The aging of the world’s population is a global issue of considerable importance to everyone, particularly nursing. Traditional developmental theories and the medical model have either neglected later life or highlighted the losses and deficits associated with advanced age, while more recent research on aging and the human becoming theory has provided a more balanced view. In this column, information from health and social sciences, the human becoming school of thought, and international political debates about aging are interwoven. Some attention is also given to the issues of the retirement and aging of the nurses.
Assagioli, R. (1965). Psychosynthesis: A manual of principles and techniques. New York: Penguin.
2.
Baumann, S. L., Carroll, K. A., Damgaard, G. A., Millar, B., & Welch, A. J. (2001). An international human becoming hermeneutic study of Tom Hegg’s A cup of Christmas tea. Nursing Science Quarterly, 14, 316-321.
3.
Bunkers, S. S. (1998). Considering tomorrow: Parse’s theory-guided research. Nursing Science Quarterly, 11, 56-63.
4.
Campbell, J. (Ed.). (1971). The portable Jung. New York: Penguin Books.
5.
Carter, J. (1998). The virtues of aging. New York: Ballantine.
6.
Dass, R. (2000). Still here: Embracing aging, changing and dying. New York: Riverhead Books.
7.
Davis, K. D., & Cannava, E. (1995). The meaning of retirement for community-living retired performing artists. Nursing Science Quarterly, 8, 8-16.
8.
Do challenging jobs prevent Alzheimer’s? (2005). Caring for the Ages, March, 37.
9.
Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: Norton.
10.
Fox, M. J. (2002). Lucky man: A memoir. New York: Hyperion.
11.
Frankl, V. (1990). Logotherapy and the challenge of suffering. In K. Hoeller (Ed.), Readings in existential psychology and psychiatry (pp. 63-70). Seattle, WA: Review of Existential Psychiatry and Psychiatry.
12.
Fulghum, R. (1988). All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten. New York: Ballantine Books.
13.
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
14.
Hegg, T. (1992). A cup of Christmas tea. Minneapolis, MN: Walden House.
15.
May, R. (1991). The cry for myth. New York: Delta.
16.
Merton. T. (2003). Society and the inner self. In W. H. Shannon (Ed.), The inner experience: Notes on contemplation (pp. 19-33). New York: HarperCollins.
17.
Moody, H. R. (1997). The five stages of the soul. New York: Anchor.
18.
Nadel, M. V. (2001). Getting older in the 21st century. In P. P. Budetti, R. V. Burkhauser, J. M. Gregory, & H. A. Hunt (Eds.), Ensuring health and income security for an aging workforce (pp. 135-162). Kalamazoo, MI: W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
19.
Parse, R. R. (1981). Man-living-health: A theory of nursing. New York: Wiley.
20.
Parse, R. R. (1998). The human becoming school of thought: A perspective for nurses and other health professionals. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
21.
Parse, R. R., Coyne, A. B., & Smith, M. J. (1985). Nursing research: Qualitative methods. Bowie, MD: Brady.
22.
Pearlin, L. I. (1985). Life strains and psychological distress among adults. In A. Monat & R. S. Larzarus (Eds.), Stress and coping: An anthology (2nd ed., pp. 192-207). New York: Columbia University.
23.
Senior citizen 2005—Policies for the elderly: A vision for the future. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from http://www.senior2005.gov.se
24.
Sims, T. (2005, February 2). Despite scarce jobs, Germany discusses higher retirement age. The Wall Street Journal, p. A13.
25.
Swedish Association of Health Professions. (2005). The Swedish Association of Health Professionals/Vårdförbundet. Retrieved July 9, 2005, from http://www.vardforbundet.se
26.
Thomas, D. (1952). The poems of Dylan Thomas. Retrieved March 19, 2005, from http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?45442B7C000C07040C7A
27.
Vaillant, G. E. (2002). Aging well: Surprising guideposts to a happier life from the Harvard study of adult development. Boston: Little, Brown.
