Top Challenges Faced by Seniors
Collaborative Post
Everybody faces challenges every single day, but it’s the seniors in our lives that often have more challenges than most. From the physical limitations that they experience to the management of their social lives and financial resources at a time where they are most vulnerable, seniors often have it harder than anything else.
For example, when you are young, you may not have to worry about cataract surgery while living on a pension, But you might have to when you’re a senior. With limited resources and a fixed income, it’s a challenge to get to that stage in life and not be able to do what you used to do 20 years before. Understanding the challenges that are faced by seniors can not only help you to empathize more with the seniors in your life, but it can help to prepare you for when you head to your senior years.
Here are the top challenges faced by seniors.
Communication
As people get older, communication becomes an issue. This is not just because people drift apart as they age, but because when you become a senior yourself and you are in your elderly years, communicating with others is often punctuated by hearing loss or speech loss. This could lead to a misunderstood conversation or two and not hearing what others are saying, so you tend to withdraw into yourself to be able to avoid having to have those conversations in the first place.
Being active
As our bodies physically decline, it is much harder to stay active, though there are exercises and classes that are designed specifically for seniors and the physical limitations that they have. Swimming and Aqua aerobics for example, are great for the seniors in life who want to be able to keep their bodies moving and have that resistance of water so that they find it easier to be able to balance. Sometimes the need for additional transport and social support can stop people from staying active, but here is where family, friends and local services can help.
Money
When you are working through your life, you use your income to keep yourself going. When you hit your senior years, however, it’s a little bit different. You are either on a pension or a fixed income from savings or insurance that you have built up over your lifetime, and that can be difficult. Older adults who have decreased cognitive ability may struggle to understand some financial concepts, especially as finance and technology change together as we age.
Loneliness
Many seniors feel lonely as they get into their senior years because they no longer have a social circle to rely on whatever they are feeling alone or in need of support. Many seniors join community clubs or events to maintain and build new relationships.
