Elderly Issues SOCIAL JUSTICE

 Elderly  Aging? INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION

 "The aging process is of course a biological reality which has its own dynamic, largely beyond human control. However, it is also subject to the constructions by which each society makes sense of old age.  In the developed world, chronological time plays a paramount role. The age of 60 or 65, roughly equivalent to retirement ages in most developed countries, is said to be the beginning of old age. In many parts of the developing world, chronological time has little or no importance in the meaning of old age. Other socially constructed meanings of age are more significant such as the roles assigned to older people; in some cases it is the loss of roles accompanying physical decline which is significant in defining old age.  Thus, in contrast to the chronological milestones which mark life stages in the developed world, old age in many developing countries is seen to begin at the point when active contribution is no longer possible." (Gorman, 2000)

 Elderly people are vulnerable groups since they are starting to lose body functions and they get less attention from the society. It causes two very seriously issues, loneliness of elderly and global aging issue.  These two problems can defiantly related to a social justice issue.  Therefore, we can say that elderly is a social justice issue. HOW IT IS A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE?

 statistics:  18 percent of seniors live alone, while 43 percent report feeling lonely on a regular basis, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  Lonely seniors are more likely to decline and die faster. The aforementioned UCSF study also found that people 60-years-old and older who reported feeling lonely saw a 45 percent increase in their risk for death. Isolated elders also had a 59 percent greater risk of mental and physical decline than their more social counterparts.  1 in 7 people with Alzheimer's disease live alone, according to a recently released report from the Alzheimer's Association.  Loneliness is contagious. Older adults who feel lonely are more prone to behave in ways that may cause other people to not want to be around them. Psychologists from the University of Chicago who analyzed data from the Farmingham Heart Study, a long-term, ongoing cardiovascular study, found that solitary seniors have a tendency to further isolate themselves by pushing people away and not making efforts to engage with others. LONELINESS OF ELDERLY.

 Feelings of loneliness and isolation can lead to serious consequences for senior health. Understanding the causes and risk factors for senior isolation can help us prevent it. 20 FACTS ABOUT SENIOR ISOLATION

 1. Senior isolation increases the risk of mortality. According to a 2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, both social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of mortality in adults aged 52 and older.  2. Feelings of loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health.  3. Perceived loneliness contributes to cognitive decline and risk of dementia.  4. Social isolation makes seniors more vulnerable to elder abuse. Many studies show a connection between social isolation and higher rates of elder abuse, reports the National Center on Elder Abuse. Whether this is because isolated adults are more likely to fall victim to abuse, or a result of abusers attempting to isolate the elders from others to minimize risk of discovery, researchers aren’t certain.  5. LGBT seniors are much more likely to be socially isolated.

 6. Social isolation in seniors is linked to long-term illness.  7. Loneliness in seniors is a major risk factor for depression.  8. Loneliness causes high blood pressure.  9. Socially isolated seniors are more pessimistic about the future.  According to the National Council on Aging, socially isolated seniors are more likely to predict their quality of life will get worse over the next 5-10 years, are more concerned about needing help from community programs as they get older, and are more likely to express concerns about aging in place.  10. Physical and geographic isolation often leads to social isolation.

NEWS Increasing numbers of poverty stricken elderly people are dying lonely and unnoticed deaths in Japan. Last month two sisters in their forties were found dead in their freezing apartment on the snowbound northern island of Hokkaido. In 2010 the authorities discovered that Tokyo's oldest man had actually been dead for some 30 years, which in turn triggered a hunt for "missing" centenarians around the country.

 We are aging- not just as individuals or communities but as a world. In 2006, almost 500 million people worldwide were 65 and older. By 2030, that total is projected to increase to 1 billion- 1 invert 8 of the earth’s inhabitants. Significantly, the most rapid increases in the 65-and-older population are occurring in developing countries, which will see a jump of 140 percent by AGING

AN AGING POPULATION Since the beginning of recorded human history, young children have outnumbered older people. Very soon this will change. For the first time in history, people age 65 and over will outnumber children under age 5 (shown in figure 1). This trend is emerging around the globe. Today almost 500 million people are age 65 and over, accounting for 8 percent of the world’s population.

 Gorman M. Development and the rights of older people. In: Randel J, et al., Eds. The ageing and development report: poverty, independence and the world's older people. London, Earthscan Publications Ltd.,1999:3-21.  htm htm  senior-isolation/ senior-isolation/   Article: Why population aging matters SOURCES

 United.Nations.Department.of.Economic.and.Social.Affai rs,.Population.Division.. WorldPopulation Prospects. The 2004 Revision..New.York:.United.Nations, IMAGES

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