The Issues Facing Aging Seniors May Be More Serious Than One Might Think

By Melissa Turner


The average age of people in developed countries is rising year by year. People live longer but with an increasing elderly population also comes many unique problems. Old age brings its own challenges and it is necessary to both recognize those challenges and to deal with them. The needs and desires of elderly people change as they grow older. It is therefore necessary to look the many issues facing aging seniors in the eye and to deal with them.

One major issue faced by the majority of older people is their finances. Numerous people that nears retirement find, often to their shock, that their pension plans and savings will not be adequate to maintain the lifestyle they have always dreamed about. Many older people are forced to scale down dramatically and many more struggle to survive from day to day. This problem can be avoided, but only if proper plans are set in place at a much younger age.

Most elderly people dread the idea that they may grow too frail to look after themselves any longer. They are scared of being forced to live in a care facility and they do not like the idea that they may have to depend upon caregivers to help them cope from one day to the next. That is why so many older people hide their frailty from their loved ones. They do not want to be a burden.

The statistics related to the abuse of elderly people are nothing but shocking. It is especially those living in care facilities that are vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Many facilities are desperately under staffed but there have been many cases of brutal bullying by hard hearted staff members too. Even families tend to abuse elderly relatives by treating them as burdens or by excluding them from family affairs.

The cost of medical care is another major headache for many old people. The older one gets, the more frequently one needs medical attention and the more serious such treatment becomes. With the cost of decent medical care soaring, many older people find that their health insurance is not adequate to cover all their needs. Unfortunately, few old people have the cash reserves to take care of the shortfall.

Elderly people are also faced with the possibility of contracting dread diseases such as Alzheimer or Parkinson disease. He likelihood of contracting these and other debilitating conditions increases with age. Many elderly people absolutely dread the idea of becoming utterly reliant on others to care for them. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to prevent such a catastrophe apart from enjoying life one day at a time.

Loneliness and isolation is the lot of far too many elderly people. They are placed into care facilities and their families simply forget about them. In the meantime, they pine to see their children and their grandchildren. Frail older people have to give up activities that used to be important to them and they get very few opportunities to socialize. In many cases this terrible loneliness may lead to depression.

As one grows older, it is necessary to adapt to new challenges and circumstances. This can be very difficult. Experts agree that older people must do everything possible to remain active even while accepting certain limitations. Society and families also have a responsibility to make sure that the elderly is not abandoned and forgotten.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

 

Holidays Copyright © 2011-2012 | Powered by Blogger