Old Age
should be the Elixir of Life.
As the
western world continues its march towards longer and longer life expectancy,
the question remains is it possible for societies to make better use of the lifetimes
of experiences of the elderly. The continual decline of working population
levels to support of our senior members in a welfare state becomes more problematical.
The building of retirement homes surely is not the only answer. The problem is
not confined to Western cultures, currently Japan is also facing the pressing
urgency of how to cope as the percentage of her elderly citizens continually to
rises.
In welfare
states, such as Britain and the Scandinavian countries the spiralling cost will
become prohibitive. One obvious salutation is the need to revisit the idea of
the meaning of the nuclear family. Perhaps
we need to revert to the family structures of previous generations were each
generation is required to care for the economic wellbeing of both the young and
the old. This age old salutation has been practiced for hundreds of years in Chinese
culture. This is going to require a major rethink of our current philosophy,
were the priority of personal economic success is the only meaning of life. Each
generation has a vital role to play as we pass through the journey of life.
Grandparents can play a major role in supporting and helping in the raising of
grandchildren. They often act as a stabilising force.
Many senior
citizens age prematurely due to a lack of purpose in their lives, often this is
a side effect of living in aged care. The most important point and reason for
living is the social need to participate in human activity. No one desires or
should be discarded, they need to feel useful in whatever capacity they are
able. Social responsibility enables the elderly to remain young at least in
attitude and mental activity. Should the working life of individuals be
increased, and if so how practical would such a policy be?
Generally it
is not the mental capacity of individuals that first declines, but rather their
physical state. A person who has spent a lifetime engaged in a mental occupation
has a better chance of retaining that capacity and general vigour well into
later life. On the other hand a person whose life experience has been hard
physical work often appear to age more rapidly. This of course this is
generalising, but often professional individuals retain their mental powers
well into their nineties. However this need not necessarily always be the case,
a farmer who can draw on a life time of experience is quite capable of
contributing productively in terms of practical advice, or to carry out work
within his physical capacity.
There appears
to be no reason, why a vast number of elderly people could not continue to be
usefully employed within their skill capacity. A part of the problem is the
attitude of employers, but also there seems to be an opportunity for retirement
homes to utilise the skills of their inmates for a few hours each day.
Naturally the individual would need to be willing to engage in such work. Everyone has useful skills that have economic
value from cooking to repairing toys, such activity must be within the physical
capability of the individual, men’s’ sheds are a good example. These activities
could be of considerable economic benefit to both the senior person involved
and the institution. Governments need to be encourage and fund such activities
were possible for the economic, physical, and mental wellbeing of all
concerned. How you choose to live your latter years is dependent on your inner
strength and your view of the purpose of life.
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