Friday, 20 April 2018

What You Need To Know About The Issues Facing Aging Seniors

By Melissa Perry


Seniors long for rest and relaxation. Many seniors expect that their senior years will be their best ones. Sadly, this is not always the case. There are a lot of issues facing aging seniors. It is vital that you get to know what these issues are and how you can deal with them effectively.

One of the major concerns facing senior citizens today is the rising cost of health care. The older people get, the more healthcare services and products they need. It is important to get screened for disease and conditions caused by the aging process in order to cater to health problems in the early stages. When seniors visit the doctor many times, the medical costs may impact their retirement budget.

Another challenge faced by senior citizens is deteriorating health. Their health may get worse suddenly or gradually. Unexpected and sudden changes in health can take place after a heart attack, cancer diagnosis or a stroke. After a sudden change in health, the elderly may become disabled and therefore require the services of caregivers. The worsening health condition may force them to make serious decisions regarding their living arrangements and costs, government support and family support.

The investments and savings of the elderly can also run out due to advanced age. Most people have significant savings as they start their senior years, but others do not have that much. Those with minimal savings and investments are vulnerable to the unexpected expenses that may arise. The elderly may have inadequate financial resources to support them in the coming years and pensions or social security payments are insufficient to make up the difference.

The elderly may also become dependent on their care takers such as their family members. This can happen due to weakness or frailty linked to old age or due to dementia, which is loss of cognitive abilities. The risk of suffering from dementia increases with age. People who are eighty years old or older have a 50 percent chance of suffering from dementia. To overcome this, the family members of the seniors should intervene and stay close to their loved ones so that they can maintain their independence.

Senior citizens also tend to be more trusting and they can therefore be exploited financially. For example, many seniors hire handymen and mechanics among other professionals to help them with remodeling, repairing and maintenance needs. Sometimes, dishonest providers of repair or maintenance services charge higher fees or offer unnecessary services. Several phone and internet scams also take advantage of the seniors with an aim of robbing them. If you have an elderly loved one, you should look out for this habit of financial exploitation and come up with a plan for protecting him or her from it.

Loneliness is the other problem that many elderly people deal with. It is common for elderly people to lose their friends to death or dementia. It becomes more important for senior citizens to spend time with their family members and remaining friends. Pets can also provide them with daily companionship.

Most of the elderly people also face abuse or neglect in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Understaffing is one of the causes of abuse and neglect. In order to avoid these problems, make sure that your elderly loved one finds a good senior care facility.




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