The later years of a person’s life are associated with significant changes from an emotional and social point of view. The experience accumulated over a long life allows the elderly to perceive information more comprehensively, being the source of life wisdom (Berk, 2018). However, despite all the benefits of the experience gained, the older adults are often in a much worse position in terms of social inclusion. With increasing age, the number of contacts between people inevitably decreases, since only significant people remain active. This factor is even more exacerbated in late adulthood since some of the acquaintances may disappear for natural reasons: some people die earlier. Thus, with increasing age, loneliness and lack of sufficient social and emotional support become more and more significant. From my point of view, this is the most crucial issue in caring for the older generation.
While physical health is quite predictable and noticeable, the psychological state caused by a lack of emotional and social attachments can be hidden from prying eyes. In addition, there is a stigmatization of the problem of loneliness in society, and people often do not want to talk about it (Gorman, 2017). At the same time, the lack of sufficient attention to this problem can lead to negative consequences for patients’ health. Research shows that fighting loneliness and active socialization can help maintain physical well-being, thereby enabling people to live longer and happier lives (Gorman, 2017). In this context, even qualified care from the caregivers is enough for the level of loneliness in a person to decrease significantly (Iecovich, 2016). Although the decrease in the number of social connections is a natural process accompanying aging, in my opinion, it is imperative to help older adults maintain the feeling that they are needed and important to someone. This factor is vital for sufficient psychological and physical well-being, and it is close people who can help their elderly, making their life better. Therefore, more attention should be paid to this issue and its importance.
References
Berk, L.E. (2018). Exploring lifespan development (4th ed.). Pearson.
Gorman, A. (2017). Easing old people’s loneliness can help keep them healthy. NPR. Web.
Iecovich, E. (2016). Do caregiving burden and satisfaction predict loneliness in older care recipients? Aging & Mental Health, 20(4), 441-449. Web.