Problems of older people in modern society

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

By a certain age, a person accumulates a lot of difficulties associated with loss of he alth, the inability to adapt normally in a rapidly developing society, a change in financial situation due to retirement. In older people, the perception of life can change significantly, because a completely different social status appears, general well-being worsens and a feeling of uselessness develops. The problem of older people is acute in any society, but only in developed countries they are closely addressing it, everything is being done to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Categories of older people's problems

People who have crossed a certain age line deserve special attention. Specialists have even identified several categories of older people's problems that need to be addressed to ensure a more dignified lifestyle for the elderly:

• Physiological. Associated with loss of he alth and appearancemany chronic diseases.
• Psychological. Associated with loneliness and depression.
• Social. Older people cannot adapt to modern society.

It is often the troubles associated with psychological disorders that come to the fore. Old people often feel lonely. They develop feelings of insecurity and worthlessness. Apathy sets in and depression sets in. Elderly people are gradually becoming detached from the world and withdrawn.

Provoking factors

The problems of older people in modern society are provoked by many circumstances. For example, grown-up children and even grandchildren lead a completely independent life. As a result, they do not need help and rarely visit their parents due to being busy. In addition, at a certain age it is no longer possible to devote time to official duties or to do your favorite work. This leaves a significant imprint on the whole way of life and leads to the loss of friends and acquaintances. In such circumstances, the elderly are simply forced to remain alone with their thoughts and detachment appears.

The physiological problems of older people also contribute. He alth is deteriorating, many diseases turn into chronic ailments that force a person to radically change their lifestyle.

Changes associated with the advent of old age

With the advent of a certain age, any person undergoes natural, but significant changes:

• energy performance drops significantly;
• slows cerebral circulation and oxygen metabolism;
• the water-s alt reserve and the amount of trace elements in the body decrease.

All these changes are not in vain. Older people quickly get tired not only physically, but also psychologically. There are problems with memorization, the reaction slows down, thought processes also lose their speed. The following emotional changes occur:

• excessive touchiness;
• great focus only on self-interest;
• suspiciousness.

Next, we will analyze the categories of problems of older people in more detail.

Social turmoil

Social problems of the elderly, or, as they are also called, public, are manifested in the following:

• lack of financial resources due to job loss and retirement;
• lack of social organization at the household level;
• lack of friendship;
• lack of interesting leisure activities.

Often in old age, a person loses a spouse due to death. However, this fact is perceived differently by men and women. In a society, there are usually more females, and besides, they have a longer life expectancy. In this regard, an elderly lady is much less likely to find a life partner again. However, they are more adapted to life than the elderly, have experience in housekeeping and make new friends more easily. Old men after the death of their wife quickly adapt to new conditions, they often find a new life partner. They do not have such a great fear of loneliness, but at the same time, without a partner, they have a much harder time.

The need for partnerships

The problems of older people are less pronounced if there are partnerships in life. They are necessary in order to

• old people could take care of each other;
• it was possible to solve financial difficulties together;
• be each other's support, friend and interlocutor.

However, after the death of a spouse, not everyone wants to start a new family. Pensioners value their freedom and independence and think that they have finally found them. With this and without communication, some individuals feel quite well.

Sexual needs are also changing. If the spouses are already at an advanced age, they are no longer interested in intimate life. There is no body need for physical intimacy for a number of reasons:

• taking multiple medications for chronic conditions;
• he alth disorders that affect ability;
• production in a much smaller amount of sex hormones;
• inconsistency between the reality of what is happening in bed with the expectation of one of the partners.

However, some older couples still maintain intimate relationships. In this way, you can increase your self-worth, overcome depression and significantly maintain your fitness.

Fear of being alone

The social problems of the elderly are manifested in the absence of significant contacts, and the person feels complete loneliness. As a result, the fear of uselessness is aggravated and such a thing as isolation from life appears.

Old people are forced by life circumstances, and often at will, to remain alone with their thoughts. As a result, there is a feeling of non-participation in the modern world, emptiness and loss. A person has a lot of time to analyze his own life and the upcoming period of impending old age. Fear of imminent death appears.

Care and attention

With age, an elderly person becomes more and more dependent on the people around him. This circumstance is especially acute for those people who in their youth led an independent life and actively helped others. Such pensioners are always more aggressive, often complaining about treacherous sores that prevent them from doing things they have been accustomed to from their youth, often talk about the meaninglessness of their future life.

Older people sometimes find it difficult to accept any outside help, no matter who offers it. They refuse the care of close relatives and social workers. There are people who think that taking care of them is clearly not enough, and they should receive much more in the light of their past merits. As a result, the elderly require more and more attention, but they still feel that the care is still insufficient. Thus, outbreaks of aggression and talk of uselessness begin to appear.

Medical and social problems of the elderlypeople

The state of human he alth is a priority at any age, especially in the elderly. The presence of a large number of chronic diseases significantly reduces the quality of life of a pensioner. In older people, the number of diagnoses increases by two or even three times compared with young people. By old age, the rate increases rapidly.

According to the results of medical research, only about 20% of the elderly can boast of relatively good he alth. Statistics show that each elderly person is diagnosed with 3 to 8 chronic ailments during examination. Moreover, there are diseases that not only limit physical and mental activity, but also lead to disability.

Memory problems

Medical and social problems of the elderly are often at the forefront. For cognitive information, a good memory is necessary, and if problems arise in this part, then everything is perceived in a negative way. A person is destroyed as a social personality, his adaptation to the world around him changes.

In medical terminology, there is a diagnosis - amnesia, which can be partial or complete. In older people, a partial form is usually fixed, which in everyday life is called sclerosis of the elderly. The problem is classified as medical and social, because it affects human he alth, but affects adaptation to new conditions of existence.

Solving the problems of an elderly person is assigned both to society as a whole and to his close people. For example, the treatment of sclerosis shouldmedical workers are engaged in, and the fundamental task of the family is to create a favorable atmosphere in the house, improve the quality of life. Good nutrition plays an important role in this regard.

Essential Products

The main problems of older people are associated with loss of he alth and the inability to perform habitual activities. Memory often fails, so doctors recommend switching old people to a diet that increases mental activity.

Scientists have long proven that the following products help improve brain activity in old age:

• walnuts;
• raw and boiled carrots;
• raisins;
• fresh and baked apples;
• seafood;
• seaweed;
• fermented milk products;
• bananas.

However, it is important to engage in simple physical exercise regularly, which also helps improve memory and physical activity.

Psychological problems

Psychological problems of older people actively begin to appear after 60 years. This is proved by the science of gerontology, which studies the difficulties of adapting to the life of the elderly. Research shows:

• many become very withdrawn;
• others show themselves to be short-tempered or grouchy;
• third can be called wise for prudence and calmness.

Gerontology deals with the aging process of the human body, it revealed that over timethe body is simply unable to fully control the psychological side of life.

Difficulties in old age

Modern problems of the elderly often manifest themselves in psychological difficulties. If in youth some character traits were considered the norm of an individual, then in old age they appear in a hypertrophied form.

• Anxiety and phobias are inherent in the elderly, which is supported by arguments from scientific sources.
• Any, even sometimes minor events can unbalance old people and make them nervous and worried.
• With age, social ties weaken, the social circle is lost, so family relationships come to the fore.
• There is a category of people who join religion in old age. Old people begin to visit temples, read relevant literature. It is important to keep them from joining various sects that are not related to official church parishes.
• It's especially hard for lonely people. Therefore, such pensioners often become victims of scammers, because they are happy to communicate with anyone, even strangers.

As medical practice shows, the most dangerous psychologically is the age of 75+. It is at this time that some begin to have suicidal thoughts.

How to help

The problems of older people in today's society should be addressed by the joint efforts of the relevant services and relatives. If there are old people in the family, you must:

• careful about their minorrequests;
• always listen and respond to requests;
• support in any safe undertaking;
• help adapt to new conditions;
• visit regularly;
• help with regular medical check-ups.

Only in a situation of attentive and caring attitude, an elderly person is able to understand that even in old age there can be advantages: wisdom, freedom from official duties, the opportunity to do any business, a lot of free time. With a competent attitude towards the elderly, they often acquire new hobbies, they have their own hobbies and various interests, which previously simply did not have enough time. In addition, there are plenty of opportunities to often meet with numerous relatives and provide them with all possible assistance, which gives them an incentive to live.

Attention to the disabled

The problems of the elderly and the disabled are similar in many ways. Both those and others feel a lack of communication, social significance and loss of potential opportunities. However, many projects aimed at improving the quality of their lives are being developed and successfully implemented in the country. The main activities can be listed as follows:

• Accessibility of social facilities (availability of access roads, ramps and special workers).
• Development of a rehabilitation system.
• Involvement of disabled people in socially useful causes.
• Design and manufacture technological equipment that makes everyday life easier.

Problems of the disabled andolder personalities are quite diverse. But they are resolved at the state level, but so far they are quite acute.

Conclusion

One of the stages of life is old age, which is inevitable in any case. However, it should not be alarming or cause suicidal thoughts. At this time, moral support and communication with like-minded people is extremely important. It is necessary to pay attention to people who enter retirement age, because this period is very dangerous. People often have thoughts about the end of a fruitful life, about social uselessness in the absence of work and a lack of communication.