PROBLEMS OF ELDERLY PERSONS
Aging is a social phenomenon and part the human physiological development. Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that society has made in terms of increased life expectancy. One of the undeniable facts of human life is that the aging process is basically normal. Aging is a complex process that greatly influences the biological, psychological, and sociological functioning of the organism. It is a normative process and not a fixed dimension of the life cycle, as a central concept of ageing means aged itself. On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly (by resolution 45/106) designated 1 October the International Day of Older Persons. In Indian context, the National Policy on Older Persons, 1999 defines ‘senior citizen’ or ‘elderly’ as a person who is of age 60 years and above.
According to United Nations, Almost 700 million people are now over the age of the ’60s. By 2050, 2 billion people, over 20 percent of the world’s population, will be 60 or older. The world is ageing rapidly. People aged 60 and older make up 12.3 percent of the global population, and by 2050, that number will rise to almost 22 percent. According to United Nations Population Fund, in 2019, India’s population aged people 60 or over is 6 percent of our total global population. By 2050 the proportion is projected to reach 19.1 percent.
Aged is a biological fact and is a natural process of becoming older and older. A country like America is 65, and India’s age varies between 60-65 in different states and departments.
Definition of Aging
According to Hess opined that ageing is “an inevitable and irreversible biological process of life.”
According to Mukherji denied ageing by distinguishing between biological, sociological, and psychological age. According to him, biologically, a person may be old, but if he or she possesses a youthful mentality, sociologically and psychologically speaking, he or she should be included in the younger generation.
In Indian context, the National Policy on Older Persons, 1999 defines ‘senior citizen’ or ‘elderly’ as a person who is of age 60 years and above.
Problems Faced by the Aged
Life starts and then comes to an end. Old age is a natural process. India is facing several challenges in the form of weak economic growth, a weak pension system, and a null infrastructure for ageing people. Above all, a lack of political will makes life miserable for the senior citizens in India. Problems of aging usually appear after the age of 60 years and above. The following are the problem faced by the aged –
Failing health:
We say, ‘we lived to die.’ A country like India aged is mainly vulnerable to infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases. One of the main reasons is failing health due to advancement of a certain age which causes complications by the non-availability of good hygiene and age-sensitive health care for older persons in India.
Economic insecurity:
The problem of economic insecurity arises when elderly persons are incapable of sustaining themselves financially. In contemporary India, there is increasing competition among the younger generation people, individually, family, and societal mindsets. This makes them causes chronic malnutrition, which leads to slowing physically and mentally in reducing the ability to remain financially productive and thereby remain independent.
Isolation:
Elderly persons behave like children when they reach a certain age. Due to this reason, isolation or a deep sense of loneliness is a common feeling they need to have constant social interaction. If isolation is not addressed, which is a terrible feeling one’s has, it can lead to a tragic deterioration of the quality of life. Family and community, wherever the elderly life, need to give them full support and constant interaction not to make them feel lonely.
Neglect:
Apart from isolation, neglect is also a key component for the elderly who are weak or dependent, which requires constant physical, mental and emotional care and support. When this is not provided, they suffer from neglect, which leads to a problem that occurs when a person is left uncared for and is often linked to isolation.
Abuse:
The elderly being relatively weak, are highly vulnerable to abuse from the family or community. If they are abusive in the major form such as physical, sexual, psychological, and economical, this could also lead to deterioration of their health and cause seriousness in society.
Fear:
Many times a question arises, why do many older persons live in fear? Did they do any harm to society? Whatever may be rational or irrational, this may have a relevant problem faced by the elderly, for those for whom the fear is considered to be irrational need to be counseled, and if, need they may be treated if required. In the case of those with real or rational fear, the cause and its preventive measures need to be identified and followed up with an appropriate action where and when requirement is possible.
Boredom (idleness):
Boredom usually occurs among the elderly when they are poorly motivated or non-productivity or unwilling or unable to do something meaningful with their time or forcefully to be inactive or withdraw from responsibility, and also lack personal goals. This also creates serious issues in society and also leads to a problem.
Lowered self-esteem:
Lowered self-esteem among the elderly usually occurs due to unimportant among the family or community by isolation, neglect, reduced responsibilities, and a decrease in value or worth by oneself, family, or society.
Loss of control:
This problem of age can be looked into many angles. It is better to learn to respect for what they are instead of who they are and how much they are worth. But there are, some life becomes insecure when they begin to lose control of their resources, such as physical strength, body system, finances (incomes), social or designated status, and decision-making powers.
Lack of preparedness for old age:
In India, due to no formal awareness programme, even at higher-level institutions or organizations for people to prepare for old age. A large number of people enter old age with little or no awareness. We entail a person to consider being old when (s)he attains the age of 60 years or feels physiologically or functionally old.
Older persons are considered as most revered members of society in our country but are treated otherwise when it comes to practical behaviour with older people. Old age is a stage of life that every human being ultimately reaches, and it is inevitable. At this time, people dread old age but what the youth should be aiming for is to create a world where people do not fear old age as a phase which they consider an inescapable prison but look forward to it as a phase of vacation where they can enjoy and have their loved ones to care of them after decades of having worked so hard and showered their loved ones with care and love. This aim cannot be achieved through administrative means; only this requires the people of the society to understand the severity and urgency of the situation to be made known to the masses. The real solutions are not new laws and provisions, and the real solution lies with the people themselves. If they start treating the old aged people as they deserve to be treated with respect and love, then this problem will cease to exist.
Remedial measures
The problem of the old has become more pronounced now than before. The advent of the industrial revolution, advancement of science and technology, and development of medical science have added a new dimension to this problem. Prior to the industrial revolution, the average ‘life expectancy’ of man all over the world was very low. Now it has increased tremendously. In most of the European nations, the average life span of people has crossed the mark of 65 years. In India, at the time of Independence, i.e., around the 1950s, the life span of an average Indian was about 28 years, and now it has increased to 50 years.
All the developed countries have undertaken various social legislative, reformative, and welfare measures to protect the interests of the old people. Old age homes are to be found in all these nations, which give physical protection, medical aid, and economic security to the old. Due to the new trends that have gripped modern nuclear families, old people are often deserted by their own children. Such old people typically take shelter in these homes. Even in these homes, old people often suffer from emotional problems.
In most modern countries, under various welfare schemes, due protection is given to the old by means of old age allowance, pension after retirement, accident benefit, free medical aid for the old, etc. To ensure economic security for the salaried people who become old at the time of retirement, various labour legislation and welfare schemes have been introduced, which include provident funds, gratuity, life insurance, etc. Measures are also undertaken to take benefit the experience of the old people. While some retired persons are given part-time jobs, some intelligent ones are again appointed as advisers, while a few others are accorded the status of guides or counselors.
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