I. Introduction
I will base my research paper on the isolation of the aged in the society. The paper will delve deep into the problems that face the elderly in the society today. The research was triggered by my service in an organization that exposed me to elderly people. After interacting with them, I was privileged to observe them and get a subjective view of the issues they undergo in their daily lives. I served in an organization known as ABCD North End, where I got to interact with the aged from Boston community.
My responsibility involved familiarizing them with computer skills and modern technology. It dawned on me that the aged are indifferent towards catching up with technology or acquiring computer skills. Their object of desire is to feel that useful and productive in the society. Unfortunately, advanced age has snatched their synergy and productivity. In addition, they like to interact with people and get distracted from their own experiences. Most of the old people during the winter period stay idle in their bungalows and mansions. Upon visiting some of them, they spent hours narrating stories from their past, especially their youth.
Since there is a general view that they are boring and at times senile, they do not get much of the company. Even the closest of their family members avoid spending time with them. However, on spending much time with them, I realized that they are very insightful. I realized that they suffer from loneliness since they have been isolated from the community. This loneliness is a high contributor to stress among them, which may lead to multiple health problems.
It begs the question on why the society no longer values the elderly. It also begs the question of how capable the government is to provide for its old. It is good to consider that the elderly of today were the ones who worked to grow the economy of the nation when they were young. Is it then fair that they spend their retirement age feeling alone and insecure? It is reasonable to believe that to believe that they may not want to engage in the same activities as the younger people in the society, but they are equally entitled to opportunities to engage in the activities that they prefer.
This problem has also reflected the breakdown of the family unit today. In the past, the family was generally a strong and important unit that cared for its own. Today, however, these ties have weakened and this has contributed to the neglecting of some of its members. We live in a society where the old are a liability to the society. In the past, they were revered and respected. Today they are viewed to be a nuisance especially due to the evolving lifestyle of the people. Most people, today, spend more time at work than their families. This does not pose many problems for those who are strong and capable. But what about the old who need a hand in most of the things they do. This is an issue that only faces the elderly in Boston. It is a problem that faces the elderly across the world. In this paper, I am going to tackle the main causes of isolation of these elders, the problems they undergo and the most probable solutions to these problems.
II. Literature Review
According to research undertaken by the British Ministry of Health on the social isolation among the seniors, this is a very serious emerging issue. Many of those above the age of 65 listed relationships with their families and friends as one of the two most important things in their lives. This shows the need of social relations between them and the society. However, there are certain risk factors that predispose them to isolation. These include their gender, age, poor health, disability, living alone, reduced social networks among others. Social isolation was found to be a great contributor to premature death.
Research undertaken by the University of Adelaide in Australia showed that about 20% of the older Australians have been isolated. According to Professor Andrew Beer, social isolation poses a very great health risk. It is worse than obesity and almost the same as both smoking fifteen cigarettes per day and consuming about six bottles of alcoholic drinks on a daily basis. According to the university, few studies have been undertaken to come up with the best programs to tackle the problem of isolation. However, it has been suggested that educative programs are the most effective.
According to Sage on Social Isolation, isolation is a problem that faces many of the elderly. They face constant discrimination and stigma in their daily lives in the United States of America. The major risk factors of isolation are more likely to affect the elderly in a serious manner. They also happen to have limited support networks. They are more likely to face issues such as disability, terminal illnesses, high poverty rates and mental health concerns. These risk factors prevent them from aging without being isolated from the rest of the community. Like most Americans age and approach retirement, they slowly begin to get isolated in all settings. Isolation is an issue that causes emotional distress and lead to deterioration of mental and even physical health.
An article by Steven Reinberg, a Health Day reporter, focuses on the risks of lack of social contact. According to him, there is a greater risk of lack of social contact than mere loneliness. It is a clear predictor of death, though it is not clear why. Andrew Steptoe, a researcher, claims that social contact is a crucial part of human life. If this aspect is taken away, then one faces major risks of reduced lifespan. Research shows that there is a great connection between loneliness and poor health. According to him, though social isolation and loneliness are closely related, isolation is worse than loneliness. It is a greater predictor of death than loneliness especially in people who do not have any underlying health issues. It is important to keep social connections among the elderly people. Social connection enhances their chances of survival.
Dr. Elizabeth Brooks in an article on social isolation says that people of all ages may face social isolation due to factors such as their personality, income, poor transport systems or having moved away where their close relatives live. In the rural setting, most of the young people seem to desert the places and the old are left alone with their little income. After moving to the urban areas, the young settle there and most do not even visit their rural areas anymore. Social networks are broken, and most people live in the setting of their own nuclear families. Fragility is a major contributor to the abandonment of the old in the rural areas.
III. Critical Assessment
In general, all the articles seem to agree on one thing. Social isolation contributes to premature death. In order to deal with the problem of social isolation among elders, it is important to understand the position of elders in the society. Most of the old people, today, live alone in the rural areas, reside in nursing homes or live in hostile environments with their families. Those who live in the rural areas alone are forced to do everything for themselves whether or not they are in a position to do so. Some starve to death because they are incapable of searching for food while others succumb to illnesses when they lack medical care. Some die due to depression out of frustration. It is easy for them to get frustrated after working hard to raise their children who later on abandon them.
The other group is the one that lives in nursing homes. Most are taken there because family members are too busy for them. Others are taken there because nobody wants to be associated with him or her. Others live with their families. Some of these, despite being around their loved ones live miserable lives. They are shut out from all activities. They are ignored and have no say even in matters regarding them. Some of these elderly people despite living with family members actually struggle painfully through their daily lives because nobody takes care of him or her.
There are many factors that contribute to the painful isolation of the elderly people. One of them is the breakdown of societal ties. There no longer is the feeling of responsibility for each other. Everybody seems to care only for themselves. For this reason, the less privileged members of the society live in their pain with no help from those around them. Another reason is that few people are ready tom volunteer in serving these elderly people. It is a largely forgotten group. Even when people decide to take up works of charity, few of them consider taking care of the elderly people. Another reason few people volunteer is because most people do not find the time to do so. Some people work more than one job in a bid to support their families and, therefore, are not capable of offering such services. Another factor that is rarely considered is the personalities of the people involved. The less social people are bound to be more isolated in their old age.
Another contributor to isolation is poor health. Elderly people who are challenged health wise tend to be more isolated. This mostly occurs in the cases of poor mental health. This may have something to do with the fact that generally, people flee from such responsibilities. These people are seen as burdens on the society. The poor are also greatly isolated. The richer elders tend still to have their children and grandchildren around them as compared to the poor ones their children and grandchildren around them as compared to the poor ones.
Isolation of elders has several impacts. One of them is that it is leading to the development of a society where the old are considered irrelevant. This in turn leads to a negative attitude towards old age. It is clear through the efforts of many to stay and look young despite their age that old age is not admirable. If anything, it is slowly becoming a dreaded stage of life. Another impact is of isolation is loneliness. The isolated members become lonely because of the alienation from other members of the society. This may lead to stress and depression. It is therefore needless to say that this isolation will ultimately lead to poor health and eventually death.
Another impact of isolation is lack of balance in the society. The society is made up of the children, the young adults and the elderly. All of them are supposed to play a certain role in the society. When one group is isolated, they are no longer capable of playing their part in the society. This is an indication that a vital part of the society is missing. In order to understand the vacuum that is left by the isolation of the elders, it is, therefore, important to understand the roles that the elders played in the society before.
These challenges are what make it necessary to have organizations like ABCD North End that looks out for those who live in reduced circumstances in the society. Such organizations participate in making the lives if the elderly easier. The programs that are set up by these organizations are very helpful to the elderly. This is because they restore and maintain their social contact. They also keep them busy and engage them in activities that make them feel useful in the society. It is paramount for them to feel that they have a reason to keep living because they are still needed in the society.
IV. Conclusion
There are alternative solutions to the problem of isolation of the elderly. One is the creation of empowerment programs for the retired. Such programs would keep them physically active and provides them with the surroundings that allow them to interact with other people. It would be effective in keeping them active and involved in their retirement. In such a case, they are less likely to suffer from depression. Another possible solution is the provision of better infrastructure in the rural areas. This would make these areas accessible and connect the people who reside there to the rest of the world.
It would also be effective to set legislate on the family’s responsibility towards their old. This may be effective in discouraging the family members from abandoning their old. Provision of affordable medical care for the elderly is important. This will reduce the financial burden on those taking care of an ailing person. Another solution is the strengthening of family ties. The ties within the family unit have continually been weakened by several factors. The strengthening of these ties will give family members the feeling of responsibility towards all their members including the elderly.
Though all these measures may be taken to solve the problem of isolation, the most effective of them all is a general transformation it the attitude towards the old. It is only this that would reduce these cases by the greatest margin. This is because even though all other measures were taken, and the old remain despised in the society, then the impact of those measures would be greatly neutralized.
Works Cited
Barrow, Georgia. Instructor's Manual to Accompany Aging, the Individual, and Society. New York: West Publishing Company, 2009.
Cockerham, William. This Aging Society. New York: Prentice Hall, 2012.
Farganis, James. Readings in Social Theory: The Classic Tradition to Post-Modernism. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
Hillier, Susan and Georgia Barrow. Aging, the Individual, and Society. New York: Cengage Learning, 2011.
Thorson, James. Aging in a Changing Society. New York: Psychology Press, 2012.
