Throughout history, and within many cultures, the elderly of a community were treated with praise and the utmost respect. There is a decline in honor and treatment of older adults in the United States that is hurting both senior citizens and our culture as a whole. With growing rates of depression and isolation, many older people are feeling as if they no longer have a place in society. These are just some of the ways that people are systematically neglecting the elderly, whether intentional or not.
Lack of Quality Healthcare
The quality of healthcare has arguably declined in the United States, specifically within the elderly community. Not enough resources are going to cure diseases that are predominantly afflicting older populations. Once more, many older people are being guided to lower-quality medical centers and beholden to military healthcare, which is subpar at best.
Lack of Affordable Healthcare
Even if there is cutting-edge technology, many elderly people can’t take advantage of it because Medicaid won’t pay for it, and they can’t pay out of pocket. To make their worries worse, critical and lifesaving medications are often not covered by insurance either. That is leaving many elderly people in a sticky and poverty-ridden situation.
Little Social Support
Many more people are living longer, which means that there is a crisis in care and support for those who have a harder time living independently. As people get older, they require more support and often help. Those who are left without family ties to care for them suffer poor mental and physical health consequences that only continue to decline as they are isolated and become removed from society.
Discrimination
Although people have been enjoying being in the workplace for more years than ever, many who are still productive and have a lot to give are being discriminated against and pushed out of the workplace. Forced retirement has a severe consequence on those who are not ready to put their work life to rest just yet. For people who have worked their entire lives to achieve success, being thrown to the side can lead to depression and mental and physical decline.
Poor Transportation Options
Elderly people living in less populated dense areas have very little access to transportation. Once they have their licenses revoked, they are left to fend for themselves, often with very little income or options. Even if they want to exercise their independence, being isolated at home can lead to isolation and depression. In instances where public transportation is an option, many don’t have the means to make it to the pickup spots.
Little Retirement Resources
Many elderly people believed that they paid into the Social Security system and that it would be enough to take care of them in their retirement years. Because people are living longer, that is putting a strain on the Social Security system as a whole, meaning that many aren’t getting all that they need to live and afford the basics. Those who didn’t put money away, or enough away, are finding that they don’t have the basics to live a decent life.
Lack of Housing Options
Because many are living solely on Social Security, there is little in the budget for housing. Due to the increase in living costs and the real estate market being where it is at, many seniors are having a hard time living in safe and affordable neighborhoods. Being in unsafe housing, or not having housing options at all, is a reality for many elderly people and a source of great neglect by society.
The Sadness State of Long-Term Care Facilities
Many elderly people who are not able to live independently are beholden to a long-term care facility or nursing home. State nursing care facilities are poorly staffed and funded, leading to poor and neglectful care for many who don’t have any other options. The emotional and physical abuse that many endure is inhumane and a real shame in American society as a whole.
Little Mental Health Help
Old people are a forgotten segment of the population that is greatly ignored in the medical community. It is also a population that is neglected by the mental health one. Isolation, depression, and dementia are real and persistent problems not being addressed well enough by mental health providers.
Lack of Caregiver Attention and Support
Many families are feeling the sting of caring for their elderly and aging parents. Adult children who already have full lives and obligations to their own families are being left to care for their aging parents without the time or the resources available to help. It shouldn’t be a burden to care for your aging parent, but many families are financially and time-strapped and doing the best they can.
Little Opportunity for Engagement and Socialization
There is a growing stigma in the American psyche that after a certain age, you have a place in society, and that place continues to shrink. Not many communities provide opportunities for elderly people to get together and engage with other elderly people in the community. That leaves many aging people without a purpose, which can result in mental decline and depression.
Food and Nutrition Access
Nutrition and food are often not in abundance for the elderly. Whether it is because they don’t have transportation and access to grocery shopping or the money necessary to pay for fresh fruits and vegetables, proper nutrition is often a hurdle for many. Poor nutrition can lead to health consequences and a decline in mental function.
Technological Difficulties
The world has gone digital, but that doesn’t mean that everyone understands the digital space or has access to it. Without access to the internet or the understanding of how to use it, it makes life difficult and communicating with the outside world even more so.
Poor End of Life Care
End-of-life care for everyone should be something that society cares for, but it isn’t. Many elderly people are not receiving the respect or the palliative care they need in their final days. Elderly people should not have to suffer from pain and discomfort when there are resources available to make their final days comfortable.
Growing Generational Disrespect
In previous generations, younger people were taught to respect their elders; the same is not true today. Not many people are teaching compassion and understanding to the younger generations, nor are they role-modeling appropriate behaviors. The appreciation that society used to have for older people who built this nation and have a lot to offer is a real shame.
Volunteer Organization
Volunteering used to be something that people valued and didn’t have to be asked. Nowadays, people rarely volunteer to help in ways they used to. Not having enough people willing to dig in and help those in need is becoming a real problem for the elderly in America.
Societal Attitudes
There is a general sense that older people are not with it or that they are child-like. The prevailing perception of senior citizens as a burden instead of an asset is only further leading to a systematic disservice to those who deserve respect.
The Breakdown of Honor
There was a time when the elders of society were held in high esteem and respected for being experienced and knowledgeable. The breakdown of honor for the senior citizen communities across the United States is leading to depression, isolation, and mental decline for those who should be valued most.
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