In this essay I would like to dwell upon a problem of social contacts of old people. What can we say about changes in the personality of an old man? What can be attributed to its typical manifestations? What traits of character are exacerbated in old age? Most often we are talking about the negative characteristics among which are low self-esteem, self-doubt, dissatisfaction; fear of loneliness, helplessness, poverty; moodiness, irritability, pessimism; the decline of interest in the new things. All this causes grumbling, grouchiness; selfishness and insecurity. In many cases old people can be petty, stingy, ultra-cautious, pedantic and conservative, suffering from a lack of initiative.
Certainly, the relatives of old people try to do their best surrounding them by care and warmth. On the other hand, research has revealed much more evidence of loneliness among older single people who lived with relatives than among other old people who lived alone. It turned out that social contacts with friends or neighbors had a large impact on the well-being than contact with relatives. (Grundy et al, 2012) Contacts with friends and neighbors reduced the old people’s feeling of loneliness and increased sense of self-esteem and a feeling that they are respected by others.
A variety of factors should be considered in the process of building the strategy of assistance to single old people. Altering their social environment, organizing individual activities, the development of new friendly relations can facilitate the expansion of contacts in society and to promote better quality of life for them. Helping lonely people we often should try to change the situation but not the personality of an old person.
In real life old age is a period when help and support are necessary to survive; this is the basic dilemma. Help, needed by old people, often hurts their self-esteem, pride and independence. Thus, it is necessary to provide the corresponding conditions for the successful rehabilitation of old people in society. This implies a complex of social, economic, medical, legal, professional and other measures aimed at ensuring the necessary conditions and the return of this group of people to a decent life in society in society.
References:
Grundy, Emily and Read, Sanna (2012) Social contacts and receipt of help among older people in England: are there benefits of having more children? Journals of Gerontology: Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 67 (6)
