Understanding The Many Serious Issues Facing Aging Seniors

| Friday, March 9, 2018
By Melissa Turner


Amazing advances in the fields of medicine and nutrition are only some of the factors contributing to the fact that people now live much longer than before. The average age of citizens of developed countries are getting higher and higher. One might think that a longer life would be a blessing but one must also not forget that old age holds its own unique challenges. There are many issues facing aging seniors and they are important ones.

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.

It is only natural that elderly people grow frail. They are more apt to break bones, to be forced to live with limited eyesight and to deal with mobility problems. Even the lucky ones that can afford the services of a caregiver are often reluctant to admit that they have grown too weak or frail to manage from day to day. They are scared of losing control over their own lives.

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 older one gets, the more attention the body needs. Elderly people need medical care much more often than younger people and even those with excellent medical insurance find that their medical treatment needs are not fully covered by their insurance. This can be a cause for serious concern because medical treatment can be prohibitively expensive and few elderly people can afford it.

Most old people had friend that contracted some form of dread disease such as Parkinson, Dementia or Alzheimer. When they see the effects of these diseases they start to fear that they themselves will become the victim of a condition that will utterly rob them from the ability to lead a normal life. Unfortunately it is not possible to take fail safe precautions.

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.




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