An article by Nancy J. Osgood

An article by Nancy J. Osgood entitled 'Society Does Not Respect the Elderly' in the book 'An Aging Population' states:

The glorification of youth and development of the youth cult in America began in the nineteenth century and grew rapidly in the twentieth, and it now flourishes in our present atmosphere of narcissism. Youth is associated with vitality, activity, and freshness. To be young is to be fully alive, exciting, attractive, healthy, and vigorous. Old age, on the other hand, is associated with decline, disease, disability, and death rather than wisdom, inner peace, and other positive qualities.Psychological factors influence ageism in our culture. The youth cult grows out of a profound fear of growing old.

Through the ages, few fears have cut as deeply into the human soul as the fear of aging. Americans especially have a stark terror of growing old. Old age is associated with loss of independence, physical disease, mental decline, loss of youthful vitality and beauty, and finally death, and old people are reminders of our own mortality. Because many people have limited contact with healthy, vibrant old people and lack accurate knowledge about the aging process, their fear escalates.

Ageism is manifested through stereotypes and myths about old people and aging. In medical circles older patients are stereotyped as 'crocks' or 'vegetables'. Other common terms for older people are old fuddy dutty, little old lady, and dirty old man. Old people are thought of as being fit for little else but sitting idly in a rocking chair. Older women are referred to as old witch, old bag, and old biddy. Old men are stereotyped as old geezers, old goats, and old codgers. Common stereotypes of aging view the old as out to pasture, over the hill, and all washed up.


The Western heritage in literature is replete with negative images of old age, beginning with the medieval works.


In American culture several mechanisms perpetuate and communicate ageist images, stereotypes, and myths: common aphorisms, literature, the media, and humour. Aphorisms about aging and older people permeate American culture. Some of the most common include: 'You can't trust anyone over forty'; 'You're only as old as you feel'; and 'Age before beauty.' These common sayings convey the idea that age is something to be denied or feared and allude to imagined losses accompanying the aging process.

The Western heritage in literature is replete with negative images of old age, beginning with the medieval works. The foolish lust of older women is described in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio. The physical ugliness and disgusting behaviour of the old were frequently highlighted in fairy tales such as 'Hansel and Gretel' and 'Snow White,' where old women are portrayed as wicked witches.

The emptiness of old age is a major theme in American literature. In the poem 'Gerontion,' T.S. Eliot provides a description of the empty misery of an old man: 'a dry brain in a dry season.' In his works Eliot describes old age as an empty wasteland. In every culture humour conveys attitudes about the aged. In our own society these attitudes are expressed through jokes, cartoons, comic strips, and birthday cards.
articlesource:living.oneindia.in

Are old age homes a necessary?

In the modern world, old age homes have emerged as an unavoidable necessity. Even Indians, who boast about their respect for elders, now consider them as a boon in disguise. As globalization was introduced in the Indian scenario the standard of living of an average Indian was raised. A drastic change in the traditional family values was a by-product of this development. Life turned into a never ending struggle for gaining prominence in the society.


In the nuclear family, the husband and wife are more concerned about their career growth and monetary gains. As a result, family has descended into the background of our priorities. Children do not have quality time to spend with their parents. At this moment of crisis old age homes appeared as guardian angels to take care of the deserted parents.

Most of the professionals have discovered old age homes as a practical solution to their problems. But they ignore the fact that their parents value the love and care of their children more than any luxuries in the world. People have no qualms in shedding off their responsibilities to their parents. Most of them forget the numerous sacrifices made by their parents to realize their dreams. Parents always stood as a big wall protecting their children from all the catastrophes of life. The irony is the grown up children consider their parents as a big burden. This is a shameful trend which should not be encouraged.

The solace the parents get from their children cannot be provided by the luxurious facilities in old age homes. Old age homes are a lame excuse to the atrocities done by the children to their aged parents. Parents should be treated like god and they should be cared for when they are lonely and helpless. Our responsibilities to our parents cannot be fulfilled by any old age homes.
articlesource: saching.com

Caring for Parents

If your father lives with you and his mental health is deteriorating, should you get a power of attorney to manage his affairs? This is a delicate question. Older people are understandably reluctant to give up their independence, but your father may accept that it is necessary for him to relinquish control. It is often a wise move to suggest that the power of attorney be held by someone who is not a member of the family.

How can a married daughter with teenage children cope when her mother, who has a serious heart condition, is coming to live with them? This can be a difficult situation, but there are a number of things you can do that may help. First of all, you should explain to your family that your time for them while your mother is in the house will have to be organized differently. If they understand this in advance, they may adjust more readily. Ask them to take on some extra work, so that your mother's presence becomes a shared responsibility. Try to call a family conference, one that includes the older persons - especially your brothers and sisters - to discuss questions of financial support and practical help. You are quite within your rights - in fact, be direct and even assertive - in asking brothers and sisters for help. They may contribute by spending time with your mother or by helping with finances.

Generations are often out of step, so you may find you have to care for an incapacitated parent while bringing up your own children. Alternatively, just when you have children off your hands and look forward to resuming your own career, you may have to cope with an invalid relative. Not surprisingly, this can result in emotional strain, exhaustion and feelings of resentment. Angry flare-ups are not unusual, nor are the pangs of remorse and guilt that follow. If you can, arrange for breaks in your routine. If you cannot find someone to take over from you, check with your local nursing home or hostel whether they accept patients for brief stays. Care can be extremely valuable, and may even make it easier for you to continue to do your job.

How to Do Something Nice for Your Grandmother

If you cannot get to see your grandmother anywhere near as often as you would like, here are some simple tips that will help to keep you in the good books.

Call a florist, and send her a bunch of flowers with a card, for no reason at all. As this will be unexpected, she will really appreciate the gift, and your character standing will go up in her estimation.

Writing a letter and keeping her up to date with what is going on in your life is also a lovely way to do something nice for your grandmother. She will feel that she is being "kept in the loop," and not being excluded from the family or family activities. A quick (or a long) phone call is also an easy, and nice way of keeping in contact with your grandmother, and it is sure to be appreciated. If you have the time and the means, drop in for a visit as a nice thing to do.

You can either sit down with a cup of tea and some biscuits, and have a really good catch up time, or offer to take her out. Visits and outings are always a nice way to keep you grandmother happy. Take her out shopping, and then find a coffee shop to sit down and have a drink, and find out what is going on in her life. It is too easy to over-look the fact that your grandmother has a life as well. She will really appreciate the fact that you are interested in what is going on in her life, instead of just prattling on about your own day-to-day activities. Some other places you could take her to are a park, a popular tourist attraction, a look-out, a coffee shop, or a Senior Citizen's Outing.

So, in summary, don't live life your own life as if you are the centre of the universe. Keep in mind that there are other people in your life, and your your grandmother is one of them. Being elderly, she may begin to feel that she has been "forgotten" in the hurry and scurry of normal family life, but at the same time, do not expect too much from her, as she may have a busy social life, or have a lot of activities around her neighborhood that she has initiated for herself.
articlesource:associatedcontent.com

5 Dangerous Mistakes to Avoid in Retirement Planning

Mistake #1 - Not creating a budget for yourself and not tracking your spending.
Mistake #2 - Not taking health into consideration.
Mistake #3 - Relying too much on government assistance, like social security, is a mistake that many make.
Mistake #4 - Dipping into their retirement funds before they are ready to retire.
Mistake #5 - Not knowing all of your saving options.