When we’re children, many of us fantasize about growing older, about leaving home, and finally living life on our own terms. If we only knew…

But the truth is we all eventually do reach this point. We all grow older, some more gracefully than others. And even though some of us may sail smoothly through life up until our last breath, many people aren’t as lucky.

Age affects everyone differently. And as young adults, most of us are unaware of the many issues that the elderly deal with regularly. Some of these issues might seem fairly easy to contend with, but you never know how you’ll cope until you experience it personally.

Today, our elderly loved ones face more issues than in recent years, and the following post will detail how these issues affect our elderly friends and loved ones.

Living Assistance

Whether brought on by physical or mental health issues, sometimes our elderly loved ones have a difficult time caring for themselves. And this can seemingly happen overnight in some cases.

When you recognize that an elderly friend or loved one is starting to have trouble caring for him or herself, it’s probably time to talk about future care options. And this can be a touchy conversation for anyone, no matter their age.

Whether you discuss living arrangements with family or friends, aging in place, assisted living, or nursing homes, be sure to approach the conversation gently. And be sure to remember that elderly abuse in nursing homes does occur at many facilities across the United States; while there are ways to seek compensation for injury, should your older adult be abused at one of these facilities, it may be a good idea to avoid them altogether.

Often we don’t fully understand the difficulty that the elderly face daily. But we have to remember that one day we’ll be standing in their shoes. So becoming engaged and aware of their struggles is always the first step when discussing care options.

COVID-19

One of the issues we’ve all been dealing with since March of 2020 is the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives and livelihoods around the globe, and one of the hardest-hit communities is the elderly.

The Coronavirus seems to be particularly lethal in our elderly community, taking the lives of many over the age of 65. As our body ages, our immune system weakens considerably, and this virus seems to be smart enough to seek out the most vulnerable hosts.

The elderly community has been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and many find themselves overwhelmed or confused as to how to protect themselves.

So if you have an elderly loved one who you know is dealing with stress from the virus, the best approach is to educate them and urge them to see their primary care physician to discuss the best options for their protection.

Transportation

Believe it or not, but our senior citizens spend a lot of money on transportation in their later years. And this is often due to the inability to operate a personal motor vehicle safely.

You might be surprised to learn that the elderly ride busses, cabs and take Uber and Lyft rides quite frequently. And this can be costly over time for anyone.

Being without the means to transport yourself in a large city or community can also cause major anxiety and depression, especially if you know that you cannot drive yourself to wherever you want to go.

If you have an elderly friend or loved one who you know has issues getting to and from where they need to be, be kind and offer your assistance. And inform them of options such as at-home delivery services and virtual services that they can use to mitigate the time and money they’ll spend getting around town.

We’ll all one day realize just how difficult life can be once we reach a certain age. In the meantime, taking care of the older adults in our lives is the best path forward. Because one day, we may need help too.