older adults and housing options
1.With advances in technology and medicine, over the last century the average life expectancy has continued to increase. This means a larger population of older adults. Unfortunately, older adults and seniors in America are viewed as less productive members of society and therefore to not receive as much attention or are viewed in a less positive way. Americans tend to have their older adult parents placed in nursing homes or senior living areas so that they don’t have to deal with the “hassle” of taking care of them. Since older adults and seniors typically have more medical needs and may require assistance completing daily tasks such as bathing and cooking, Americans don’t want to be burdened with taking on the role of caretaker.
Whereas some older adults may require skilled care, many are put into institutions at the first sign of a health issue. In 2012, approximately 1.3 million Americans were living in nursing homes (Institute on Aging). This isolation can lead to mental health issues such as depression. In the United States, suicide ranks as the tenth leading cause of death, and in 2018 adults 75 to 84 years old had a suicide rate of 18.71 per 100,000 (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2020). A contributing factor to this could be isolation from loved ones and feelings of loneliness.
America culture differs from many other countries’ cultures in the way that older adults and seniors are treated. In many Asian cultures, elders are highly respected and tend to live with family for a majority of their lives. Many other cultures, such as those in Latin America, view family as a priority and will have multiple generations and extended family living together. American’s views on older adults and seniors possibly stem from believing that you must be a productive member of society. But having this view causes everyone to lose because there is much to be learned from older adults and they deserve to be cared for just as much as the youth.
