Have you ever imagined the lives of being old? Every one is afraid of aging. When people aren’t nimble and young anymore, they find themselves useless. Some of the elderly may lead a very gloomy life. Some of them may even want to escape from their meaningless lives and end up killing themselves, which is very unwise. It is necessary to understand clearly the different reasons why these old people commit suicide and hold them back in time.
First of all, some elderly people may not have a good relationship with their sons and daughters. In this realistic society, people are usually concerned about money more than anything else. Many irresponsible adults have gradually forgotten the sacrifices that their parents made for them. In the mean time, the old people may not be able to communicate and express their feelings effectively. Children then seldom visit their dear parents. Without the love and care from their beloved children, the old people have very few opportunities to pour out their inner feelings and problems. Eventually, they will become desperate and depressed. If this situation lasts too long, the elderly may miserably take their own lives.
Furthermore, many old people may consider themselves as burdens of their families. Since most of them are retired or have lost their working abilities, they may have to rely on their sons and daughters for daily expenses. These old people will feel very uneasy and sorry about receiving their family members’ assistance endlessly. Moreover, there are some very pragmatic sons and daughters blaming them for adding their financial pressure. This further increases the anxiety of the old people. As they believe they have got no use for their families, it is possible that they resort to committing suicide.
In addition, some elderly ones are seriously ill. They can only lie on beds all day long. Since they cannot even walk and stand straight, they could only be taken care of by others. When the old patients lose the ability to feed and go to washrooms by themselves, they may wish to end their degenerated lives.
Nevertheless, we can still give a helping hand to the poor elderly.
It is obvious that the old people love spending time with their families. They feel love and care through talking and having dinners with their own grandchildren. Therefore, the best way to cheer the old people up is to give them company or pay them a visit as much as possible. Through understanding their difficulties and giving support, the old people’s life will surely not be that gloomy.
However, family members can’t take care of the elderly for every moment. To ensure them a rich life, family members should encourage them to take part in meaningful activities. For example, playing mahjong and chess in community centres are delightful activities which could train their memorizing and thinking abilities. More importantly, the elderly could meet new friends through enjoying their leisure time.
As for the government, there should be more effective measures for the sorrowful elderly. Despite the hard work of social workers, there are far too many people urging the government to raise the amount of fruit money. The rise of fruit money can relieve the stress of some poor elderly people. Also, it is also time for the facilities and services of elderly homes to get improved. More resources should be allocated in this regard.
All in all, there should be both psychological and material comfort for the elderly people. The family members and the government should strive for the best for them. With good cooperation of both parties, life at twilight years could be wonderful!