Introduction
Human beings have always dreamt of a long and happy life. Thanks to the progress in medicine and, hygiene and nutrition, the dream of a long life has become a widespread reality. But the dream of longer life often does not translate into a happy reality. In a globalizing trend to identify value primarily in terms of economics, old age easily is seen as a lack of productivity. At the emotional and social level, studies have shown that the main consequences of ageing are the feeling of being lonely, being a burden to people and being financially insecure and dependant. No one can stem the tide of youth, for old age catches up with everyone. It is a global phenomena and one that needs to be addressed. The aspect of elderly care gathers greater significance in the light of the fact that families are becoming nuclear and want to stay that way. Caring for the elderly is always a challenge and the older the person is, the more difficult it becomes. The sense of responsibility increases manifold. Sickness and ailments is something which seems to follow them and inevitably there are crises, which arise suddenly. In this paper we shall discuss some of the problems faced by the elderly people, the depressions and loneliness they undergo and to minister to them.
I. Problems Faced by the Elderly
Some of the problems faced by the Elderly people are:
I.1 Health Problems
Elderly people have limited regenerative abilities and are more prone to disease, syndromes, and sickness. As the population ages seniors, or the elderly, are much more likely to suffer mobility health, Illness and disability; chronic or severe pain; cognitive decline; damage to body image due to surgery or disease.1
I.2 Depression in Elderly People
Elderly people are more likely to blame their depression on events or social circumstances. But while the death of a partner or friends, or coping with a chronic illness, are important contributory factors, there are
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