My work with what I call the Eudaimonia (U-DYE-moan-EE-a) Project, which I have created, has the purpose of addressing aging not simply a matter of care taking and managing disease, but also to emphasis the need to support this population in leading a flourishing life.
"Eudaimonia" is a central concept of Aristotelian ethics, and is roughly translated as good spirit. It's full meaning is about living a life and purpose and growth through your lifespan. Of course, this is applicable for all age groups who are able to make decisions about their lives, but I feel it's particularly important when considering our poor attitudes towards how we portray the elderly in the myriad of conditions and challenges they must face.
"Eudaimonia" is a central concept of Aristotelian ethics, and is roughly translated as good spirit. It's full meaning is about living a life and purpose and growth through your lifespan. Of course, this is applicable for all age groups who are able to make decisions about their lives, but I feel it's particularly important when considering our poor attitudes towards how we portray the elderly in the myriad of conditions and challenges they must face.
In this time of whirlwind activism, those concerned are citing the longstanding problems of taking care of the elderly, but miss the need to help them engender a sense of purpose.
I’m a devotee of Positive Psychology based on the work of humanistic psychologists, notably Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Erich Fromm. Below is a interesting illustration of Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid displayed as a function of personal development over a lifespan.
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