Old_Age

There is widespread thinking that perhaps old people can be dispensed with. Dumping an old grandfather in a park because he has Alzheimer's disease has already become news. Taking care of the old is increasingly becoming a threat to the younger generation. In our present-day society, where money is the measure of everything, the elderly are looked upon as an economic liability and a social burden The prospect of loneliness often accompanies the process of aging. In fact, many old people, unable to bear this loneliness, commit suicide, and many are clamouring for the right to die rather than be forced to live with the indignities and hopelessness of old age. Aging also hardens the likes and dislikes of a person—his or her prejudices, perceptions, and value judgments that refuse to acknowledge the reality of aging. Many people get extremely panicky when they become old. In their earlier years, they never paused to think of this inevitability and now they are emotionally ill prepared to accept the fact. They become fearful and depressed. Old age has become a widespread social problem in our time. Improvement in diet, technology, and medicine has increased the longevity of a person. People are living much longer than ever before. 'The Census Bureau anticipates that sixty-two million people, or almost one in five Americans, will be aged 65 and older by 2025,'4 and that number will continue to rise as the years go by. Leaders and thinkers are struggling to find a solution for the problem of old age. There are some in the United States who are advocating the idea that there is a duty for the elderly to die. There are some in the United States who are advocating the idea that there is a duty for theelderly to die, saying: 'It is a moral responsibility to make room for the young. As leaves fall from the trees in the fall, so old people have a duty to die... To have reached the age of, say, 75 or 80 years without being ready to die is itself a moral failing, the sign of a life out of touch with life's basic realities.'5 The author John Hardwig, in his article, 'Is There a Duty to Die'' advocates 'that there already is a legal right to refuse life-prolonging medical treatment' and claims that 'a duty to die can go well beyond that... There may be a fairly common responsibility to end one's life in the absence of any terminal illness.' Indeed, 'there can be a duty to die even when one would prefer to live.' The author Nancy Osgood writes: In a book chapter entitled 'Rational Suicide Among the Elderly,' Derek Humphry contends that old age is 'sufficient cause to give up' even without unbearable suffering. He sees suicide as a 'preemptive alternative to growing old.' Mary Barrington, past president of the London-based Voluntary Euthanasia Society, in her 'Apologia for Suicide' argues that adisabled older individual in poor health and in need of constant care and attention may feel a burden to the younger person(s) who must provide that care. This situation may be such that the young person is in 'bondage' whether willingly or unwillingly. The old person may want to 'release' the young person but has no real choice but to continue to live on. There is a strong implication in her writing that the older person who is a burden to the younger people should (has an obligation to) release younger family members from the burden of caring for her by opting for suicide. Stating the same position in even stronger terms, Dr. Glanville Williams argues for the elimination of 'the senile' elderly. He writes: 'A decision concerning the senile may have to be taken within the next twenty years. The number of old people are (sic) increasing by leaps and bounds.Pneumonia, 'the old man's friend,' is now checked by antibiotics. The effects of hardship, exposure, starvation and accident are now minimized. Where is this leading us'... What of the drooling, helpless, disoriented old man or the doubly incontinent old woman lying log like in bed' Is it here that the real need for euthanasia exists'' The old person may want to 'release' the young person but has no real choice but to continue to live on. As the aging population continues to expand rapidly and we as a nation continue to spend more dollars on health care costs and advanced medicaltechnology, which are disproportionately utilized by older persons, the need for budget cutting, health care rationing and redistribution of health and other resources becomes more pressing. Older adults are viewed as an emotional and financial burden to be borne by the younger members of society. Cries for rational suicide, the right to die, and legalized assisted suicide grow louder. It seems easier to eliminate the problem of too many expensive old people to care for, or to encourage the problem to eliminate itself through sanctions encouraging suicide, rather than to face hard moral choices about our financial spending as individuals and as a society and our appropriate obligations to our older members, who have created and improved the society we now live in. Personality Problems Personality in later life does not differ much from younger years. Happy young people grow into happy older people, but life’s heaviest punches seem to be reserved for later life. Diseases and deaths of friends and life mates are extremely unhappy moments, and they force great changes in our ways of life. In spite of these sobering events, the mature personality still reflects a fairly steady manner of living, almost the same at all ages. It is a source of wonderment that the brandishments of life do not effect more mental problems but generally, the human mind stands up remarkably well under the beating of life. The self-displeased personality Some people are actually displeased with themselves and must continuously try to prove to themselves that they are as good or better than others. If they cannot prove this to their satisfaction, extreme displeasure overtakes them. This group of people has several distinct characteristics. They are very self-conscious and keenly aware of their own shortcomings; they can never admit that they are wrong; they fear and avoid all honest competition; they must have more money, more power, and more fame than anyone else; they avoid all situations which may detract from them; they must always have the last word; they are difficult to satisfy, and are apt to be very selfish; and they are very difficult persons to live with. Personality problems involving displeasure with self, are likely to be found in the little Napoleon, the severe inferiority complex with the exaggerated way of compensating. These unfortunate persons need the uplifting influence of charity and love in their lives. It is difficult for the extremely selfish or self-centered person to love himself or anyone else, until he learns concern and charity for others. Then he may forget himself and begin to love life itself. Displeasure with others, causing personality difficulties Some people seem anti-social. They do not enjoy the company of others, and actually seem hostile in their attitudes to other people. They are obviously anything but joiners and have several identifying characteristics: they feel continuously alone, and display little concern for anyone else; they have very few friends and they are possessed with the idea that others are against them; they trust very few people whom they can love or enjoy; they are inclined to impose upon others and show little respect, if any, for their fellowman. The personality problem displeased with others around him, is likely to be found in thieves, racketeers and other enemies of society. These people need to experience a strong feeling of trust in others, and to be trusted in turn, as well. Their lot is indeed a hard one, for without sharing the problems of life with loved and trusted friends, it is indeed a lonely and bitter road. Displeasure with the world as a cause of personality troubles Some people are always down on their luck or are always getting the bad breaks. The world of reality is too cold and hard for them to endure, and they dream of an unreal future through their rose-colored glasses. Some characteristics of this group are: They deftly avoid and shirk any real responsibility; they shun hard work in favor of an angle; they waste any real talents that they may have in their search for the proverbial rainbow; they shun making decisions, and new ideas or change of any kind are avoided at all costs. Personality problems involving the world at large are likely to be found in the ne’er-do-wells, the alcoholics, and people with very shallow personalities. The great need of these people is the satisfaction enjoyed from hard work well done. Without this, they can experience very little real satisfaction or enjoyment in life, and their readjustment is very difficult. Their need to excel in something is very great indeed. It is funny how everyone wants to live long but no one wants to grow old. Old age is viewed as an unavoidable, undesirable, problem-ridden phase of life that we all are compelled to live, marking time until our final exit from life itself. Perceiving old age with fear is actually a rather recent phenomenon. It seems to increase as each day passes and the world becomes more complex and less comprehensible. Earlier, when life was simpler and values counted for more, those who reached a ripe old age held an enviable place in society where they could really relax and enjoy their twilight years, secure in the knowledge that they still commanded attention, respect and affection, and that though they were well past their prime, all that they had given their best for was still important- and so were they.