Nutrition and lifestyle of the elderly: recommendations of Tibetan medicine. Active life in old age
Recently, a survey was conducted among people over 60 years old on the topic: “What advice would you give to young people today?”. It seemed like a perfectly simple question, but some of the answers were quite unexpected.
1. People always say: “ Good job one that you enjoy every day." This is an INCORRECT STATEMENT. A good job is one that you can tolerate most working days and still cover all of your expenses. Almost no one has a job to adore every second.
2. Years pass in the blink of an eye. Don't marry young. Live life to the fullest. TRAVEL. Take action. It doesn't matter if you have money or not. Pack your bag and go wherever you can afford. Until you have kids, don't spend money on things. For any things. See the world. Click on a dot on the map. And go!
3. Don't take things too seriously. Even if at some moments life seems hopeless and hopeless, try to laugh at all this ass and how you got so lucky.
4. A friend is someone who will come to the rescue, even if you call him at two in the morning. The rest are just acquaintances.
5. Most important person in your life is a person who agrees to share his life with you. Consider it this way.
6. You will not notice how your children grow up. So spend as much time with them as possible.
7. No one has yet died regretting that they did not work enough in their life. Be industrious, but don't put work ahead of family, friends and, in the end, yourself!
8. You can live long life, and maybe a short one - no one knows. But be that as it may, it is necessary to take care of your health in your youth.
9. If you are tired of your life, just stop, think about the present moment, enjoy everything that is beautiful and really important. Take a deep breath, relax. And understand that everything is relative.
10. Eat and exercise like you're a diabetic with a heart condition - that way you'll never be.
11. We only have one life. Don't wake up one day to the realization that you're 60 and haven't accomplished anything you've dreamed of all your life.
12. This may not be as deep advice as others, but still: brush your teeth regularly, dental problems are terrible.
13. Don't follow all the advice as if it were biblical. You can ask someone you respect for advice, then re-evaluate your situation and make your OWN decision.
14. Things are just things. Do not hold on to material objects, hold on to time and events.
15. The injuries you received today will make themselves felt in old age. Even if you think that you have completely healed them. BELIEVE!
16. Appreciate every moment and every little thing. When you are young, you always want everything at once. But why not appreciate every little moment? We are not forever on this planet, and the greatest pleasure that we can allow is to enjoy every moment. Instead of typing messages, pick up the phone and talk live with the person. Visit your mother, for absolutely no reason, just like that. Soak up every moment.
17. Pay all your bills and stay out of debt.
18. Jealousy destroys relationships. Trust your significant other. If not her, then who can you trust?
19. If you have an impossible dream, you should still at least try to get closer to realizing it. Since with age it will become even more impracticable.
20. When you meet someone for the first time, realize that you DON'T KNOW ANYTHING about that person. You see his nationality, gender, age, clothes. Forget it all. You don't know anything. Those stereotypes that stick in your head because our brain loves to categorize everything, limit your life.
elderly social service
In 1995, a number of laws were adopted in the field social protection population - "On the social protection of disabled people in the Republic of Kazakhstan", "On the basics of social services for the population of the Republic of Kazakhstan". On pension provision in the Republic of Kazakhstan Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated June 20, 1997 No. 136.
And also, together with these documents, the law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the social protection of persons with disabilities in the Republic of Kazakhstan" was adopted. This Law governs public relations in the field of social protection of disabled people in the Republic of Kazakhstan and determines the legal, economic and organizational conditions for ensuring social protection of disabled people, creating equal opportunities for them to live and integrate into society.
All these laws are the main basis for the work and activities of the bodies of social protection of citizens and the disabled.
In Kazakhstani legislation, elderly citizens cannot be equated with the disabled. Many problems about the implementation of these laws follow from this.
There are two main traditions of society's attitude towards old age. The first is about 30 thousand years old, an ancient Egyptian tradition. The ancient Egyptian tradition of old age is a happy and serene state of a person, old man close to God, the most honorable and respected person in society.
The second tradition has 3 thousand years - is called the Spartan tradition. In Sparta they said: “It’s better to be a stray dog than an old man”: weak (useless) old people in Sparta were thrown off a cliff into an abyss, and the old Spartan perceived such an end of life as natural.
AT different countries now the situation of the elderly citizens can be divided into the ancient Egyptian, or Spartan tradition (“prosperous”, “unsuccessful”). Old age is when every elderly person is burdened with many chronic diseases (8-12 on average). They appear as soon as a person begins to age and gets sick from 30 to 40 years. In old age, certain changes occur in the human body: 1 the amount of water decreases
2 salts and trace elements
3 deteriorating oxygen metabolism and blood supply to the brain
4 deteriorating memory and thinking
5 increased fatigue
6 reaction slows down
7 shows offense and suspicion
Shift change in progress social status personalities with limitation, termination of labor, and transformation of lifestyle. The incidence rate of the elderly is 2 times higher than that of the young, chronic diseases. Doctors most often treat them “in a Spartan way”, especially in modern Kazakhstan, when there is not enough money either to keep the patient in the department or for medicine (the payment for medical staff in our country is lower than in underdeveloped countries of the “third world”).
Violation of the health of the elderly cannot be compensated by social measures, their health reserves are depleted.
With age, a deformation of character is manifested:
1) suspiciousness
2) short temper
3) vulnerability
4) anxiety
5) touchiness
6) hysteria
7) isolation
8) predilection
And if an elderly person had to bury relatives and friends, especially children or a spouse, then his character and his psyche cannot remain normal. This problem takes place in lonely old age. Special Studies confirm that thoughts of imminent and inevitable death, one way or another, are present in the minds of everyone over 60, as experiences. This is explained by the fact that with age, the psychological protection of a person changes accordingly, with which he is born and the program of which includes the consciousness of his own death. Psychological protection helps the death row and the terminally ill to cope with thoughts of inevitable death, which, therefore, never reach overvalued experiences. Of course, only in cases where "thoughts of death" are symptoms mental pathology(psychotic depression, suicidal attitudes, delirium, etc.).
1. The group is aged disabled people.
2. Disabled people in old age
3. Single residents
4. Single couples
5. Participants of the Second World War and persons equated to them, home front workers.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers work with these elderly people. They require an individual approach.
In Kazakhstan, about 1.5 million older citizens need outside help in social services.
The aging of the population is accompanied by a process of declining living standards.
More than 29 million pensioners in the world are experiencing the consequences of declining living standards. The study of the needs of the elderly indicates that 78% of them require medical and social assistance, and almost 80% need consumer services
Kazakhstan lacks social workers and the number of older people is growing. In Kazakhstan, there are not enough social workers and doctors specializing in diseases of the elderly and old age.
In Kazakhstan, it is necessary to develop and implement a training program for geriatricians (doctors specializing in diseases of the elderly and senile people) and gerontologists (specialists dealing with aging problems - KazTAG). At present, we do not have either of them. In addition, it is necessary to create a network of geriatric centers.
At the same time, it was noted that the transition from the age of labor activity to the group of elderly people is quite hard to endure by any person, both psychologically and physically. socially. In addition, there are difficulties. By becoming older, a person becomes a "target" for diseases directly related to aging.
It is necessary not only to strengthen the medical sector associated with age-related problems, but also to help older people return to an active work process. The main task is to return the elderly to the labor process. This will benefit not only the state - people with extensive experience and practical knowledge will participate in the work, but also the pensioners themselves.
They will be able to improve their financial condition, but the most important thing for them will not be psychological problem associated with the transition to the elderly group. But in order to return older people to an active labor process, the problem of premature biological aging should be solved.
Ideally, our biological age should coincide with the calendar. In cities, about 80-85% of the population suffers from premature aging. AT countryside this figure is somewhat lower - 50-60%.
Biologically, age moves forward and the run-up can be 10, 15, or even 20 years, but there are special methods for correcting biological age. Kazakhstan is a rather young state, and will remain younger than the countries of the Asian and European regions until 2050. This is due both to the relatively higher birth rate in Kazakhstan and, unfortunately, to the lower life expectancy in Kazakhstan. At the same time, he noted that the mortality rate in Kazakhstan is slightly higher than in the countries of the Asian and Eurasian regions. This difference is expected to remain until 2050 unless improvement measures are taken. According to the Society of Gerontologists, in 2010 the number of elderly people in Kazakhstan was 7.1% of the total population, and about 10.5% of pensioners in the country, of which 71% were women, 29% were men. The average life expectancy in Kazakhstan is 68.3 years: for men - 63.6 years, for women - 73.6 years.
The proportion of working pensioners remains. According to the data, 15% of men and 12% of women work at the age of 60-65. Older citizens are experiencing many difficulties: the deterioration of the diet, the minimum expenditure on social needs. The majority of the family's budget is spent on food and medicine. There is no money left for other needs or there is a minimum of money left. The consumption of dairy products, fish products, vegetables and fruits is reduced. In general, consumption remains at a minimum level.
Every elderly person has lived a difficult life (it is difficult to imagine a person who would live to 65 years old without experiencing any suffering or stress). However, in a particularly difficult situation are the elderly in modern Kazakhstan, who have experienced a number of global social problems(lack of material resources, employment, etc.).
The character of an elderly person is already deformed due to the aging of the body. This deformation is quite difficult process(as a person lived, so he grows old).
This state of affairs cannot be explained by socio-economic (material) or socio-psychological (good or bad character) factors. The reasons go much deeper. Nursing homes that have appeared in Kazakhstan have not yet shown themselves well, since their maintenance requires a lot of money, they are not evenly distributed throughout Kazakhstan. In Western countries, with the exception of Italy and Spain, it has long been a tradition to live separately from parents. The same tradition in North America. In Israel, they live separately, and as in Kazakhstan, where parents still often live with one of the children, that is, one family. “Own home” is an extremely different concept for a European and for a Kazakhstani: for a European, it is the house where his children were born; for a Kazakhstani, this is the house where he himself was born. A boarding house for the elderly for a European is a normal relocation of his parents to normal (well-paid) conditions. A hospice for a Kazakhstani is worse than a nursing home, because it is an intermediate stage before the cemetery. They say that the development of society can be judged by how children and the elderly live in it. It is precisely about the elderly that I want to talk, to find out the opinion of society. Tell me how many of us after 30 live with our parents. Most likely, not much, most already have their own family, work in another city, or just their own life. Nevertheless, our parents, unfortunately, are not getting younger, health problems begin to appear, the forces are no longer the same. If, moreover, they live alone, the concern for their well-being and security increases with each added year. And if while there is no one nearby, his heart will seize, pressure will jump, or he will simply fall unsuccessfully in his own apartment and will not be able to get up.
In the West and in Europe the question independent living The elderly have been successfully treated for more than 30 years. Everyone can buy a personal "panic button" or get it at the expense of the state. A sort of medical alarm, which, in which case, will immediately give a signal to the operator, and he will already decide to call an ambulance, relatives or neighbors. Timely assistance reduces the risk of serious consequences or even death at times. In Kazakhstan, a similar service was launched in 2011 and immediately began to actively develop with the support of the state. Today, 30,000 grandparents already have such an alarm system, and several dozen lives have already been saved. Will such a service take root in Kazakhstan? Do you need such a service or, given our specifics respectful attitude to the elders, it can be assumed that most of the parents live with their children. In 2013, the Liniya Zhizni company, with the support of the Kazakhstani community, launches a project of a social medical alarm service for the elderly.
In our time, all kinds of health and charity funds began to appear in our country, which took on part of the care for the elderly.
The study found that the quality of life of older people depends not only on mental characteristics various groups elderly citizens, but also from the socio-economic (domestic, material) conditions in which they have passed and are passing their lives.
The social protection of the elderly is of great importance to our society. It is important to consider when social work with the elderly the following factors:
1) Respect for the constitutional rights and legitimate interests of the elderly.
2) Promoting a decent lifestyle for the elderly.
3) Ensuring the optimal level of adaptation of the elderly.
4) Providing the necessary social and legal assistance.
5) Participate in solving various problems of senior citizens.
6) Attract additional funds to solve the problems of the elderly.
The concept of technology means a set of methods necessary for the implementation of the production process. Technology of social work - a set of techniques, methods and influences used by social services, individual social service institutions and social workers to achieve the set goals in the process of implementing social work, solving different kind social problems, ensuring the effective implementation of tasks social assistance population.
In the technologies of social work with the elderly, there are 3 main areas of social protection of the elderly:
1) pension provision
2) system of benefits and benefits
3) social service elderly
Social Security. Since 2005, a single basic social indicator in Kazakhstan has been the subsistence minimum, determined on the basis of the cost of the minimum consumer basket necessary to preserve human health and ensure its vital activity. The determination of the size of pensions, the provision of social assistance is carried out on the basis of the subsistence minimum. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, the state is trying to maintain a decent lifestyle for the elderly through various payments. The current system of social security in Kazakhstan is characterized by the predominance of state participation. The state budget provides social security for pensioners, the disabled and other categories of the population.
Today, more than 3.5 million people are covered by social security (or 23.6% of the total population). Social security spending in 2012 increased by more than 1.5 times compared to 1999. This made it possible to significantly increase the income of the population, as evidenced by the growth of the following indicators. From 1999 to 2012: minimum pensions increased by 1.9 times, average pensions - by 2 times, subsistence level - by 1.5 times the average size state social benefits - 1.3 times
In order to ensure universal accessibility and socially acceptable quality of the most important social benefits in the course of the reform, state minimum social standards were established and are currently being used: the subsistence minimum, minimum wages and pensions, standards for the provision of social services, etc. The main problem in the social security of the elderly people is low level social benefits that does not allow them to overcome their social vulnerability.
In relation to each category of low-income citizens, appropriate measures are applied: passive - the provision of material assistance; active - promotion of employment, adaptation of the able-bodied part of the poor population to the requirements of the market.
In order to further deepen social reforms, the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 30, 2004 No. 1241 approved the Program for Further Deepening Social Reforms in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2005-2015. The program provides:
1. gradual approximation of the system of state social standards to international standards;
2. development of social insurance for the main social risks (old age, disability, loss of a breadwinner, loss of a job);
3. improvement of the organization of social assistance;
4. expanding the availability of social security and social services;
5. creating conditions for expanding the coverage of the population with social security and improving the opportunities for individual choice;
6. further development institutions that ensure the functioning of the social security system;
7. improvement of the regulatory legal framework of the social security system.
In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 20, 2006 No. 110 “On certain issues of payment of a one-time state monetary compensation citizens affected by nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site” pensioners, recipients of state social benefits who suffered as a result of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site are paid a one-time state monetary compensation.
A special place in social security is occupied by pension payments.
On the one hand, the pension should be aimed at reducing poverty and preventing poverty, i.e. to ensure a minimum guaranteed level of income, on the other hand, the pension is designed to compensate for lost earnings and provide adequate individual coefficient wage replacement. According to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan is guaranteed minimum size pensions, social security for old age, in case of illness, disability and other legal grounds. The legal and social foundations of pension provision for citizens in the Republic of Kazakhstan are determined by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Pension Provision in the Republic of Kazakhstan". An increase in pensions is carried out annually and in last years nominal growth pension payments outperformed the consumer price index. In addition to indexation, a differentiated increase in pensions was carried out in 2012. However, in the presence of such obvious positive changes, a differentiated increase in pensions did not solve all the problems. Most importantly, the level of pension provision continues to be relatively low.
Social assistance - system social measures in the form of assistance, support and services provided to individuals or groups of the population of the social service to overcome or mitigate life's difficulties, maintain their social status and full life, adapt in society. Types of social assistance:
1. material - monetary
2. natural help
3. social services
4. consultations of various specialists
Material and monetary assistance allocated from the local budget is of a one-time nature and is mainly timed to coincide with the days of the elderly or anniversaries. So, for example, in the city of Almaty in 2013, on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, 4870 participants in the war invalids were transferred from the republican budget for 30 thousand tenge, from the local budget 4847 participants and invalids of the war - 10 thousand tenge each, 11386 awarded workers home front and persons equated to the participants of the Great Patriotic War, widows of dead soldiers 4 thousand tenge each. In the Mangistau region, pensioners are annually paid a one-time financial assistance from the regional budget on the Day of the Elderly.
In 2012, 2,678 people received charitable assistance in the amount of 14.7 million tenge. Every year, personal pensioners of regional significance receive an increase in pensions in the amount of 1 MCI. In 2012, 1,154 elderly and disabled people received material assistance in the amount of 2.2 million tenge. In the Karaganda region in 2013, on the occasion of the Victory Day, 17148 veterans of the Great Patriotic War and persons equated to them received a one-time financial assistance for a total amount of 28.4 million tenge. In the city of Almaty, 124 thousand pensioners receive a special city allowance, introduced by the decision of the city akimat, in the amount of 0.5 MCI. For this, more than 60 million tenge is allocated from the city budget every month. In the Atyrau region, in accordance with the decision of the regional akimat, all participants and disabled veterans of the Second World War, regardless of income, are paid 2 thousand tenge a month. In 2012 provided charity 7906 elderly and elderly in the amount of 28288.13 thousand tenge. Also, one-time assistance can be provided to those in need who find themselves in a difficult life situation caused by a fire, natural disaster, or disease. Since 2005, the participants and disabled veterans of the Great Patriotic War have been provided with benefits for paying for housing and communal services by the decree of the akimat of the Almaty region. Participants and invalids of the Great Patriotic War - residents of private houses are monthly compensated for the cost of 1 gas cylinder, consumed electricity and once a year the cost of 1 ton of coal. War veterans living in comfortable apartments receive benefits in the amount of 1665 tenge, living in private houses - 1187 tenge, in districts - 1036 tenge. In the regional budget for 2005, 44.1 million tenge were allocated for compensation, in 2006 - 48 million tenge. For 6 months of 2013, compensation was paid in the total amount of 26.5 million tenge. .
In addition to cash assistance, older people are provided with assistance in in kind. Free food parcels for the elderly medical preparations, funds technical assistance providing prosthetic services. In the apartments of the elderly, at the expense of local budgets, metering devices for hot and cold water. Also, the elderly are provided free of charge with coal, firewood, food, travel cards for free travel to public transport. Charitable catering points are organized in all regions.
Social services for the elderly is one of the actual problems. A person in old age loses his former social roles, often loses his relatives and friends, spiritual decline sets in, which leads to a narrowing of the circle of contacts, options for relating to the world.
Since 2002, the republican budget's annual spending on social assistance and social security, including spending planned for 2013, has grown from 160 billion tenge to more than 862 billion tenge, that is, more than six times.
Image copyright Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
In Russia, these people do not take part in surveys, rarely work or participate in social life For most, they are almost invisible. We are talking about older people over 80, who, as a rule, are excluded from society with age, and their social environment in best case limited to family circles.
Their life was studied by the employees of the laboratory of social research methodology of the Institute of Social Analysis and Forecasting of the RANEPA. The head of the laboratory, Dmitry Rogozin, spoke about the results of the study in an interview with the BBC.
Scientists interviewed people over 65 years old and their relatives. According to Rogozin, this is a unique sample, since people over 75-80 years old usually do not participate in surveys. With age, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to communicate, many of them are already seriously ill by this age.
About doctors and drugs
"Older people in Russia often save on medicines. They prefer to endure pain more often than take painkillers. They do not trust doctors and what they are prescribed, they often use the cheapest medicines. Accordingly, they are more likely to suffer from side effects without feeling relief from the treatment.
It is difficult for them to consult a doctor, since the diagnosis is very weak. The elderly say that their trips to the doctor come down to the fact that a person comes, receives a prescription and goes to the pharmacy for medicine. "That's all my going to the hospital, our doctors are not good for more," says a 77-year-old woman from Bryansk.
One woman spoke about how she ended up in a nursing home. She first lived in her house, after 75 years she began to take it - it is difficult to go for water, the toilet is outside, and so on. The granddaughter offered to move in with her, as her grandmother could not cope, they lived together for eight years, everything was fine. But then the doctors prescribed pills that acted as a laxative, she did not have time to go to the toilet, conflicts began with her granddaughter, who was unpleasant to clean up. The woman decided to go to a nursing home, this act is understandable for her, this is one of the solutions to the conflict, although others were possible - diapers, going to doctors, and so on.
Russians over 65 experience mobility difficulties
They have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
89% of people over 90 have mobility problems.
More than a third of older Russians experience severe pain every day
Dmitry Rogozin, RANEPA
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
There is virtually no communication. It seems that doctors, for the most part, approach treatment formally, they themselves do not study, do not develop their competencies, and people are cut off from this.
Therefore, health is often perceived by the elderly as a kind of black box - how long I live, how long I live, it is better not to pay attention. This is just one of the elements why our standard of living for the elderly is not as high as it could be.
The study itself is generally devoted to active longevity. The question is not how to live or live long. If a person lives to be 65 years old, then the likelihood that he will live to 85 years old is quite high. It is good to live long, the question is how you live, what these years are, why they are important for a person and how a person perceives them."
About social life
“This is the age when a person is economically inactive, that is, ceases to be a participant in labor relations. It is often said that as soon as he retired, he began to forget people, except for relatives you do not communicate with anyone. This is a tragedy for those who were included in society earlier - for teachers, doctors, stewardesses - for all those who actively communicated with people.
The aging period has become very long - for 20-30 years a person lives in a completely different world, which is no longer divided into work, caring for children and leisure. This is nothing. We are used to the fact that our world is divided into parts - there is education, work, trips with the family, caring for children, this is such a familiar scheme.
And then here is the pension, and they tell you to "rest." The worst thing for an old man is when they say, well, why are you twitching, you have worked your way, outlived yours, now rest. But a person cannot rest all the time, it is somehow strange for a person to rest for 30 years.
Physical death is always preceded by social death. When a person ceases to be mobile, refuses contacts, withdraws into himself, rests.
Elderly and social environment
With age, a person gradually falls out of society.
Russians over 90 leave their homes every day
people aged 65-69 leave their homes every day
14% of older Russians go on vacation
55% of Russians over 65 work in a garden or garden
51% of respondents aged 65-69 do exercises
Dmitry Rogozin, RANEPA
Anton Vergun/TASS
Relatives or those people who come and help (it can be a guardianship service or neighbors who come and change diapers for little money, wash the floors), the environment at some point begins to believe that the old man does not need anything else, as in at some point to maintain his vital activity at the level of nutrition and bowel movements. We will make sure that he is more or less clean, that he eats and that he does not need anything else.
We asked a question: please tell me how often you leave the house - every day, once a month or less. So every day very few people go out of the house. At the age of 65-70, 80% leave the house every day. After 85 years, a meager percentage of people go out into the streets every day. And the reason, unfortunately, is not only weakness.
Social contacts are very important. At the age of 90, very often a person no longer has relatives, girlfriends and friends remain, maybe even 20 years younger, work colleagues or neighbors. In this sense, any regular contact, any communication, and even a small financial assistance is very important. When an old man gives money, it is often important for the old man himself - it raises him in his own eyes, gives him motivation to live.
About sexuality
Older people in couples live longer and happier, precisely because touching, hugging, stroking is important for old people - for them this is sexuality. Sometimes they even experience erotic relationships, but this is very rare. Up to 65 years, this happens in 30% of people, and after 80 years, these are already indistinguishable levels. It fades away very quickly.
Touching and hugging with a partner is different from the same actions with other people - this is also sexuality. If an elderly couple lives, then they hug each other in a completely different way. Sexuality is a cognitive function, it is very important, it is active longevity.
Sexual life of the elderly
Often people stop having sex after they retire or have grandchildren.
Russians aged 65 to 69 have sex
16% of Russians aged 70-74 have a sex life
6% of Russians aged 75-79 continue to have sex
After 80 years, only a few support intimate relationships
Older couples are more likely to live longer and feel happier
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
We have a lot of the population stops their sexual life, before that active, either with retirement or with the birth of grandchildren, which often happens much earlier. 45-55 years is the period when there is a rejection of sex. A person who refuses this part of life because it is accepted, because it is inconvenient. And this is a direct blow to active longevity. The danger is not in abandoning sexual life, but in the fact that a certain norm is imposed on the old people, which they accept as natural.
Few older couples. We are old with woman's face, a lot of single women. At the same time, women, regardless of when she lost her husband or divorced, it could be 40 or 50 years old, as a rule, then do not marry.
Oddly enough, we have a lot of single men. For this there are many different reasons. It would seem that the situation is such that there are many women for one man, men have a choice. But there are hard arguments why a person does not go for it. There is an elementary fear before you get along with this person, you have a family and you have property.
Image copyright Viktor Bartenev/Interpress/TASS Image caption There are very few elderly couples in Russia, but the old people in it are happier than those who are singleAnother effect is the habit of living alone - in the family circle or alone, it is very difficult to build any new relationships. It would be possible just to meet, but this is also cut off. This is the tragedy of lonely people: they multiply their loneliness many times over."
Relationships with older children
"If we look at the structure of the family, then this is just the period of time that is the most difficult for the family, especially for relatives. Since a person always treated mom and dad as someone who manages or gives advice, is strong and supportive, and this image, in fact, persists over the years.Anyway, a person lives with these ideas about his parents.
And here, if they live to this age, they become weak, capricious, clumsy, and there are a lot of things. They need to be looked after, this creates tremendous tension in the family, unnecessary conflicts, and a drop in the subjective well-being of all family members. Therefore, it is extremely important to study what is happening, to identify successful practices.
Our social policy is built in such a way that we help the elderly. When a person becomes less and less independent and dependent on others in various ways, not only physically, but also psychologically. Just after 70-80 years, dementia develops sharply in different forms. In fact, helping the elderly is helping families in the first place. It is very important to talk not only with the old man, but also with those who live with him. Any social policy should be aimed at the family as a whole, since all decisions about the life of the elderly are made already in the family.
Image copyright Alexander Ryumin/TASS Image caption The elderly mainly spend the budget on medicines, food and assistance to relatives.We had a separate block devoted to family economics. Transfers from pensions to other relatives are one of the most significant items in the budget of the elderly. There is such a question, where is the pension spent? It is clear that there is a large share of food, food, there is practically nothing of the usual expenses of young people - clothes, equipment and some durable goods. And then there are transfers, some transfers of money to relatives, and then - payment of housing and communal services and medicines.
How does the family accept aging, how does the lifestyle of a family living with an old person change? If there is a person over 80-90 nearby, then the family cannot go on vacation. An elderly person takes a lot, but also gives a lot.
The institution of the family rests on the elderly, and through this we understand its colossal importance. The tragedy of our families is that the institution of the family has been cut off. The generation of our grandparents is exactly the generation that had to destroy it. These are people who lived with fear and unwillingness to remember some periods of their lives and their relatives.
About constant pain and struggle with it
"An important thing that separates young people from older people and that is very scary is living with pain. The elderly live with pain. Research shows that there is nothing to be afraid of here, because the pain threshold changes. Active longevity is not about throwing myself with pills, drugs, chemistry, but in managing this pain, once lowering, regulating. There are no people who are over 80 years old and who would not experience pain on a daily basis. The point is that I either give up , or I try to somehow work with it, manage the pain.
How does this happen? You got sick, fell down. The elderly say that it is the young who can lie and wait for the pain to go away, but I have to go. That is, everything hurts a person, he cannot, but he must pass his 100 meters. These are no longer 10 km hikes, but this is the same kilometer, the very few hundred meters that you walk and it brings joy, because you overcome yourself.
Image copyright Alexander Ryumin/TASS Image caption The elderly have to constantly overcome themselvesAn older person looks like an athlete, but he has different standards, they are not noticeable to us, these are meager achievements, we do not see or notice them, but for them it is very noticeable. They constantly work with this, this overcoming of their physicality is activity, movement.
Old people are treated not by medications, but by movement. These are cognitive functions - the ability to step back and keep moving. This allows you to remain optimistic even for people who have lived a lot. There are far more optimists in their 90s than optimists in their 70s. Having overcome the fear of weakness, a person begins to live a second old age.
The struggle waged by an older person is no less dramatic and dynamic than the struggle waged by a 20-year-old university graduate when he enters the labor market and tries to get a new qualification there.
The trouble with our society is that we do not see this drama. We need to admire and be proud, learn this. We believe that the old woman is no longer good for anything, what to take from her. And even the fact that she opens her eyes and reacts to light is a huge achievement."
About death and silence
"The old people want to prepare for death, but their environment is not psychologically and morally ready for this, because it hurts. After 80 years, most people are ready to talk about death. They prepare, save money. Often they save 50-100 thousand. People want know how they will be buried, what they will be buried in, they want to distribute the inheritance in a fair way.
Those who are ready to talk about death find interlocutors
Older people often save money for funerals
The rituals associated with death and burial are lost. People squeeze grief in themselves, do not splash it out and live with it further.
Vladimir Smirnov/TASS
This is just the area of some great social educational work, just here you need to educate yourself, you need to study, you need to live it. This is where it becomes important social role religiosity, churches. In this sphere, the role of religiosity has been lost in our country. Any religion gives an understandable language for talking about death, it is a language understandable by its rituals, for example, crying, there are situations when you can and should cry, you can splash out and at the same time accept the loss.
But this is lost, the rituals of the Soviet period turned out to be not only unconvincing, but comical at some point, so now they have transformed into something incomprehensible - these funeral agencies and agents create completely unpleasant things. For people who bury their loved ones, along with a sense of loss, wires, the annoyance of interacting with operators, agents, merchants at death remains. There is a lot of negativity here.
Many elderly people say that in order not to live to the point of infirmity, to die earlier. Even those who lie, but at the same time live in healthy families do not ask for euthanasia. There is joy in their life, human consciousness is such a unique instrument that when we lose something from this world, we each time gain something else in return - the same love, the perception of sunrises and sunsets and this world as a whole."
Oa nationwide survey on mobile and landline phones was conducted in June 2017. A total of 2,000 were surveyedcellpeoplesheep, of which 1120peopleover 65 years old and 880 family members in which they liveelderly.
Agneta Vulliet was born into a family of French immigrants in New York. She married before graduation and completed her secondary education at night school, already raising two children. Then she studied art. One of the teachers was so impressed with her tenacity that he nominated her for a scholarship.
“The decade from 20 to 30 is very turbulent, but remember that everything will definitely work out,” says Agnetha. - At this time, we want so much, we expect so much, we want so much, we are worried about how everything will turn out. Never give in to despondency, no matter how difficult it may seem. Growing up is like the weather. Every time you get caught in a storm and you feel like you're about to be picked up by the wind, the weather changes and the sun comes out again."
2. Draw inspiration from talking to people
Bill Janz worked as a journalist, traveled a lot around the world, wrote about ordinary people who have shown extraordinary courage. While in India, he almost fell from an elephant into the grass where a tiger was hiding, and during the Bosnian War in Croatia, he crawled to escape from sniper fire.
When asked to name one person who influenced him the most, Bill named a ten-year-old boy named Eddie. He had his leg amputated due to cancer.
“He never gave up,” says Bill. - Once I called him at home, but no one answered the phone for a long time. Finally picked up the phone. I said, "Eddie, I almost hung up, where have you been?" And he just said, “Bill, I was in the other room. There were no crutches around, so I crawled to the phone.” I often think about this conversation. I sometimes give up halfway through, but the thought of Eddie helps me not to give up.”
3. Love your job because of the financial security and the people
80-year-old Bennie Stewart started working when he was only seven. He carried out the instructions of the neighbors, and received payment chicken eggs. Then he picked cotton, worked as a cleaner, sold insurance, finally found himself in social work, and then became a pastor.
When asked what led him to such various works, Benny replied: "I love . I have been told more than once that I am endowed with the gift of eloquence. I talk a lot and pick up everything quickly. I have always prided myself on being able to listen to instructions and understand them quickly. The job taught me that I can provide for my family and have some things that were not available to me before.
A similar story and 59-year-old Evelyn Trouser (Evelyn Trouser). She worked in car factories, first on the assembly line, and then as a welder. “I advise everyone in the family - learn to provide for yourself. Don't depend on anyone, says Evelyn. “I have always loved going to work. Whether it's interesting or not depends on the people you work with."
4. Find mentors to guide and inspire you
73-year-old Allen Ebert (Allen Ebert), talking about his experience as a doctor, called the main search for a mentor. “At school, we learn from people who know more than we do. Keep doing this for the rest of your life. Connect with those from whom you can learn something, or at least watch how they work and achieve goals, Allen advises. - It seems to me that we accept 95% good decisions and 5% bad. And most of our adulthood goes to clean up the consequences of these 5%. But if you have people who can guide you and make you think twice, you will make fewer mistakes.”
As people get older, they experience many major changes in life, such as retirement, loss of loved ones, physical ailments associated with aging. These changes invade the lives of older people, causing stress and leading to depression. Therefore, it is very important to do everything possible not to let depression into your everyday life or into the lives of people dear to us.
Thomas Hanna said: “To despise the fact of aging is the same as to despise life. If we do not understand that life and aging are a process of growth and progress, then we will not understand the basic principles of life.”
Fighting any change is always difficult, no matter how old a person is.
For the elderly, the main problem is great amount changes that grow like snowball. Aging and old age lead not only to physiological changes, but also significantly change his entire "social existence".
The very fact of retirement is for a person psychological trauma: his social significance falls, his prestige, self-affirmation suffer, self-esteem decreases.
It is clear that mental (as well as physical) aging is individual, each person has their own characteristics, and everyone grows old in their own way, but at the same time, there are some general patterns of psychological aging of a person. It acquires a number of features inherent in most older people, such as:
Decrease in mental activity and slowing down of mental processes. mental processes in an elderly person, they proceed more slowly and it takes him more time to assess the situation. But sometimes such phenomena occur due to hearing impairment, which an elderly person may try to hide. Actually, mental activity persists for a long time in late age. Many people keep their creative possibilities, clear mind and good memory.
Narrowing the circle of interests and changing attitudes towards phenomena and events. Topical issues modernity, as a rule, excite and interest the old person less. Much, sometimes, seems to him wonderful or even hostile. Hence, the often peculiar conservatism of old people, their opposition to all sorts of innovations.
Change in emotional sphere. Irritability, excitability, anger, gloom, emotional instability, mood swings. Such a loss of the former emotional flexibility begins to affect the attitude towards oneself and the assessment of one's current opportunities and prospects, in interaction with others, attitudes and directions of the individual.
in behavior in various life situations there is a tendency to anxiety, restlessness, melancholy, fears. Behavior becomes more aggressive, or vice versa, there is a tendency to sadness, unfortunately, tearfulness.
With aging, the role of the family in the life of an elderly person increases; often occurs during this period, the deterioration of health and reduced mobility; the interests and activities of older people are limited, all attention is switched to family affairs. Family communication at the same time replaces other lost contacts.
Refusal to adapt to new norms, values, manners of behavior can lead to conflicts between an elderly person and others, closure in his own world. At the same time, an active life position gives older people a chance to take their proper social and role status in society, their most valuable capital is knowledge, experience, life wisdom.
How to stay socially active and happily meet old age?
There are several socio-psychological types of happy centenarians:
1. Active creative type. These people participate in social, political, religious life, in the upbringing of young people, therefore, even after retirement, they live a full life.
2.Customized type. Such elderly people are engaged in activities for which there was no time before: self-education, recreation, entertainment, etc.
3. natural type. They strive to be closer to nature and realize themselves, as a rule, in the garden.
4. family type. They find the main application of their strength in the family and, as a rule, this happy moms turned into happy grandmothers. And since homework is inexhaustible, then the women involved in it simply have no time to be sad.
5. healthy type. These are elderly people whose meaning of life is taking care of their own health. Various forms of activity and moral satisfaction are connected with this.
Tips for Seniors "How to feel young and live life to the fullest"
If you don't know where to start your new "autumn" chapter yet, try one of the following, for example:
Think about your old hobby, for which there was not enough time before, and take your favorite thing seriously;
Spend more time with your grandchildren or with your pet - sincerely and selflessly loving creatures will infect you with their energy and love of life;
Learn something new for yourself: the game on musical instrument, foreign language learn how to work on a computer;
Take part in public life: attend city events, become an active member of a public organization;
Join a club of interest;
Take a weekend trip to a place you've never been before;
Spend more time in nature: take a walk in the park, enjoy the picturesque view;
Join the art: visit a museum, go to a concert or play.
The possibilities are endless. It is important to choose what will be the most interesting for you and bring joy.
If you find time for spiritual growth, there will be no place left in your soul for a aching emptiness, which means that approaching old age will not frighten you with its inevitability. Future life can be full of other exciting events if you so desire.
To save psychologically comfortable environment in the family, try to just observe a few simple rules communication:
Avoid disputes, conflicts, harsh criticism in a conversation with an older person.
Treat an elderly person with attention - if he "rebels", then he is ill, try to find out true reason his behaviour.
Take the older person's fears and worries seriously. Help him voice his fears, talk about them. This will partially relieve psychological stress and will serve as an impetus for finding a solution to the problem that caused fear.
Often, the anxiety of an elderly person is associated with a deterioration in his health. He is terrified at the thought of health care will not be provided on time. Arrange a preventive visit to the doctor.
Listen to the elderly person to the end if possible, if this is not possible in this moment, gently stop and promise to resume the conversation as soon as possible.
Never force your fellowship on an elderly person. But don't give up on him either.
Always address a person in years with respect, pronounce words slowly, loudly enough; postpone the conversation if you see that your elderly interlocutor is in a state of irritation, anger, resentment.
An elderly person, due to a lack of communication, can be verbose, constantly distracted from the topic, so as soon as he leaves the topic, try to return him to the mainstream of the conversation.
Don't force an older person to do anything, even if it's in their best interest. You persuade and convince, refer to people who are authoritative for him.
Do not forget about affection - look into the eyes of a person, touch with your hand, sit next to him. Often the elderly, especially those with poor vision and hearing, need tactile contact.
Encourage the elderly person to self care for themselves, cleanliness and tidiness.
Do not forbid an elderly person to have their own "secrets": secluded places to store money, sweets, memorabilia.
