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MUMBAI, Maharashtra / DNA / Lifestyle / Report / June 16, 2009
By Vishakha Avachat & Joanna Lobo / DNA
What makes old age hard to bear is
not the failing of one's faculties,
mental and physical, but the
burden of one's memories
--William Somerset Maugham
The fourth World Elder Abuse Awareness Day was observed yesterday. This day was started in support of the UN's International Plan of Action which recognises the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue. The first awareness day was celebrated in 2006.
"The number of elderly people that come for counselling has increased over the past five to six years," says clinical psychologist and psychotherapist
Seema Hingorrany. In this fast-paced life, when children are busy with their careers, finding time to care for their parents becomes difficult. This leads to the feelings of loneliness, neglect and insecurity amongst the elderly.
Dr Nirmala Rao, psychiatrist and proprietor of the Aavishkar Centre for Self Enrichment in Mumbai, says, "Ours has become an individualistic society and we tend to ignore a lot of things - our older generation being one of them."
The problems that senior citizens usually face are depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty in accepting change, and feelings of betrayal. "They also have some amount of guilt and self-blame. In hindsight, they feel that they have made some mistakes that could have been avoided," says
Varkha Chulani, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.
Loss of identity, especially after retirement, is another common problem. "They find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands and nothing constructive to do," adds Neha Patel, a clinical psychologist.
While yoga and pursuing hobbies remain the age-old remedies of leading a positive life for the elderly, psychologists recommend more constructive methods. "Forming support groups with people of their own age will provide them an audience to listen to their grievances," says Hingorrany.
What the elderly expect is love and support from their family members - an hour-long chat, a dinner with them every day, and a phone call if the members are abroad works wonders. Dr Rao advises people to widen their social network so that when help is needed in caring for their parents, they have a support system to fall back on.
Learning new skill-sets and games such as sudoku, chess or even driving will keep the elderly occupied and give them a focus in life. "Alternate means of employment and part-time jobs will keep them busy, increase their self-worth and ensure that they are independent," advises Patel.
Doing something different every day and learning to love themselves will help keep their positivity alive. "Old age is not about physical strength, but about mental attitude and spirit," maintains Chulani.
Ageing around the world
Worldwide, the number of people aged 65 or older is increasing faster than ever before.
Most of this increase is occurring in developed countries. In the United States the proportion of people aged 65 or older increased from 4 per cent in 1900 to about 12 per cent in 2000.
In 1900, only about 3 million of the nation's citizens had reached 65. By 2000, the number of senior citizens had increased to about 35 million.
Population experts estimate that more than 50 million Americans -- about 17 per cent of the population -- will be 65 or older in 2020.
The number of old people is growing around the world chiefly because more children reach adulthood, and due to increases in the provision and standards of health care.
Facts of the matter
Women live longer than men. Almost one old person in four is over 75, and of these almost two-thirds are women. But longevity does not necessarily bring happiness; most of these elderly women are likely to be living in poverty.
In Asia and Africa, more than half the women over 65 are widows. Under 20 per cent of men are widowers.
In Chile, 65 per cent of old people receiving social assistance are women. In China 41 per cent of old women have incomes which leave them in extreme poverty.[
rc]
© 2009 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd
"The number of elderly people that come for counselling has increased over the past five to six years," says clinical psychologist and psychotherapist Seema Hingorrany. In this fast-paced life, when children are busy with their careers, finding time to care for their parents becomes difficult. This leads to the feelings of loneliness, neglect and insecurity amongst the elderly.
Dr Nirmala Rao, psychiatrist and proprietor of the Aavishkar Centre for Self Enrichment in Mumbai, says, "Ours has become an individualistic society and we tend to ignore a lot of things - our older generation being one of them."
The problems that senior citizens usually face are depression, anxiety, stress, difficulty in accepting change, and feelings of betrayal. "They also have some amount of guilt and self-blame. In hindsight, they feel that they have made some mistakes that could have been avoided," says Varkha Chulani, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai.
Loss of identity, especially after retirement, is another common problem. "They find themselves with a lot of free time on their hands and nothing constructive to do," adds Neha Patel, a clinical psychologist.
While yoga and pursuing hobbies remain the age-old remedies of leading a positive life for the elderly, psychologists recommend more constructive methods. "Forming support groups with people of their own age will provide them an audience to listen to their grievances," says Hingorrany.
What the elderly expect is love and support from their family members - an hour-long chat, a dinner with them every day, and a phone call if the members are abroad works wonders. Dr Rao advises people to widen their social network so that when help is needed in caring for their parents, they have a support system to fall back on.
Learning new skill-sets and games such as sudoku, chess or even driving will keep the elderly occupied and give them a focus in life. "Alternate means of employment and part-time jobs will keep them busy, increase their self-worth and ensure that they are independent," advises Patel.
Doing something different every day and learning to love themselves will help keep their positivity alive. "Old age is not about physical strength, but about mental attitude and spirit," maintains Chulani.
Ageing around the world
Worldwide, the number of people aged 65 or older is increasing faster than ever before.
Most of this increase is occurring in developed countries. In the United States the proportion of people aged 65 or older increased from 4 per cent in 1900 to about 12 per cent in 2000.
In 1900, only about 3 million of the nation's citizens had reached 65. By 2000, the number of senior citizens had increased to about 35 million.
Population experts estimate that more than 50 million Americans -- about 17 per cent of the population -- will be 65 or older in 2020.
The number of old people is growing around the world chiefly because more children reach adulthood, and due to increases in the provision and standards of health care.
Facts of the matter
Women live longer than men. Almost one old person in four is over 75, and of these almost two-thirds are women. But longevity does not necessarily bring happiness; most of these elderly women are likely to be living in poverty.
In Asia and Africa, more than half the women over 65 are widows. Under 20 per cent of men are widowers.
In Chile, 65 per cent of old people receiving social assistance are women. In China 41 per cent of old women have incomes which leave them in extreme poverty.[rc]
© 2009 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd
