Elder Issues
Hi! My name is Ayana Jassal and I’m a freshman intending to major in Molecular and Cell Biology. This is my first semester in BPSHI and I’m an intern in the Health Education committee. I wanted to join this committee because of a personal experience I had with my grandmother not having access to certain health resources and the elder issues she experienced.
The topic of elder issues is one I find extremely important and isn’t nearly talked about enough.
Some key elder issues are:
Elder loneliness:
Elder loneliness takes place due to factors like neglect or isolation due to family members moving away or not staying in steady contact with elderly relatives, which negatively influences their mental health.
Elder dependence
Elder dependence takes place as a result of old age, as many people become dependent on caregivers and or family members to stay healthy as they get older. However, as this takes place, opportunities open up for abuse or exploitation of our elders.
Elder abuse
Elder abuse can take many forms, like financial, verbal, or physical. It is much easier, unfortunately, for people to take advantage of the elderly over most other age demographics.
Our elders are so important to the Punjabi/Sikh community, so we should take care of them and help them if we can. In my opinion, the best way to combat these issues is to…
Stay in contact with your elders! It’s pretty easy to forget to contact them when life gets hectic, but even just a call once a week can give you something to look forward to and make them feel less alone, improving their mental health! Also, just checking up on your elders can indicate if something is wrong, which may then help prevent elder abuse situations and exploitation due to elder dependence.
