Friday, October 20, 2017

“Socially Dead”

What an indictment of present-day society that we discard our elderly to the scrap-heap.

Today in France there are more than 300,000 older people who are “socially dead”. This terrible statistic was quoted yesterday by the Little Brothers of the Poor when they presented a study of the over-60s, undertaken by the CSA (Consumer Science Analytics) Institute. 

The break-down of social ties, and of relationships with a partner, family, neighbours or communities: a grim catalogue to which is sometimes added physical isolation imprisoning seniors in the house. 

Alain Villez, President of the Little Brothers of the Poor in France, who believes that the question of social isolation, highlighted by the high number of deaths in older people during the heatwave of 2003, should be taken more seriously.

More than one in ten of the over-60s feels lonely “every day or often”. And, according to this report, this feeling and this loneliness particularly affects the over-85s. Those questioned explained that they have no-one to rely upon on a daily basis. This isolation often results in going out less frequently and of doing fewer activities: 78% do none. And yet, 74% would like to do more activities if accessible.

To grow old in one’s own home with help for day-to-day living: this was the hope expressed by 84% of the elderly, as opposed to 3% who envisaged living in residential care with medical supervision.

http://www.humaniteinenglish.com/spip.php?article3134

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