Aging In America

We’re all going to get old. It’s not something people want or like to think about. In fact, some people, even adults, are hesitant to spend time with elderly people because it can remind them of their own mortality. [5] There’s no doubt that some aspect of aging will be uncomfortable or undesirable. [1] Whether it’s your family pushing you into a senior living center, having health issues, facing age discrimination or really just having your body fail (which it surely will), some part of aging is going to suck. [1][5][2] This does not mean that you can roll over and give up living. Late adulthood, or the years after sixty and before seventy-five are not the nightmare years that you might expect them to be. [2] Multiple sources claim that people in this age group are as happy as those who are in their twenties or early thirties. [2] At this age, most people do suffer from a loss of some cognitive ability but they are still highly functional. [2]
Now, there are two types of aging: primary and secondary. Primary …show more content…
[1][2][3][5] This could mean medical help (which is costly), living in a senior community, or even relying on your children for care. In America especially, it has become less common to take care of your elderly parents in their aging years and that frightens many older people because it is not often that they desire living in a senior center. [2] At this point of your life, you have lived fairly independently for over fifty years. Relinquishing part or nearly all of that independence is a scary undesirable thing. [5] To rely on your children for help with eating, going to the bathroom, or just daily activities can be hard on your pride. [5] The adjustment will hopefully become easier over time but it can be difficult. Some elderly people continue to live in arrangements like thesis while harboring resentment and discomfort right up until they pass.