In many cultures and communities around the world, there is a lot of resistance to the idea of an elders’ home. This is especially true of traditional Asian and African cultures where respect for the elderly and elders is a dominant building block of society and anyone who cannot take care of their parents is seen as a failure. However, society is changing rapidly and such homes are becoming more and more common. Here are some of the reasons why this may not be such a bad idea.
The Time of Day
As society gets busier and busier, time is of increasing value. When most people don’t even have time to themselves, it is just that much harder to find time for aged care. They come home at 10 or 11pm (or not at all) and then have to rush back to work next morning. In such circumstances, a specialized home with people who are dedicated to looking after the elderly is a good thing.
Leg Room
Our houses used to be much bigger a few decades ago and there were at least 3 bedrooms: one for the parents, one for the grandparents and one for kids. Today, few of us are lucky enough to have big houses; most live in apartments and they just do not have space for their aging parents. While most old folk do not move about much, cramped living quarters are still a bad idea for their health. They need plenty of ventilation and some peace as well – a view of building upon building won’t help.
Special Needs
As humans get older they are increasingly at risk of getting non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, cirrhosis, and Alzheimer’s. In each case, they need specialized diets and procedures that will help them with their daily routine. Dementia care is actually a significant reason why many people choose to allow their parents to live in a home for the elderly. There are nurses who are trained and know all the danger signs of these diseases and can keep an eye on them much better than we can.
Community and Companionship
More than anything else, old people need companionship. If it’s like-minded people, then all the better but they will still be stimulated by young people too. Back in the day, every generation would live together in a big old house and cross-interactions would occur frequently. Today however, families live separately, only seeing each other at mealtimes and old people are frequently left to their own devices. In a home, they would have contemporaries to talk to and plenty of activities to keep themselves busy and engaged in life.
Thus, a home for elders is not as bad as it seems as it allows them to make friends, have time to spend with them, be taken care of especially and have plenty of space.