The rising life expectancy is increasing the proportion of people above the age of 60. Generally, people above the age of sixty-five are termed as the elderly. During this age, these people's both physical and mental functioning starts to decline, which means they require attention and special help for them to continue with their daily lives. Old age is associated with increased rates of hospitalization and the inability to function properly due to mental health problems. With the prevailing changes in the family structures and domination of the nuclear families, with the young people moving in search of jobs in the cities, the old-age care homes become a necessity for the elderly population. Although many people view old age care homes as inappropriate for the elderly, in the end, their advantages to the elderly surpass their disadvantages.
A culture of sensitivity is necessary for the elderly population. According to Akhtar (2018), old age is associated with cognitive changes, sensory changes, and overall body weaknesses. Moreover, cardiovascular illness, diabetes, falls, and problems with routines are common, although not universal to all. For the people above 85 years, disability rates are relatively higher, such that they are incapable of handling routines such as bathing and cooking (Akhtar, 2018). Although most of these changes are normal to aging and acceptable, some pathological mental health issues need to be recognized and attended to early, especially those that can lead to overt depression and emotional instability (Abdul Manaf et al., 2016). Elderly, living on their own, may not recognize the problems with their health on time, which may lead even to their deaths. Therefore, in old age care homes, in which the elderly more often interact with healthcare professionals their health problems can easily be detected and treated.
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Mental health problems among the elderly are an outcome of biological, social, and psychological factors. The old-age care homes are times associated with many of the mental health problems affecting the elderly. According to Parkar (2015), the general provision of healthcare in the elderly in the old age care homes is often absent or of poor quality. However, they are at the forefront in ensuring they attend to the basic needs of the elderly such as shelter and food, which is a major cause of mental health problems. More so, mental health problems develop from lack of social security and emotional support, especially in families that exploit and abuse their elderly (Parkar, 2015). Therefore, despite the little mental health care available in the old age care homes, they play a significant role in preventing the development of these health conditions.
The old-age care homes play a key role in ensuring the elderly are not socially isolated. Pullum and Akyil (2017) define social isolation as a condition of reduced responsibility, decreased social belonging, low levels of social contact as well as a decrease in relationship quality. People suffering from social isolation tend to have poor health, and they rarely benefit from healthcare services such as cardiovascular surgery. Moreover, social isolation is associated with dementia, suicide, distress, and premature deaths (Pullum & Akyil, 2017). Losing contacts with social beings, such as spouses and children, is responsible for social isolation among the elderly. Moreover, factors such as low morale, mental health problems, and communication and transportation difficulties aggravate social isolation among the elderly. However, with the presence of old care, homes the elderly can interact with the other people as well as their professional staff.
However, the old-age care homes tend to socially exclude the elderly by depriving them of economic, social, and cultural platforms in which they interact with other people in society. According to Pullum and Akyil (2017), old care homes only avail infrequent social contact or a few social relationships to the elderly. They tend to limit participation in social activities such as traveling and attending church services. Moreover, the elderly in old care homes are emotionally isolated due to the lack of connections with the people in these homes (Pullum & Akyil, 2017). However, with the increased cases of bereavement among the elderly and dropping social-economic status, these people need as much mental health care as they can get, which is only available in the old age care homes (Abdul Manaf et al., 2016). Moreover, the old-age care homes are a refuge to the elderly who have limited mobility but lack assistance from the family members. Therefore, old-age care homes are the best option for the elderly who lack family support and lost their social networks and roles, which can result in mental health problems.
The old-age care homes' help to the less fortunate in society is remarkable. According to Parkar (2015), old age care homes are a last resort to the elderly that have become severely independent, especially if their family members are less fortunate and cannot cater to their ill relatives. Healthcare burden, cultural and economic issues of the elderly make old age care homes necessary. According to Akhtar (2015), family structures modernization and economic constraints are highly threatening the security of the elderly population. Generally, the elderly require the physician's help more than the younger populations, hence the need for these places that can avail basic needs, shelter, and medical services, which they greatly require. Therefore, without the old age care homes, most of the aged population are at the threshold of living in the streets homeless. Therefore, these homes are a rescue center for the elderly with financial problems, mental health issues, and those who feel socially isolated, thus ensuring welfare for all.
The old-age care homes may not always achieve the welfare objective as intended. A study by McMurdo and Witham (2007), in England's old age care homes, led to the conclusion that most of these homes' professionals lack respect for the elderly's dignity. The elderly complained that their privacy was violated, as they could not even use the toilets in private (McMurdo & Witham, 2007). More so, most of the elderly had a problem with malnutrition with the complaints that many were not getting enough assistance with eating and drinking. However, it is important to note that dependency and illness threatens one's dignity such that it would be unwise to blame the health practitioners who only seek to protect these people by opening the toilet doors. Therefore, elders acknowledging their need for help will stop viewing the old age care home professionals as violating their rights when they only seek to protect them.
People against old-age care homes for the elderly claim that these areas may not attend to the mental health problems of these patients, and socially exclude these people from society. More so, they state that the old age professionals tend to threaten the dignity of the elderly as well as their rights. Contrariwise, the old-age care homes are a refuge to the financially unstable elders who lose their financial income after retirement. With old age bringing with it many health problems, professionals in these homes can easily detect these diseases, thus attended to early. Nonetheless, with the understanding that the old age brings with it mobility and sensory problems, old-age care homes professionals go the extra mile in ensuring they meet all the physical, social, and psychological problems of these individuals. Therefore, old homes are good for the elderly as their benefits for them surpass their disadvantages.
References
Abdul Manaf, M., Mustafa, M., Abdul Rahman, N., Yusof, K., & Abd Aziz, N. (2016). Factors Influencing the Prevalence of MentalHealth Problems among Malay ElderlyResiding in a Rural Community: A Cross-Sectional Study. Plus ONE 11(6): E0156937 DOI: 10.1371/Journal.Pone.0156937 . Retrieved 15 September 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303890301
Akhtar, S. (2020). Socio-Economic Problems Faced by Senior Citizens Living in Aafiyat Center Lahore, Pakistan. International Journal Of Research In Humanities And Social Studies , 5 , 8-12. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from http://www.ijrhss.org/papers/v5-i2/2.pdf.
Kapur, R. (2018). Living of the Elderly in Old Age Homes. Retrieved 14 September 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323755237
McMurdo, M. & Witham M. D. (2007). Health and welfare of older people in care homes, 913-914. Retrieved 14 September 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1865466/. Con
Parkar, S. (2015). Elderly Mental Health: Needs*. Retrieved 14 September 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4381326/ .
Püllüm, E., & Akyıl, R. (2017). Loneliness and Social Isolation among Elderly People. Meandros Medical And Dental Journal , 158-163. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from http://cms.galenos.com.tr/Uploads/Article_16302/MEANDROS-18-3.pdf .
