Common Problems Faced by the Elders

Most of the People look forward to retirement, they see it as the time to relax, slow down, and enjoy their life in peace. While it is true that the Golden Year maybe some of the best years of life, but there are still some important challenges. Due to the age and circumstances of life, older adults have to face particular problems. Here in this post, we are going to mention some common problems faced by the senior citizens.

Physical and Mental Health

Many older adults maintain their good health and are physically and mentally capable of working well in their later years. However, the biological effect of aging is to produce more physical and mental health issues among senior citizens than the young age groups. As our age increases, muscles and bones start to weaken, we reduce our eyesight and hearing capability, and mobility often limits.

Senior Citizens also suffers from dementia, which includes Alzheimer’s disease, which affects approximately 10 percent of people over 65 years of age, which affects 32 percent of people aged 85 and over. Cause of physical or mental health conditions, about two-thirds of all people 65 or older are needed to help at least their one daily life activity such as bathing or preparing food.

Nursing Home Care/Health Care Costs

If senior citizens have more health issues, then it is understood that they also need more health care. Older adults go to the doctor and are more often in the hospital than other age groups. My AARP Medicare helps to cover some health care costs for superiors, although most are left to pay half of their own medical bills, which can cost thousands of dollars each year. In addition, Medicare doesn’t cover the cost of the long term care for nursing home care or home care, or for the mental health services. For senior citizens who require around-the-clock care, residential nursing homes are still a primary option for them. Nursing homes are not only expensive but they often also have a reputation for providing their substandard care. Many nursing homes are struggling with under-staffing problems, which can lead to neglect or misuse of residents.

Financial Security

Once senior citizens become poor, then due to fewer job opportunities, they are more likely than young age people to be poor, which allows them to get out of poverty. After retirement, most senior citizens lived on a fixed income, which could put many financial restrictions in line with the ever-increasing cost of living. They can no longer be able to afford the lifestyle they were accustomed to. In addition, many concerns about the sudden bill, such as an unexpected medical expense that could cause them to fall behind. Most of the older citizens receive the social security benefits which help in supplementing their income. However, two-thirds of those people who fully live on the social security payments live below official poverty levels.

Social Isolation, Bereavement, and Loneliness

Seniors get fewer opportunities for social engagement compared to the younger groups. They retire from the jobs, children go away, friends and spouses pass away, and after all, they lose their ability to drive or get sick, they can be inside the house. Bereavement is always one of the difficult experience, but because of many seniors lose their husband and wife, this is a particular issue in their lives. Soreness after the loss of a spouse can last for many years and may include anxiety, depression, loneliness, and other problems. Between these problems, loneliness is one of the most common problems from which most difficult to overcome. According to the recent U.S. Census, 28 percent of people aged 65 and more lived alone, with percent are now estimated to be much higher. Studies show that senior citizens often experience social isolation and chronic feelings of loneliness, which cause illness, depression, and even death.

Elder Abuse

Due to this fact, it is difficult to tell how many senior citizens are affected by elder abuse, only report a few. However, it is estimated that at least 10 percent of the older Americans have faced from at least one abuse, which is hundreds of thousands of cases each year. Sadly, some senior citizens are victims of abuse by their own relatives. Such abuse includes physical or sexual violence, psychological or emotional abuse, neglect, and/or financial exploitation. Elder abuse is one of the serious health issues for the affected people, and this can increase their chances of dying. Being closely involved in the life of your loved ones can help to prevent them from taking abusive or availing of benefits.