer (barely a handful of the 120+ technicians employed could claim that). Even though he was the oldest person in lab he was always one of the first to get called in for reinforcements when something went haywire.

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Myth 2: "You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" (Ashlyn)

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Myth 2: "You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" (Ashlyn)

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This myth is exactly that---a myth. Although elders' fluid intelligence does change as they age, plenty of elders spend their time, especially once retired, learning and enjoying new hobbies. One example that I can personally testify for are my grandfather. My grandpa has not only run and started a business, but since retiring he has pursued astrophotography, machine work, and studying quantum physics. He also works on an hour of calculus every day to learn this skill. I think that it is important that we recognize that many older adults have interests, passions, and a desire to learn just like younger generations. This can be important to be mindful of as we continue to work with an older adult population when we may be introducing new activities through therapeutic interventions.

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Julie-Elders are not productive, especially at work.

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Julie-Elders are not productive, especially at work.

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A body in motion, stays in motion! My parents continue to volunteer and work to stay fulfilled. Working helps them to continue to be engaged socially, physically, and mentally. They are hard workers and continue to use/share their skills. During the pandemic, they were unable to work and struggled with feelings of unproductivity and boredom. I think working or volunteering for as long as possible is better for society and for aging.

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Hayley — Myth 6: All elders prefer quiet and tranquil daily lives.

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Hayley — Myth 6: All elders prefer quiet and tranquil daily lives.

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This was not a stereotype I had ever considered before and I was surprised by the implications of “working hard” to keep an assisted living center “quiet and peaceful,” especially after all we have learned about keeping physically and mentally active. They are still humans like you and me. They get bored like you and me. In my life, I hear about people’s parents moving closer to them so they can spend time with grandbabies. I see elders at the zoo or out shopping with sugared up grandkids. I had a surrogate grandma who lived behind me growing up, and she was always doing projects around the house or digging up the garden. We just need to focus on the individual.

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I was surprised to learn that the ability to learn does not in fact necessarily decline with age. I have always heard that the ability to learn new skills like languages and use new technology declines as you get older and have always believed it. I thought it was interesting that they listed other reasons that explain why it may be difficult for elders to learn new skills, like poor vision/ hearing and lower stamina.

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(Susan C.) "Neurobic" Exercises (Katz, Manning & Sutter, 1999), (See Chapter 3 for more information on cognitive changes with aging.)

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(Susan C.) "Neurobic" Exercises (Katz, Manning & Sutter, 1999), (See Chapter 3 for more information on cognitive changes with aging.)

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"Neurobics" is a term I had not heard before. Brain exercises to increase oxygen and give our brains neurons more life by experiencing new activity, stimulation or events. Problem solving tasks, cross-word puzzles and games  Many people continue to learn as they age.
To read that the elder must want to learn and be willing to keep the brain active helps to debunk Myth # 2: You can't teach an old dog new tricks

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All Elders Become Senile (Aubryn De Jager) 

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All Elders Become Senile (Aubryn De Jager) 

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This is a very typical thing you hear. I picture the classic grumpy old man who does not want to do anything when I think of this. But working with this population I know that this is not the case. I have seen plenty of elderly adults with the biggest amount of joy and adults that are totally senile. I think it all depends on the life you lived. If you are close with family and friends you are probably going to be filled with joy and happiness whereas if you dont have those connections then you are more likey to be senile.

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As you age, you naturally become older and wiser. (Sarah Hurd)

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As you age, you naturally become older and wiser. (Sarah Hurd)

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This expectation of elders to be a fountain of knowledge and wisdom aids the continuation of stereotypes and ageism. Older adults commonly have issues with memory loss and do not function as quickly as they had in their younger years. This may cause some elders to feel like a failure if they do not meet the expectations. Age is not an indicator of the wisdom one may or may not have. Just as younger adults vary in knowledge, older adults do as well.

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Myth 1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels- Kenzie Kriz 

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Myth 1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels- Kenzie Kriz 

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While I was working for the Madison School District, many of our building subs were retired and I remember being amazed at how much busier their lives were since becoming retired. One lady in particular participates in 100 mile bike rides for charity twice a year, teaches yoga class, and jogs multiple times a week amongst many other things. She always would say, "the older I get, the younger I feel" and she demonstrated that! She isn't slowed down by age and age doesn't define her capabilities.

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Myth 1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels.                                            (Tiffany Tryon) 

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Myth 1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels.                                            (Tiffany Tryon) 

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I saw this myth debunked when I interviewed an 84 year old woman for my Elder Interview Paper. This woman shared that despite her age she felt 40. She was very active taking care of her home and only recently stopped doing in home childcare. She was very spry during my time interacting with her. She showed me how high she could lift her foot toward her head, displaying more flexibility than I have. This experience reminded me to pay attention to the individual not just their chronological age.

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Myth 4: Elders Are Not Productive, Especially at Work - Marin 

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Myth 4: Elders Are Not Productive, Especially at Work - Marin 

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I looked at this and was a little annoyed that this was a statement. I agree with the writing that the youth are there for the pay check. In my elder interview I learned that my elder is still working and I was surprised at first because you don’t often think of elders working. I do feel that most people in the elder community have the drive to do things and get them done right while youth do half do things just to get paid. I enjoyed reading this section as it talked about avoiding stereotypes. Not all elders can afford to be in retirement even if it is something they want.

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Myth #1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels

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Myth #1: Chronological Age Determines the Way an Elder Acts and Feels

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I see this viewed as false. As I have observed my grandparent's aging process they are still independent and self-sufficient. My grandparents will be turning 90. They rent an apartment and live together. My grandparents are healthy for their age. Yes, they do have aches and pains despite that they like to be active. They walk the halls, complete word puzzles, Sudoku, love to take drives around town, and never miss Friday fish night. Even though they are getting older they still love to converse with family members and friends and always have a sense of humor and smiles on their faces. I liked how this section in Ch. 4 focused on society should avoid stereotyping each elder addresses aging alike. Every person is different whether they are elderly or not and what ability they have.

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Myth #5: Elders become more conservative when they age

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Myth #5: Elders become more conservative when they age

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I think this myth was the most interesting to me, because when you think of the older generations, they tend to lean more to the conservative side of things. I think older people are more resisting to change and new ideas, when that's not true! Many elder adults are quite receptive to new ideas and new roles. They also like to be involved politically! With the elder I interviewed; this myth was debunked as well. My elder was very liberal leaning which surprised me but told me it was due to the fact she fought for rights back in the 70's, and her opinion always leaned less conservative.

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Myth 2: You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

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Myth 2: You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

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The myth I chose was myth #2: You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks. Some of these myths I didn't know existed. One thing I learned was that your ability to learn doesn't decrease with age. I have seen this myth debunked in my own life with my grandma and how she is learning how to use technology that comes easily to a lot of us.

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When reading chapter 4 one myth that surprised me was "Elders are not productive, especially at work". From my life and from what I have seen I don't see this as true. My grandma is 76 and still works full time and my grandpa is a little over 80 and also works almost full time! They really enjoy doing that as an occupation! Everyone is in different stages of their life so this could be very different for others as well. I loved learning that 60% of older people continue to work after retirement!