By a certain age, a person accumulates many difficulties associated with the loss of health, the inability to adapt normally in a rapidly developing society, the change in financial situation in connection with retirement. In older people, the perception of life can significantly change, because a completely different social status appears, the general state of health worsens, and a sense of uselessness develops. The problem of the elderly is acute in any society, but only in developed countries it is closely addressed, everything is done there to improve the quality of life of the elderly.
Categories of problems of people aged
Particularly noteworthy are people who have crossed a certain age limit. Specialists even identified several categories of problems of older people that require resolution to provide a more decent lifestyle for the elderly:
- Physiological. Associated with the loss of health and the emergence of many chronic diseases.
- Psychological. Associated with loneliness and depression.
- Social. Older people cannot adapt in modern society.
Often, troubles associated with psychological disorders come to the fore. Old people often feel lonely. They have feelings of uncertainty and uselessness. Apathy appears and depression develops. Elderly people gradually become estranged from the world and withdrawn.
Provocative factors
The problems of older people in modern society provoke many circumstances. For example, matured children and even grandchildren lead a completely independent life. As a result, they do not need help; in connection with employment, they rarely visit their parents. In addition, at a certain age, it is no longer possible to devote time to official duties or perform a favorite job. This leaves a significant imprint on the whole lifestyle and leads to the loss of friends and acquaintances. In such circumstances, people of advanced age are simply forced to remain alone with their thoughts and detachment appears.
Contribute to the physiological problems of the elderly. Health is deteriorating, many diseases are turning into chronic ailments that cause a person to radically change their lifestyle.
The changes associated with the advent of old age
With the advent of a certain age, natural, but significant changes occur in any person:
- energy indicators are significantly reduced;
- cerebral circulation and oxygen metabolism slows down;
- the water-salt supply and the amount of trace elements in the body are reduced.
All these changes are not in vain. Elderly people quickly become tired not only in the physical plane, but also in the psychological one. There are problems with memorization, the reaction slows down, thought processes also lose their speed. The following emotional changes occur:
- excessive touchiness;
- greater focus only on their own interests;
- suspicion.
Next, we analyze the categories of problems of older people in more detail.
Social turmoil
The social problems of the elderly or, as they are also called, social, 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 friendships;
- lack of interesting leisure time.
Often in old age a person loses a spouse due to death. Moreover, this fact is perceived differently by men and women. In society, usually there are more female people, moreover, their life expectancy is longer. In this regard, an elderly lady is much less likely to regain a life partner. However, they are more adapted to life than the elderly, have experience in housekeeping and make new friends more easily. Old people after the death of his wife quickly adapt to new conditions, they often find a new life partner. They have not so great a fear of loneliness, but at the same time without a pair they have much more difficult.
The need for partnerships
The problems of older people are less apparent 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;
- to 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. At the same time, and without communication, some individuals feel quite well.
Sexual needs are also changing. If the couple is already in old age, their intimate life is no longer interested. There is no body need for physical proximity for a number of reasons:
- taking many medications for chronic diseases;
- health disorders that affect abilities;
- production of much less sex hormones;
- the discrepancy between the reality of what is happening in bed with the expectation of one of the partners.
However, some older couples still maintain an intimate relationship. Thus, one can increase one's own significance, overcome depression and significantly maintain physical fitness.
Fear of loneliness
Social problems of the elderly are manifested in the absence of significant contacts, and a person feels complete loneliness. As a result, the fear of uselessness escalates and a concept such as isolation from life appears.
Old people are forced, due to life circumstances, and often, and at their own wish, to remain alone with their thoughts. As a result, there is a feeling of non-involvement 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. There is a fear of imminent death.
Care and attention
With age, an older person becomes more and more dependent on the people around him. This circumstance is especially acute for those people who led an independent life in their youth and actively helped others. Such pensioners are always more aggressive, often complain of treacherous sores that prevent them from doing things familiar from their youth, and often talk about the futility of further life.
It is sometimes difficult for older people to accept any outside help, regardless of who offers it. They refuse to care for close relatives and social workers. There are people who think that caring for them is clearly not enough, and they should receive much more in the light of their former merits. As a result, the elderly demand more and more attention, but they believe that care is still insufficient. Thus, outbreaks of aggression and talk of uselessness begin to appear.
Medical and social problems of the elderly
The state of human health 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 two, or even three times, compared with young people. By old age, the figure is rapidly increasing.
According to medical research, only about 20% of the elderly can boast relatively good health. Statistics show that each elderly person during the examination reveals from 3 to 8 chronic ailments. Moreover, there are diseases that not only limit physical and mental activity, but also lead to disability.
Trouble remembering
Medical and social problems of older people often become paramount. Cognitive information requires a good memory, and if problems arise in this part, then everything is perceived in a negative way. A person is destroyed as a social person, his adaptation to the world around him is changing.
In medical terminology there is a diagnosis - amnesia, which can be partial or complete. In older people, a partial form is usually fixed, which is called sclerosis of the elderly in everyday life. The problem is classified as medical and social, because it affects human health, but affects adaptation to new conditions of existence.
Solving the problems of an elderly person is entrusted both to society as a whole and to its close people. For example, medical workers should be involved in the treatment of sclerosis, and the creation of a favorable atmosphere in the house and the improvement of the quality of life are considered the fundamental task of the family. Nutrition plays an important role in this regard.
Essential Products
The main problems of older people are associated with loss of health and the inability to perform the usual actions. Memory often fails, which is why doctors recommend transferring the elderly to a diet that increases mental activity.
Scientists have long proved that the following products help improve brain activity in old age:
- walnuts;
- raw and boiled carrots;
- raisins;
- fresh and baked apples;
- seafood;
- sea kale;
- dairy products;
- bananas.
At the same time, it is important to regularly engage in simple physical exercises, which also helps to improve memory and physical activity.
Psychological issues
The psychological problems of older people are actively beginning to manifest themselves after 60 years. This is proved by the science of gerontology, which studies the difficulties of adapting to the life of old people. As studies show:
- many become very withdrawn;
- others show themselves quick-tempered or grouchy;
- the third can be called wise for prudence and calm.
Gerontology deals with the aging process of the human body, it revealed that over time the body is simply not able to completely control the psychological side of life.
Difficulties in old age
Modern problems of older people often manifest in psychological difficulties. If in youth some character traits were considered the norm of the individual, then in old age they appear in a hypertrophied form.
- Anxiety and phobia are inherent in older people, as evidenced by arguments from scientific sources.
- Any, even sometimes insignificant, events can unbalance the elderly and make them nervous and worried.
- With age, social ties weaken, the circle of communication is lost, so family relations come to the fore.
- There is a category of people who are involved in religion in old age. Old people begin to visit temples and read the relevant literature. It is important to protect them from joining various sects that are not related to official church parishes.
- Especially hard for lonely people. Therefore, such pensioners often become victims of fraudsters, because they are happy to talk with any, even strangers.
As medical practice shows, the most dangerous psychologically is the age of 75+. It was at this time that some started to think about suicide.
How to help
The problems of older people in modern society should be resolved by the joint efforts of the relevant services and relatives. If the family has old people, you must:
- attentive to their insignificant requests;
- always listen and respond to requests;
- support in any safe undertaking;
- help adapt to new conditions;
- visit regularly;
- help undergo regular medical examinations.
Only in a situation of attentive and caring attitude can an elderly person understand that even in old age there can be advantages: wisdom, freedom from official duties, the ability to do any business, a lot of free time. With a competent attitude to 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 many opportunities to often meet with numerous relatives and provide them with all possible assistance, which gives an incentive to life.
Attention to the disabled
The problems of older people and people with disabilities are very similar. Both of them feel a lack of communication, social significance and the loss of potential opportunities. However, many projects are being developed and successfully implemented in the country aimed at improving the quality of their lives. The main activities include the following:
- Accessibility of social facilities (access roads, ramps and special workers).
- Development of a rehabilitation system.
- Communicating people with disabilities to socially useful things.
- Development and production of technological equipment that facilitates everyday life.
The problems of people with disabilities and older people are quite diverse. But they are being resolved at the state level, but so far they are quite acute.
Conclusion
One of the life stages is old age, which is inevitable in any case. However, it should not alarm 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 the retirement age, because this gap is very dangerous. People often have thoughts about ending a fruitful life, about social uselessness in the absence of work, and there is a lack of communication.