For Chapter Nine's Discussion And Activity Please Complete T ✓ Solved
For Chapter nine's discussion/activity please complete three
For Chapter nine's discussion/activity please complete three of the following simulations. After completing the tasks, answer the reflection questions below. For safety reasons, have a partner who can monitor your movements and alert you to hazards.
Cataracts simulation: Wear glasses smeared with petroleum jelly or covered with wax paper or plastic wrap. While wearing these glasses, walk around your home for 10 minutes and pour yourself something to drink. Be sure to have a partner for safety reasons and be careful pouring your drink.
Hearing loss simulation: Wear earplugs and listen to an audio clip. Write down a few things you hear. Afterwards, listen again and compare what you heard both times.
Debilitating arthritis and visual impairment: Put both hands in a fist and wear dark sunglasses and attempt to write a short letter and sign your name.
Debilitating arthritis: Wear gloves and tape two fingers together on the left and right hands. After doing this, put on a pair of shoes and put on a jacket or other article of clothing that can be zipped or buttoned and attempt to zip or button the clothing.
Arm weakness simulation: Move arms only by sliding them across the table due to arm weakness (you can still move your fingers). Sit at a table and place four empty plastic cups across from you. Grab these four cups by only dragging your arms, and flip each cup so it sits upside down.
Reflection questions:
1. What three tasks did you complete?
2. What difficulties did you experience?
3. How did you feel completing these tasks?
4. How do you feel regarding functional impairments in older individuals?
5. Did your feelings towards aging change after completing these tasks? Explain why or why not.
Paper For Above Instructions
Introduction
This paper documents three simulated aging tasks completed, reports observed difficulties and emotional responses, and reflects on how brief experiential simulations influence understanding of functional impairment in older adults. The simulations were completed with a partner present for safety and observation. The three selected tasks were: a cataracts simulation, a hearing loss simulation, and a debilitating arthritis simulation involving taped fingers and dressing. These activities are designed to approximate common sensory and motor limitations that affect daily living in older adults (World Health Organization, 2015; National Institute on Aging, 2020).
Task Descriptions and Methods
Cataracts simulation: I smeared a clear pair of safety glasses with a thin layer of petroleum jelly and walked through several rooms in my home for ten minutes, then attempted to pour a glass of water. A partner stood by to ensure safety and to observe my navigation and pouring accuracy (National Eye Institute, 2019).
Hearing loss simulation: I inserted foam earplugs and listened to an audio clip of spoken instructions and background noise. I wrote down what I heard on a first listen, then re-listened and compared the differences in words and comprehension (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).
Debilitating arthritis simulation: I wore thick gloves and taped two adjacent fingers on each hand together to reduce dexterity. While wearing these, I attempted to put on shoes and zip a jacket—tasks that require coordinated finger movement and fine motor control (Arthritis Foundation, n.d.).
Observed Difficulties
Cataracts simulation: Visual blur and light diffusion from the smeared lenses produced immediate disorientation. Depth perception was compromised; I misjudged steps and distances, needed to approach objects more slowly, and spilled a small amount when pouring the water because I could not clearly see the cup rim. This difficulty aligns with clinical descriptions of cataract-related contrast loss and reduced acuity that increase fall and spill risk (National Eye Institute, 2019).
Hearing loss simulation: With earplugs, the audio sounded muffled and parts of sentences were missing. Background noise further degraded comprehension; I misheard or omitted key words on the first listening and captured more content on the second, quieter pass. This illustrated how hearing loss increases cognitive effort for conversation and can lead to miscommunication or social withdrawal (CDC, 2020; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2019).
Arthritis simulation: The taped fingers and gloves made grasping shoe laces, manipulating zippers, and aligning buttons extremely slow and error-prone. Fine manipulation tasks required compensatory strategies—using the palm or teeth, asking for help, or repositioning clothing. These barriers reflect how decreased hand function reduces independence in activities of daily living (Arthritis Foundation, n.d.).
Emotional and Affective Response
Completing the simulations produced frustration, embarrassment, and a heightened sense of vulnerability. Frustration arose from slowed task completion and repeated minor errors. I felt temporarily disempowered when I needed assistance for tasks I normally do independently. There was also an increased empathy for the fatigue and social discomfort older adults may experience when sensory or motor impairments interfere with routine tasks (World Health Organization, 2015; AARP, 2018).
Reflection on Functional Impairments
The simulations clarified how even mild-to-moderate sensory or motor losses create cascading functional impacts: reduced mobility, elevated fall risk, diminished social engagement, and increased reliance on caregivers (National Council on Aging, 2019). For example, blurred vision made navigation slower and more hazardous; hearing loss impaired comprehension and could affect safety in noisy environments; reduced hand dexterity complicated dressing and personal care. These constraints underscore why environmental adaptations, assistive devices, and supportive services are essential to maintain independence and quality of life (American Geriatrics Society, 2019).
Change in Attitudes Toward Aging
My attitude toward aging became more empathetic and pragmatic. Before the simulations, I recognized sensory and motor decline as abstract clinical phenomena; after the exercises, I understood their immediate, daily-life consequences. The feelings of dependency and frustration during brief simulations suggested how chronic impairments could contribute to loneliness, lowered self-efficacy, and reluctance to ask for help. This experience reinforced that age-friendly design, patience, clear communication, and routine screening for sensory and functional problems are critical for respectful, effective care (World Health Organization, 2015; National Institute on Aging, 2020).
Practical Implications and Recommendations
Healthcare professionals, family members, and community planners should prioritize simple, evidence-based interventions: regular vision and hearing checks, use of high-contrast signage and non-slip surfaces, assistive devices for dressing and kitchen tasks, and training in clear communication techniques (e.g., speaking slowly, reducing background noise) (CDC, 2020; American Academy of Ophthalmology, 2019). Simulations like these are valuable training tools for caregivers and students to develop empathy and to identify realistic accommodations (AARP, 2018).
Conclusion
The three simulated tasks produced measurable difficulties and emotional reactions that deepened my appreciation for the lived experience of functional impairment in older adults. Short, supervised simulations can be potent educational tools: they increase empathy, reveal practical needs, and motivate concrete changes in care and environment to preserve autonomy and dignity for aging individuals (World Health Organization, 2015; National Council on Aging, 2019).
References
- World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health. WHO.
- National Institute on Aging. (2020). Aging and your eyes. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- National Eye Institute. (2019). Facts about cataracts. National Institutes of Health.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Important facts about hearing loss in older adults. CDC.
- Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). Daily life and arthritis: Managing everyday tasks. Arthritis Foundation.
- American Geriatrics Society. (2019). Clinical practice resources on functional assessment and geriatric syndromes. AGS.
- AARP. (2018). Age-friendly communities and simulation-based empathy training resources. AARP Foundation.
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2019). Hearing loss in older adults: Overview and management. ASHA.
- National Council on Aging. (2019). Functional limitations and healthy aging: Policy and program guidance. NCOA.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2019). Cataract overview and patient education. AAO.