In today’s era of easy access to knowledge, we know more and more about old age. This makes it easier for us to understand ourselves and others.

What’s the matter with the old age?

Neanderthals lived about 20-30 years.

In antiquity, I would have been considered old, like all people between ages of 40 and 50.

From 1900 to 1950, the average life expectancy increased from 47 to 68 years, and it keeps increasing.

Today we are discussing whether old age begins at 60, after 65 or even later.

Researches show that old age is actually quite a long period of life. In addition, it is a period of very dynamic changes. The 70+, 80+ or 90+ decades are completely different chapters. In each of them we change biologically, socially and psychologically.

Generally speaking, aging has its advantages and disadvantages. Today I wrote about a few disadvantages and after that about some psychosocial needs of the elderly. So keep reading :).

Depression is the most common mental disorder among people of retirement age. It particularly affects lonely and people dependent on the help of others.

When we live long, people around us pass away. With age, you have to attend funerals more and more often, which leave a mark on your well-being, mood and will to live.

It is not uncommon for seniors to experience sadness, fatigue, sleep problems, lack of hope for the future and irritability.

In old age, there is a high probability that dreams and goals are already fulfilled and achieved. Then thoughts about the meaning of further life may come.

Within once family, it is quite often difficult to define what the role of a senior member actually consists of, after their adult children moved out of the house several decades earlier. In addition, their grandchildren are adults, and their great-grandchildren are too distant in terms of generation to create a deeper bond with them.

Fear plays a very important role in this period of life. Many seniors no longer understand the rapidly changing world. The efficiency of these people also decreases and they feel that they are not keeping up.

Some very old people are not afraid of death, more so that they will die and no one will bury them. This is due to their loneliness.

Turning now to the psychosocial needs of the elderly, it should be emphasized that they largely overlap with the needs of people from other age groups. The American gerontologist Clark Tibbitis created an extremely accurate classification of the needs of seniors.

Seniors list of needs:

1. The need to perform socially useful activities.

2. The need to use free time in a satisfactory way.

3. The need to be recognized as part of society, communities or groups and to play a role within them.

4. The need to be recognized as a human being.

5. The need to maintain normal social contacts.

6. The need to create opportunities for sensation and self-expression.

7. The need for health protection and access to social care.

8. The need for a well-established lifestyle and maintaining relations with the family.

9. The need for adequate mental and psychological stimulation.

10. Need for spiritual satisfaction.

 

Of course, the above needs have an individual hierarchy. However, not satisfying them can lead to a sense of meaninglessness in life, major mood swings or depression.

The elderly themselves, and sometimes their families, assume that in old age it is too late for psychotherapy. And it’s not always about spectacular changes. An important goal of therapy may be help in coping with losses and loneliness, or finally with death itself.

On World Senior Day, I wish our beloved Seniors health and serenity!

Let’s take care of ourselves and our needs, and then we will be able to truly take care of others as well.