Gerontology and Societal Mind Sets

A man’s life is normally divided into five main stages namely infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. In each of these stages an individual has to find himself in different situations and face different problems. The old age is not without problems. After a certain age health problems begin to crop up leading to losing control over one’s body, even not recognizing own family owing to Alzheimer are common in old age. It is then children began to see their parents as burden.
It is these parents who at times wander out of their homes or are thrown out. Some dump their old parents or grandparents in old-age homes and don’t even come to visit them anymore. Focusing more on lack of work, lack of facilities for utilization of leisure time and a general feeling of loneliness “talking to walls”. The problem here did not seem to be lack of money but lack of time by the “others” for the older persons. ”lack of emotional support” from family members. Failing Health It has been said that “we start dying the day we are born”.
The aging process is synonymous with failing health. Failing health due to advancing age is complicated by non-availability to good quality, age-sensitive, health care for a large proportion of older persons in the country. Vision – As people grow older their eyesight begins to fail making it difficult to certain jobs. Keeping medications straight – Old people suffer from memory loss, which causes lots of problems. e. g. (Keeping medicines straight) medical bills – Due to frequent illnesses and health complications, their medical bills are very high.

Loneliness – It is sad that most old people spend their last years alone in a big empty house as their children and grandchildren are either abroad or in some other city. Getting along with others – Most people find it difficult to get along with others as they become stubborn, suspicious and unwilling to adapt to change. Boredom – Being all alone and physically unable to do what they want to, old people generally feel very bored and wish for any diversion from the dull routine of their lives. The problem occurs due to forced inactivity, withdrawal from responsibilities and lack of personal goals.
Isolation, or a deep sense of loneliness, is a common complaint of many elderly is the feeling of being isolated. Isolation is most often imposed purposefully or inadvertently by the families and/or communities where the elderly live. Isolation is a terrible feeling that, if not addressed, leads to tragic deterioration of the quality of life. Economic Insecurity- The problem of economic insecurity is faced by the elderly when they are unable to sustain themselves financially. Many older persons either lack the opportunity and/or the capacity to be as productive as they were.
Increasing competition from younger people, individual, family and societal mind sets, chronic malnutrition and slowing physical and mental faculties, limited access to resources and lack of awareness of their rights and entitlements play significant roles in reducing the ability of the elderly to remain financially productive, and thereby, independent. Abuse-Mistreatment and abuse of the elderly is a major social problem. As expected, with the biology of aging, the elderly sometimes become physically frail.
This frailty renders them dependent on others for care—sometimes for small needs like household tasks, and sometimes for assistance with basic functions like eating and toileting. The elderly are highly vulnerable to abuse, where a person is willfully or inadvertently harmed, usually by someone who is part of the family or otherwise close to the victim. It is very important that steps be taken, whenever and wherever possible, to protect people from abuse. In addition, the elderly may suffer from emotional and mental abuse for various reasons and in different ways. Ok I got some problems faced by the society 😀
An old person does not have the physical ability of a young person. Walking can be an effort. Crossing a road can be impossible without assistance. On many occasions’ old men and old women who just could not cross a busy road that had no pedestrian crossing. No driver stopped for them. It is common to hear of old people being knocked down by vehicles on the roads. They just cannot handle the traffic anymore. This busy world is certainly not kind to old folks. Getting onto a bus is another. The old person is usually the last to get on, if he manages. Conductors telling the elderly to wait for the next bus because his bus was full.
If the old man does get on, the likelihood is that he will have to stand, which does no good for his old bones. Rarely does anyone give up his seat for an old man, or old woman. In the old days, most people did not go very far from their birth-place and thus families usually stayed together. The family unit was strong and practical. Today the family unit is breaking apart as young men and women travel widely in search of better jobs. So the chances are that the old folks will be left alone and neglected. Sometimes they are not wanted by their children at all.
The luckier ones may have a child or two staying with them. The less fortunate ones may have to pine their lives away in an old-folk home or in their empty house that once was filled with the sound of children’s laughter. This neglect is a very real problem in our society and it is what the old dread the most – being unwanted and uncared for in the time of need. There are other problems old folks face, but none can be as bad as the indifference and neglect of the young. The young have no time for the old even though the old have virtually no time left. Soon they will die and the young will take their place.