As we are moving from generation to generation, our life expectancy is increasing steadily. In addition, the birthrate is on the decreasing trend. This has lead to the rise in the elderly population across the world. It is often known to us that we tend to value things we do not have than things we have in abundance. Just like that, our value for older people is decreasing with the increase in their population. Although our love and care towards them is still the same in many countries notably in Asian countries (and my country too), older people feel more stigmatized now than in the past. I personally feel bad that older people who did so much for their children when they were young are bound to spend their later life in nursing homes or elderly homes nowadays.
Moving on to the usual situations in the nursing homes where the elderly people do not feel the same freedom like their home, they should be encouraged and allowed to do things they like. If we consider the Activity Theory, it states that they should remain as much active as possible, more precisely in the activities which give them more satisfaction. If they are not allowed to complete the things they like, the things that give them satisfaction, they may feel morally down and stigmatized. They should have the freedom to overcome the social pressure they feel during old age. Similarly, according to the Continuity Theory, older people continue the same pattern which they used to follow in their younger days. Unless their fitness level prohibits them from carrying on, they like to maintain their habits learned in their youth. So, they should be helped so that they can keep on doing things they like, including appropriate medical help.
My personal suggestion for such cases would be to ask the elderly people about the things they would like to do. Trying to get somewhat like a universal choice among them would be useful in organizing a small scale program or something like that which will make them feel better. Also, making a provision for regular medical check-ups and counseling for them would be equally appreciable. I would also ask the children from nearby schools, if they would like, to visit the nursing home on a particular day. This would help the older people to engage themselves with the new generation, and many of them would refresh their childhood memories watching the children. This will certainly help them to feel good.
Hence, treating elderly people, even other people, is not the matter of being abused or not. It is the matter of respecting their feelings. It is never ethical to forbid people from doing what they want or neglecting them. Therefore, we should be aware of their needs and help them as much as possible.
(463 words)
Reference:
Hammond, R.J. (2010), Aging, Introduction to Sociology (Smashwords Edition), pp. 130-139
Moving on to the usual situations in the nursing homes where the elderly people do not feel the same freedom like their home, they should be encouraged and allowed to do things they like. If we consider the Activity Theory, it states that they should remain as much active as possible, more precisely in the activities which give them more satisfaction. If they are not allowed to complete the things they like, the things that give them satisfaction, they may feel morally down and stigmatized. They should have the freedom to overcome the social pressure they feel during old age. Similarly, according to the Continuity Theory, older people continue the same pattern which they used to follow in their younger days. Unless their fitness level prohibits them from carrying on, they like to maintain their habits learned in their youth. So, they should be helped so that they can keep on doing things they like, including appropriate medical help.
My personal suggestion for such cases would be to ask the elderly people about the things they would like to do. Trying to get somewhat like a universal choice among them would be useful in organizing a small scale program or something like that which will make them feel better. Also, making a provision for regular medical check-ups and counseling for them would be equally appreciable. I would also ask the children from nearby schools, if they would like, to visit the nursing home on a particular day. This would help the older people to engage themselves with the new generation, and many of them would refresh their childhood memories watching the children. This will certainly help them to feel good.
Hence, treating elderly people, even other people, is not the matter of being abused or not. It is the matter of respecting their feelings. It is never ethical to forbid people from doing what they want or neglecting them. Therefore, we should be aware of their needs and help them as much as possible.
(463 words)
Reference:
Hammond, R.J. (2010), Aging, Introduction to Sociology (Smashwords Edition), pp. 130-139
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