In order to better tell the content of the article, the plot of the characters is fictional, please read it sensibly
China is an economic powerhouse, and it is also a big country that is about to enter an aging society, and many people feel that people can enjoy life when they are old.
But the reality is not like this, many people are not as beautiful as everyone imagined in their old age.
Aunt Li used to be a teacher in her hometown, but after she retired, she left a familiar place and came to Beijing to live with her daughter, thinking that she could enjoy her family in peace.
But in reality, there are two problems in front of us, in the face of such a dilemma, how can the elderly over 70 years old live in peace?
First, the fast train of the times, the old man can't keep up with the rhythm
When everyone talks about the old age, the topic of "keeping up with the times" cannot be avoided.
In the era of "Internet +", with the rapid development of science and technology, many elderly people have become "digital refugees" who have been left behind by the times. For them, the era of intelligence brings not convenience, but trouble.
71-year-old Uncle Li went to the bank to withdraw money a few days ago, but the counter told him that now it is all cardless withdrawals and needs to be operated on his mobile phone. Uncle Li knew how to use a smartphone, so he had to go home. I went to the supermarket to buy groceries, and the cashier said, "Uncle, scan the code." But Uncle Li doesn't even know what the QR code looks like.
There was no choice but to pull out the crumpled cash in exchange for the cashier's impatient eyes. In this "era of code scanning", the elderly who don't know how to use smart phones often have to eat a lot of "closed-door soup".
In addition to not being able to use smartphones, the elderly often feel inadequate when it comes to traveling. On the bus, young people bow their heads and swipe their mobile phones, and few people are willing to take the initiative to give up their seats to the elderly.
Taxi software, the elderly can't use it, and the black car steals customers; Shared bicycles, can't ride; In the subway, the old people often have to "stare at the young people" to grab a seat, and even make an unpleasant quarrel in the end, which is not uncommon.
Elderly people in mainland China generally report problems such as difficulty in travel and high travel risks, and the main obstacles include imperfect transportation services and single access to information.
If it is said that it is not possible to use smart phones and is inconvenient to travel, it just makes the elderly feel "inconvenient", then the rising prices make many elderly people feel "uneasy".
For those elderly people who live on meager pensions, even a small increase can upset their living balance. With inconvenient travel, they have become a "mobile vulnerable group", and they are the first to bear the brunt of rising prices.
In addition, from next year, the elderly in their sixties and seventies may face "two practical problems". What exactly is the problem?
Second, the first practical problem, loneliness cuts off the connection between the elderly and society
When it comes to the elderly, many people imagine that the picture is full of children and grandchildren, enjoying family fun in their leisure time. For many elderly people, the reality is that loneliness is like a sharp blade, ruthlessly cutting off their connection with the outside world.
Just like Aunt Li, many elderly people originally lived in their familiar hometowns and had many relatives and friends around them.
Children working in other places, huge economic pressure and cumbersome workload, so that they can not do without, can only ask the elderly to help them take care of their children, many elderly people can not choose, can only go to a strange city, start a new life.
Suddenly, the originally friendly dialect became a lame and difficult to understand foreign dialect, and the neighbors who were once familiar became strangers in a hurry. All kinds of changes made the elderly feel uncomfortable, and their social circle suddenly shrunk.
In the past, when the old people walked out of the house, they could meet three or five friends, chat, talk about what they saw and gossip. Now they walk out of their homes and are confronted with deserted corridors and unfamiliar neighborhoods. There is a saying in Beijing that "old and dead don't get along" to satirize people's indifference. It's also fitting here.
According to a survey, more than half of the elderly do not have any interaction with their neighbors. As time goes by, there are more and more people living alone and empty nesters. They spend all their days with the TV and the sofa as their friends, and gradually lose the ability and desire to communicate with others.
It's a pity that young people are busy with work and can't wait to use it for two days a day, where do they have the time and energy to chat with their parents? Even if you occasionally talk at length, the old man can't interject about the topic of young people, and the old man can't understand the anime old man of his grandson.
In this way, the generation gap isolates the flow of emotions, and social isolation hurts the elderly beyond the spiritual level. A follow-up survey found that older people with strong loneliness also had a higher risk of developing dementia than others.
In addition, lonely elderly people are more likely to be depressed and anxious, and sleep quality is worse. It can be said that loneliness is quietly eroding the physical and mental health of the elderly.
Why has loneliness become a nightmare that haunts the elderly? In the final analysis, it is due to the neglect of the elderly group by the family and society. Children only care about feeding and cloning the elderly, but they forget that they also want to be heard and needed.
There are few recreational facilities suitable for the elderly in the community, and the uncles and aunts in the park can only chat and play chess in twos and threes, and the range of activities is small, and infrequent interpersonal communication will also lead to such a feeling.
Third, the second practical problem, health leads to the anxiety of the elderly
When talking about the life of the elderly in their later years, the word "health" is always inseparable. As we age, illness acts like a ghost, visiting the body of the elderly more and more frequently, making it difficult for them to sleep and eat.
I remember that during the new crown epidemic, there was always a group of gray-haired elderly people struggling in the ICU ward on TV. According to statistics, the proportion of elderly new crown patients aged 60 and above in the country is as high as more than 80 out of 80 positive infections, and the risk of severe disease is much higher than that of young people.
In addition to the sudden epidemic, the elderly also have to be accompanied by chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes for a long time. The proportion of elderly people aged 60 and above in mainland China suffering from chronic diseases is also high. Once the disease strikes, the medical expenses become a mountain that weighs on the elderly.
In case of hospitalization, it can be as little as a few thousand, or as many as tens of thousands, and it is simply impossible to afford it with a meager pension. The so-called "minor illness is delayed, and major illness is carried" is a true portrayal.
The proportion of medical expenses for the elderly in mainland China has accounted for more than half of the total health expenditure. Most of the elderly are faced not with "not wanting to see a doctor", but with "not being able to see a doctor". In addition to diseases, disability and dementia are also another major problem that plagues the elderly.
According to relevant data reports, China's population of disabled and semi-disabled elderly people over 60 years old is about 40.63 million, accounting for 18.5% of the total elderly population. It takes a lot of energy and time to take care of the disabled elderly.
Taking care of the disabled elderly is not as simple as imagined, and in the process of taking care of the disabled elderly, it is necessary to have strong nursing knowledge and very professional nursing knowledge. It's hard for ordinary people to do it.
Zhang Li, an 86-year-old grandmother in Shanghai, broke her leg at home alone because she had no children to take care of her. It wasn't until two days later that a neighbor noticed that her door had been locked, and called the police for help. At this time, Zhang Li had missed the best time for treatment and was left with a lifelong disability.
Many elderly people are worried that they cannot afford the cost of medical treatment and hospitalization, and more elderly people are worried that they will have no one to take care of them after they are seriously ill and disabled.
In the face of the health plight of the elderly, as a child, we cannot sit idly by. Spend more time with your parents, pay attention to their physical and mental changes, and help them within the scope of your ability, even if it is a phone call or a greeting every day, so that they can feel warm and reassured.
Only when the family, society, and government form a joint force, can the elderly no longer be shrouded by the haze of disease and disability in their later years.
Fourth, the elderly need to rely on the joint efforts of the family and society
Loneliness, illness, and the changing times are all eroding the quality of life of the elderly in their later years.
In the face of such a predicament, it is far from enough for the elderly to rely on their own efforts, and they need more care from their families and society. In China, the concept of "filial piety comes first" is deeply rooted. In the fast-paced modern society, many children find it difficult to fulfill their responsibilities of supporting the elderly.
Many elderly people in mainland China go home to visit their children only a handful of times a month, and a large number of elderly people do not see their children once a year.
It can be said that busy work and life have made many children neglect their filial piety, and the spiritual needs of the elderly are often ignored. As children, we should use patience and love to understand, care for and accompany our parents.
What the elderly need most is "self-integration", that is, looking back on their lives, feeling that their lives are meaningful, that they have a clear conscience, that they have no burden in their hearts.
As children, we should become the "warmth" of our parents on the road to their old age, help them achieve "self-integration", and enjoy a happy old age with peace of mind.
epilogue
Aunt Li's story is just a microcosm of the current living conditions of thousands of elderly people. In them, they saw the helplessness and hesitation of the elderly group, and they also saw their own future.
This is the end of the article, friends who like this article can forward and like to support everyone!
[Disclaimer] The process and pictures described in the article are from the Internet, and this article aims to advocate positive social energy, no vulgar and other bad guidance. If it involves copyright or character infringement issues, please contact us in time, and we will delete the content as soon as possible! If there is any doubt about the incident, it will be deleted or changed immediately after contact.
References:
2023-12-18 Chunya Finance V "Get Ready! From next year, the elderly in their sixties and seventies may face "two practical problems"
2023-12-21 Yingcai said "Everyone is ready, from next year, 70-year-olds may face "two practical problems"
2023-12-31 Qiyue Finance said, "From next year, the elderly in their sixties and seventies may face the challenge of "two practical problems"? 》