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‘I Put My Own Life on Hold’: The Pain and Joy of Caring for Parents

By Aidan Gardiner

Daughters said they s acrificed careers when their relatives wouldn’t. Others said hiring help sapped finances. And more than a few found treasured final moments with loved ones despite the overwhelming work of caring for them.

After The Times published a pair of articles on elder care — one about a Connecticut home health aide and another about women forgoing careers to care for older relatives — hundreds of our readers shared their own experiences with the hardships of trying to make the final years of a loved one’s life comfortable.

Many of the readers said they had parents and other relatives who fit squarely in a growing demographic in the United States of elder-boomers who want to spend their final years at home.

Below is a selection of the reader comments, which have been lightly edited.

Sacrificing prosperity for aging parents

What I thought might be a few weeks of caring for my mother turned into four years. A few months after she died, my father deteriorated rapidly.

When I was finally able to look for a job, nobody wanted me. I got a lot of nice words from potential employers, told that I was a hero and told that my reward would be in heaven, but nobody hires heroes and heaven doesn’t pay my bills on earth.

— Linda J. Marshall, Perry, Okla.

Choosing to care for my mom for 25 years influenced every job I took and had a negative effect on my career. I spent very little on myself and all of my extra earnings went toward her living expenses and care.

I handled (and mishandled) her mental illness and numerous physical injuries, which required long recovery times.

I sacrificed my personal life and general happiness in order to do this. I would do it again, too. It was the right thing to do.

— Eric Stein, Toledo, Ohio

I began caring for my mother full time just a few years after getting back into the work force when my children were in elementary school. I have a law degree and used to work in a big firm in New York City. Although my salary was relatively large, as a young attorney I couldn’t afford both child care and housing near enough to be home at the end of the day.

So I left N.Y.C. and my career. I started a new career, one which afforded me some flexibility as a parent.

Just when I was hitting my stride, about four or five years in, my mother could no longer live alone and moved in with me. Neither nursing homes nor assisted living were affordable, even if they were good options for her, which they were not.

I went back to a part-time schedule. At 62, I have not lived up to my earning potential nor have I been able to save enough for my own care when my time comes.

I have daughters, so I suppose the cycle will continue as they sideline their own careers to care for their children.

— Gloria Maphet, Fort Collins, Colo.

I moved back home and took care of my parents for four years until they died four months apart.

They were wonderful people and I don’t regret it. But I put my own life on hold, including professionally, and had to start over from nothing in my mid 30s.

— Suzanne Burke, Savannah, G a.

Joyous final moments

For nearly 20 years now, I have been the sole caregiver for my wife, who is totally and permanently disabled from a stroke she suffered in 2000.

I too am a virtual prisoner in my own home and now, at 66, certainly not living the life I imagined my retirement would be.

But my wife does not suffer from dementia or incontinence. She knows who I am, and most importantly knows what we mean to each other. That goes far in compensating for the losses.

— Dennis L. Smith, Des Moines

After my mom had a stroke, I cared for her 24/7 until she died in her own home two years later. It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life.

But mom and I had many moments of enjoyment, being together. We laughed. We cried. We were closer than ever before.

— Mary McKim, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

The high cost of home aides

I went through Craigslist, figuring without an agency taking a percentage, the caregiver and I would come out ahead. This involved me vetting each caregiver using online tools. I was lucky enough to find one caregiver for weekdays. But for weekends? I must have gone through over 30 caregivers, each with a unique set of problems.

I found that one caregiver, for instance, had been smoking crack cocaine during her shift (a house cleaner found her pipe). Another was leaving mom alone for hours at a time (a neighbor noticed). Yet another had an unchecked temper, and punched the weekday caregiver in the mouth, knocking out some of her teeth.

My mother wanted to age in place, so I helped her to do this. But it was a horrific experience.

— Jackie Naiditch, Los Angeles

In the past six years, we’ve had four parents die. All required extensive caregiving. Three had a combination of care from us and eventually nursing homes.

For one, we were able to care for her in her home until the end by tag-teaming with my husband’s siblings and hospice. (She was also the only one who didn’t have dementia, which made her care much easier.)

None had in-home health care aides because we couldn’t afford them. That’s the irony here; even the low wage of $160 per day is way beyond most of us.

— Lauren Holmes lives near Detroit

Anguish and anxiety while caring for the dying

My father had a stroke and I took care of him for the next five years around the clock. The strange combination of tasks mixed with the constant uncertainty creates a level of anxiety that is impossible to describe. I have to applaud anyone who does this as a career.

When you’re related to the person involved, it just sort of happens and you never know for how long (and you do tell yourself, just one more day, week, month, year).

— John Pagan, Highland, Ill.

For only 10 months, I took care of my mother who had dementia. It was not like taking care of a baby.

Often it was a question of getting my mother up to go to the bathroom, or maybe getting five hours of sleep and doing three extra hours of laundry the next morning because she wet the bed. She went through an approximately two-month phase where she got up four times every night.

I thought I would lose my mind from exhaustion. It felt like I had two people in my head all the time, as I was thinking and acting for her every need.

I had quit my job to take care of her in the prime of my working life. I came close to being broke. I had no health insurance during this time. I barely got out of the house. Just getting out to grocery shop was such a relief that I would come close to crying in the store.

— Jessica Newman, Istanbul

I’m the caregiver to my 85-year-old mother. Lucky for me, she’s just come to a point that she needs someone there to cook, clean, mow the yard, etc.

Still, it’s hard work. You watch the person you’re caring for slowly weaken and become frail. That alone is excruciating — to watch someone you love very much slowly grow old and die.

Years ago, when I was 17, my aunt was dying of lung cancer. On her last day, I went into the hospital, with a pack of cigarettes and two bottles of beer.

My aunt was never a big drinker but she liked a cold beer and her L&M smokes.

I went in, sat down and opened her a beer, opened a pack of smokes, lit one for her, and me (I was a smoker then in the late 1970s. Who wasn’t?).

We sat there talking about life and loss over our cigarettes and beer. I told her how much I loved her and how I will always remember her and how much death sucked.

She said, “You will surely grow old and die,” but not for a long time.

She died with me holding her hand.

— James Young, Redmond, Wash.

We continued to work, to raise our two sons and to try to have our normal family routine while going through this difficult journey of seeing the best parents in the world slowly die.

I had to resign in 2016 to take care of mom. Lost income was hard, but losing yourself is worse.

I failed the depression screening in February of 2017 and was told by my doctor I needed to commit myself. I couldn’t because not one family member could commit to taking time off from their jobs to help my mom.

— Martha White, Rogers, Ark .

Using facilities when home care overwhelms

While keeping mom at home would have been nice, in reality, as her dementia advanced, the benefits for her of being at home decreased as she became less able to recognize her own home and get out.

We placed her in a nursing facility after a fall, and she actually seems to be “living her best life” now, enjoying activities and interacting with the other staff and patients. There are limits to what even the most dedicated family members can do in a home setting.

— Amy Raffensperger, Elizabethtown, Pa.

I was unable to carry out their final wishes to live out their lives at home. After 18 months, the care team was burning out and I was having to rely on agencies, which charged $50 per hour.

I moved my parents from their home near Yosemite to a group home around the corner from my house.

Dad died seven days later, and mom eight months to the day after that.

I carry some guilt for moving them, but remind myself that for their last Christmas, my parents were surrounded by family.

— Doug van Aman, Reno, Nev.

A note to readers who are not subscribers: This article from the Reader Center does not count toward your monthly free article limit.

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Taking Care of Elderly Parents

Feeling guilty and forgiving yourself..

Posted August 23, 2016 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• Coping With Guilt
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As caregivers, we often feel guilty for not rescuing our parents from the pain and discomfort of old age. But we cannot rescue them; we can only offer our love and support and hope they accept it. Yet, many of us do offer that to our elderly parents and still feel guilty. What is this guilt about?

In my experience and in my discussions with other caregivers I have found a variety of complex experiences that we refer to as “guilt.” Some forms of guilt have to do with not meeting other people’s expectations, while other forms have to do with not meeting our own.

There is the guilt we feel when we don’t do things that we think we “should.” These “shoulds” are injunctions that we have not completely internalized as our own. When you say “I should visit my mother every day,” it really means you imagine someone else thinks you “should.” Perhaps you imagine your relatives think you should visit your mother every day. When you think: “I should make dinner for my family instead of visiting my mother after work,” you are not saying you think that’s right or that’s what you wish to do. Rather, you are expressing the feeling that other people, perhaps your husband, thinks that it is the right thing to do. Conflicting “shoulds” can be quite anxiety -provoking, making you feel torn in many directions.

Then there is separation guilt—the guilt that communicates: “I am a separate person, I have different values or different needs than you do. We are not one.” Separation guilt may emerge as a result of physically separating from your parent—moving to a different city. But separation can be symbolic as well as physical. Making different choices about how to live your life can give rise to separation guilt as well. Each move toward self-development can feel like a betrayal of your mother because you are living your own separate life.

And there is guilt as a result of having an envious mother. One of my patients, Patricia, feels guilty for having anything more than her mother. Her mother did not enjoy her daughter’s achievements; she was contemptuous of them because she was envious. Having sensed her mother’s envy beneath the contempt, Patricia feels guilty for going to graduate school when her mother left school after high school to care for her sick father. Patricia admitted she even felt guilty for not having arthritis and cancer as her mother did.

On the other hand, there is moral guilt—a response to a violation of our own moral code. If you’ve spent your life believing elderly people should be kept in the community and decide to put your father in a nursing home, the guilt you experience is “moral guilt.” Moral guilt is painful because it shakes your sense of self and involves a reconsideration of beliefs you took for granted.

There is also the guilt that one experiences as a result of ambivalent feelings toward your parent. If you are angry toward your mother when you have to decide whether to put her in a nursing home, there is always the question of whether you are doing what your mother needs or you are trying to hurt her.

And then there is the guilt of feeling you are the special one who can offer comfort and solace, but other exigencies of your life (like living far away) make you unavailable to do so. Sometimes it is true that you are the only one who can offer comfort and solace — you may be an only child and your parent is widowed. That is a painful conflict when you have other obligations that are even more compelling—young children or a sick husband.

However, in some cases feeling that you are the only one who can offer comfort is a wish to be special rather than reality. In that case, as painful as the guilt is, it is the price for feeling special. Feeling less guilty involves the realization that you are not the only person who can provide some comfort for your mother, allowing you to mobilize other people to do so.

My friend Susan suffers from “shoulds” and from separation guilt. Susan’s mother was born in Italy and feels that daughters are obligated to have their parents live with them when they get old. She feels angry that Susan will not let her live with her and Susan feels guilty. Susan feels she “should” invite her mother, and if she were a good daughter, she would.

But Susan was not born in Italy. She is an American-born writer with a Ph.D., and she does not believe that daughters are obligated to have their parents live with them; she just feels like she “should.” In addition, Susan suffers from separation guilt. When she says “no you can’t live with me” to her mother she is also saying: “I am a separate person Mom, I have different values than you do. I don’t want to live my life the way you did.”

What might help Susan allay her guilt and forgive herself? She has to think about whether she agrees with those “shoulds.” Who is it that thinks she “should” do this or that? What does she believe is right? If what she believes is right does not coincide with the “shoulds,” then she has to decide if she wants to mold her life around what those people think she “should” do.

Susan knows that if her mother moves into her house she will feel perpetually angry toward her because her mother will not be satisfied with the level of Susan’s attentiveness to her. Susan will also feel bad about herself for feeling angry toward her mother for intruding in her life and violating her privacy. Her mother wants something that Susan does not want to give. Susan has set a limit.

If Susan cannot give her mother all that she wants, what can she do for her? She can fulfill her own moral standard by finding a warm, safe environment for her mother where she will have social contacts and be taken care of. She can talk to her mother’s doctor about prescribing anti-depressants . But she cannot rescue her mother. However, she may drown trying.

This is an excerpt from my book: Doing the Right Thing: Taking Care of Your Elderly Parents Even if They Didn't Take Care of You, pgs. 84-88.

Roberta Satow, Ph.D. is a professor emeritus at Brooklyn College and a private practice psychotherapist in Manhattan.

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What Aging Parents Want From Their Kids

There’s a fine line between caring and controlling—but older adults and their grown children often disagree on where it is.

Several years ago, I wrote a book aimed at helping adult children of my generation manage the many challenges of caring for our aging parents. I interviewed women and men across the country about their struggles and successes. I also spoke with members of the helping professions: geriatricians, social workers, elder-law attorneys, administrators of assisted-living facilities, and just about anyone and everyone who I thought could shed light on the subject. Everybody, that is, except the aging parents.

That now strikes me as a glaring omission. No doubt it’s because I’ve since become an aging parent that I find myself looking at the matter of parent care from a different perspective. I nod in agreement when the son of a friend expresses concern to me about his dad driving after dark, but I also understand when my friend, his father, complains of “being badgered by my kids about my driving.” He and his children may have different answers to the situation’s key questions: How serious a problem is the father’s driving? And how capable is the father of making his own decisions?  Certainly there are situations where an adult child’s intervention in the ailing parent’s life is clearly needed, but what if this isn’t one of those times?

As parents get older, attempts to hold on to our independence can be at odds with even the most well-intentioned “suggestions” from our children. We want to be cared about but fear being cared for. Hence the push and pull when a well-meaning offspring steps onto our turf.

Another case in point: My friend Julia and I recently met at a local museum. She’s 75, a retired editor and volunteer docent. Over lunch, we caught up on family news—kids, grandkids. She took out an iPhone to show me pictures. I asked about her daughter, who had recently moved back to the East Coast from Chicago. “It must be nice to see her more often,” I said.

Julia sighed. “Yes, but—” she said.  “Whenever Brenda drops by, I’m not sure whether she’s come to visit or to check up on me: Does my home meet the clean test? Is the yogurt in my refrigerator long past its ‘use by’ date?”

“I feel like I’m constantly being assessed,” she concluded.

I have some idea of what she means. My husband and I have taken to checking the due dates of groceries prior to a visit from any of our three sons. They’ve even got the grandkids going through my spice cabinet. For them it’s a game, except I don’t feel like playing. Ten years ago, I probably would have joined in the fun. Now I’m more sensitive to being criticized.

A week later, I found myself discussing the same thing with Elinor, another friend of mine. We had been talking about a number of recently aired tributes to Frank Sinatra when we blocked on the name of another singer of that era. “I see an M ,” I said. Running through the alphabet often works for me. Triumphantly, Elinor came up with the right answer: Mel Torme. She was relieved.

“My son and daughter-in-law have made me very self-conscious about my memory,” Elinor told me. “Whenever they catch me in a lapse like not knowing the day’s date—I mean, I know it’s a Thursday, but is it the 21st or 22nd of the month?” Whenever she has trouble finding the right word, “they exchange these long, meaningful looks.” The only thing their scrutiny accomplished, she told me, was putting her on edge when they spent time together.

Has she talked to them about her feelings? No, she said. “I do enjoy their company, but I also find myself looking for excuses to see them less often.”

So what are older parents looking for in relationships with their adult children? In a 2004 study, two professors from the State University of New York at Albany, the public-health professor Mary Gallant and the sociologist Glenna Spitze, explored the issue in interviews with focus groups of older adults. Among their findings: Their participants “express strong desire for both autonomy and connection in relations with their adult children, leading to ambivalence about receiving assistance from them. They define themselves as independent but hope that children’s help will be available as needed. They are annoyed by children’s overprotectiveness but appreciate the concern it expresses. They use a variety of strategies to deal with their ambivalent feelings, such as minimizing the help they receive, ignoring or resisting children’s attempts to control …”

“One of the scariest things to people as they age is that they don’t feel in control anymore,” says Steven Zarit, a professor of human development and family studies at Pennsylvania State University. “So if you tell your dad not to go out and shovel snow, you assume that he’ll listen. It’s the sensible thing. But his response will be to go out and shovel away … It’s a way of holding on to a life that seems to be slipping back.”

Whether that means he’s independent or intransigent depends on who’s making the call. A recent study by Zarit  and his colleagues looked at parental stubbornness as a complicating factor in intergenerational relationships. Not surprisingly, adult children were more likely to say their parents were acting stubborn than the parents were to see the behavior in themselves. Understanding why parents may be “insisting, resisting, or persisting in their ways or opinions,” the study reads, can lead to better communication. Zarit’s advice to the adult child: “Do not pick arguments. Do not make a parent feel defensive. Plant an idea, step back, and bring it up later. Be patient.”

But that goes both ways. I speak from experience when I say that too often, parents engage in magical thinking—our children should have known x , or should have done y —and then we’re disappointed if they don’t come through. The onus here is on us older parents to speak up. The clearer we are in describing our feelings and stating our needs, the better our chances of having those needs met.

Karen Fingerman, who was a co-author on Zarit’s study, suggests a different approach. A professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas, Fingerman is also the director of a three-generational study that focuses on middle-aged children and how they care for the generations above and below them. “The research shows that they have a pretty good idea of what their parents’ needs really are,” she says. “Older parents might do better to try to understand and address the child’s concerns. We found in our research that when the middle-aged adult is worried about the aging parent, the parent is both annoyed by that and feels more loved.”

At a recent 80th-birthday party for my friend Leah, I found myself seated at a table for eight, all women of a certain age: my very own focus group. At the main table, Leah was surrounded by her family: two sons, their wives, seven grandchildren. A photographer was taking pictures. A beautiful family, all my tablemates agreed.

“While we’re on the subject of families …” I began. I asked the women about their own families, specifically about anything they might want to say to their own adult children. “I’d just want to say thank you,” said one, “and I do say it all the time.” She explained that she was sidelined by a back ailment this past year, and “my daughters, despite their busy social and professional lives, bent over backwards to do everything for their father and me.”

“What I’d want to say to my daughters?” asked another woman, seated to my right. “I’d want to tell them, ‘Buzz off.’” The daughters are both in their early fifties; their mother, widowed early in her marriage, is fiercely proud of her success as a single mother. “They’re always offering to do this, do that, and do the other thing, and it just drives me crazy,” she said. “It tells me that they think I’m not competent.” As a result, she’s stopped telling them when she really does have a problem.

Our conversation was brought to a close by the sound of a spoon clicking against glass. Leah’s older son rose to offer a toast. “To the birthday girl,” he began, going on to extol his mother’s virtues … Other toasts followed. Finally, Leah took the floor. “To my wonderful family …” she began. In her case, I guess that said it all.

A previous version of this article appeared on NYCityWoman .

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The Unique Struggles and Benefits Older Parents Face

Financial security.

• More Free Time
• Appreciation for Parenthood

Stable Relationships

More life experience, generations gap, health concerns, being set in your ways.

• Caring for Aging Parents

The number of older parents is on the rise. Many more women are waiting until their 30s and 40s to have babies, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control. When planning your family's future, consider the unique struggles and benefits older parents face.

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The first benefit of having children later in life is financial security. Older parents who've waited to have children have likely spent most of their adult lives working. They're more likely to have already climbed the career ladder and feel financially ready to raise children.

Financial security helps defray the high costs of raising a child but also allows parents to be prepared for unexpected expenses and college tuition.

More Time to Spend With the Kids

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With financial security can come more time to spend with the kids. Those countless hours and late nights at the office may equate to a lot of accumulated vacation time and personal days.  

Even if one parent gives up their job to become a stay-at-home parent, their partner may have several weeks of time to take off for family vacations or to help out at home when the kids are sick. Those extra days add up when you compare them to a younger parent who may only get five paid days off of work per year.​​

A Greater Appreciation for Being a Parent

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If you've been waiting most of your life to have a baby, your appreciation for that child grows even deeper once they arrive. Research has found that older parents tend to be more positive in their parenting roles. That positive parenting attitude may translate into kids that grow up to have fewer behavioral, social or emotional difficulties.

Older parents usually spend years, even decades, planning for their babies, saving money to spend on their babies and simply dreaming about their future children. This extra planning may give them a greater appreciation of the joys of parenthood once that baby is in their arms.

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Kids are wonderful, miraculous beings. They can also put even the strongest relationships to the test. It's easy to lash out at your spouse because your fussy baby has kept you up all night or your once-sweet child has suddenly decided to turn into the smart-aleck teenager you used to be.

Many older parents have been together a while and/or have vast support networks of friends and family ready to support them through parenting. They may have waited to have children, but they know their own strengths and weakness as individuals and as a couple, and that can play to their advantage over a younger couple who may not have been together as long or weathered as many storms.

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Younger and older parents have the same experience as a mom or dad before their first child is born: zero. However, older parents may have a decade or more of life experience . An older parent tends to approach parenthood with more maturity based on both age and that life experience.

There are a number of perks that come with the extra years of being an adult . They include knowing who you are as a person and not feeling like you've missed anything in your life because you had children so young. You are better able to handle medical, school, and day-to-day situations with less drama, more knowledge, and calmness.

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There are plenty of downsides older parents face as well, such as a generations, yes, generations gap. When they're graduating high school , you'll be the age of most other kids' grandparents .

But not only are you a generation older, more than likely you're generations older than your child. Even parents in their twenties sometimes feel out of touch with what's going on when it comes to their children. But older parents may be three to four decades apart from their kids, making their gap even larger.

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You may not want to admit it, but you've been on the planet a long time. You're pretty tired, and that exhaustion will be magnified once you have kids. As babies turn into toddlers and toddlers turn into sprinting kids , you may wish someone would put you down for a nap . Kids have endless energy, and, unfortunately, grown-ups, especially older ones, don't.

Most parents experience tiredness, but you're more prone to experience parental exhaustion as an older parent.

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Not only do you have to worry about your child's health, but you may also be concerned about your own health. Parents of any age can face health issues, but older parents are at an increased risk of medical problems simply because they're aging. You're also slowing down, getting more tired, and sometimes just need to take a physical break more than your younger parent counterparts.

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You may have done everything your way for a long time now. You may be set in your ways, and now there are these tiny people who are tearing up the house that used to be spotless as well as interrupting your scheduled plans with public tantrums that cause you to have to leave your favorite places early. Being an older parent requires many adjustments to the life you once knew and were accustomed to for so long.  

Taking Care of Your Parents While Raising Kids

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Older parents may find themselves raising young children and caring for their own parents at the same time. It's so common, it's even got a name: the Sandwich Generation. Your time has to be split between caring for everyone, and that can leave you with a more hectic, emotionally and physically draining lifestyle than a mom who's in their twenties.

Younger parents may also be able to rely on grandparents for child care and other financial and emotional support. But your children's grandparents are older, and may not be able to help out as much (even if they don't require a lot of your time and care).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Natality dashboard .

US Department of Agriculture. 2015 expenditures on children by families .

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A look at consolidated leave plans in 2018 .

Trillingsgaard T, Sommer D. Associations between older maternal age, use of sanctions, and children’s socio-emotional development through 7, 11, and 15 years . Eur J Dev Psychol . 2018;(15)2:141-155. doi:10.1080/17405629.2016.1266248

Zondervan-Zwijnenburg MAJ, Veldkamp SAM, Neumann A, et al. Parental age and offspring childhood mental health: A multi-cohort, population-based investigation . Child Dev . 2020;91(3):964-982. doi:10.1111/cdev.13267

Rush Medical Center. Keep your energy as you age .

Niccoli T, Partridge L. Ageing as a risk factor for disease . Curr Biol . 2012;22(17):R741-52.  doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.07.024

Ersche KD, Lim TV, Ward LHE, Robbins TW, Stochl J. Creature of habit: a self-report measure of habitual routines and automatic tendencies in everyday life . Pers Individ Dif . 2017;116:73-85.  doi:10.1016/j.paid.2017.04.024

American Psychological Association. Sandwich generation moms feeling the squeeze .

By Apryl Duncan Apryl Duncan is a stay-at-home mom and internationally-published writer with years of experience providing advice to others like her.

The Measure of a Life Well Lived: Henry Miller on Growing Old, the Perils of Success, and the Secret of Remaining Young at Heart

By maria popova.

More than three decades later, shortly after his eightieth birthday, Miller wrote a beautiful essay on the subject of aging and the key to living a full life. It was published in 1972 in an ultra-limited-edition chapbook titled On Turning Eighty ( public library ), alongside two other essays. Only 200 copies were printed, numbered and signed by the author.

Miller begins by considering the true measure of youthfulness:

If at eighty you’re not a cripple or an invalid, if you have your health, if you still enjoy a good walk, a good meal (with all the trimmings), if you can sleep without first taking a pill, if birds and flowers, mountains and sea still inspire you, you are a most fortunate individual and you should get down on your knees morning and night and thank the good Lord for his savin’ and keepin’ power. If you are young in years but already weary in spirit, already on the way to becoming an automaton, it may do you good to say to your boss — under your breath, of course — “Fuck you, Jack! You don’t own me!” … If you can fall in love again and again, if you can forgive your parents for the crime of bringing you into the world, if you are content to get nowhere, just take each day as it comes, if you can forgive as well as forget, if you can keep from growing sour, surly, bitter and cynical, man you’ve got it half licked.

He later adds:

I have very few friends or acquaintances my own age or near it. Though I am usually ill at ease in the company of elderly people I have the greatest respect and admiration for two very old men who seem to remain eternally young and creative. I mean [the Catalan cellist and conductor] Pablo Casals and Pablo Picasso, both over ninety now. Such youthful nonagenarians put the young to shame. Those who are truly decrepit, living corpses, so to speak, are the middle-aged, middleclass men and women who are stuck in their comfortable grooves and imagine that the status quo will last forever or else are so frightened it won’t that they have retreated into their mental bomb shelters to wait it out.

Miller considers the downside of success — not the private kind, per Thoreau’s timeless definition , but the public kind, rooted in the false deity of prestige :

If you have had a successful career, as presumably I have had, the late years may not be the happiest time of your life. (Unless you’ve learned to swallow your own shit.) Success, from the worldly standpoint, is like the plague for a writer who still has something to say. Now, when he should be enjoying a little leisure, he finds himself more occupied than ever. Now he is the victim of his fans and well wishers, of all those who desire to exploit his name. Now it is a different kind of struggle that one has to wage. The problem now is how to keep free, how to do only what one wants to do.

He goes on to reflect on how success affects people’s quintessence:

One thing seems more and more evident to me now — people’s basic character does not change over the years… Far from improving them, success usually accentuates their faults or short-comings. The brilliant guys at school often turn out to be not so brilliant once they are out in the world. If you disliked or despised certain lads in your class you will dislike them even more when they become financiers, statesmen or five star generals. Life forces us to learn a few lessons, but not necessarily to grow.

Somewhat ironically, Anaïs Nin — Miller’s onetime lover and lifelong friend — once argued beautifully for the exact opposite , the notion that our personalities are fundamentally fluid and ever-growing, something that psychologists have since corroborated .

Miller returns to youth and the young as a kind of rearview mirror for one’s own journey:

You observe your children or your children’s children, making the same absurd mistakes, heart-rending mistakes often, which you made at their age. And there is nothing you can say or do to prevent it. It’s by observing the young, indeed, that you eventually understand the sort of idiot you yourself were once upon a time — and perhaps still are.

Like George Eliot, who so poignantly observed the trajectory of happiness over the course of human life , Miller extols the essential psychoemotional supremacy of old age:

At eighty I believe I am a far more cheerful person than I was at twenty or thirty. I most definitely would not want to be a teenager again. Youth may be glorious, but it is also painful to endure… I was cursed or blessed with a prolonged adolescence; I arrived at some seeming maturity when I was past thirty. It was only in my forties that I really began to feel young. By then I was ready for it. (Picasso once said: “One starts to get young at the age of sixty, and then it’s too late.” ) By this time I had lost many illusions, but fortunately not my enthusiasm, nor the joy of living, nor my unquenchable curiosity.

And therein lies Miller’s spiritual center — the life-force that stoked his ageless inner engine:

Perhaps it is curiosity — about anything and everything — that made me the writer I am. It has never left me… With this attribute goes another which I prize above everything else, and that is the sense of wonder. No matter how restricted my world may become I cannot imagine it leaving me void of wonder. In a sense I suppose it might be called my religion. I do not ask how it came about, this creation in which we swim, but only to enjoy and appreciate it.

Two years later, Miller would come to articulate this with even more exquisite clarity in contemplating the meaning of life , but here he contradicts Henry James’s assertion that seriousness preserves one’s youth and turns to his other saving grace — the capacity for light-heartedness as an antidote to life’s often stifling solemnity:

Perhaps the most comforting thing about growing old gracefully is the increasing ability not to take things too seriously. One of the big differences between a genuine sage and a preacher is gaiety. When the sage laughs it is a belly laugh; when the preacher laughs, which is all too seldom, it is on the wrong side of the face.

Equally important, Miller argues, is countering the human compulsion for self-righteousness. In a sentiment Malcolm Gladwell would come to complement nearly half a century later in advocating for the importance of changing one’s mind regularly , Miller writes:

With advancing age my ideals, which I usually deny possessing, have definitely altered. My ideal is to be free of ideals, free of principles, free of isms and ideologies. I want to take to the ocean of life like a fish takes to the sea… I no longer try to convert people to my view of things, nor to heal them. Neither do I feel superior because they appear to be lacking in intelligence.

Miller goes on to consider the brute ways in which we often behave out of self-righteousness and deformed idealism:

One can fight evil but against stupidity one is helpless… I have accepted the fact, hard as it may be, that human beings are inclined to behave in ways that would make animals blush. The ironic, the tragic thing is that we often behave in ignoble fashion from what we consider the highest motives. The animal makes no excuse for killing his prey; the human animal, on the other hand, can invoke God’s blessing when massacring his fellow men. He forgets that God is not on his side but at his side.

But despite observing these lamentable human tendencies, Miller remains an optimist at heart. He concludes by returning to the vital merriment at the root of his life-force:

My motto has always been: “Always merry and bright.” Perhaps that is why I never tire of quoting Rabelais: “For all your ills I give you laughter.” As I look back on my life, which has been full of tragic moments, I see it more as a comedy than a tragedy. One of those comedies in which while laughing your guts out you feel your inner heart breaking. What better comedy could there be? The man who takes himself seriously is doomed… There is nothing wrong with life itself. It is the ocean in which we swim and we either adapt to it or sink to the bottom. But it is in our power as human beings not to pollute the waters of life, not to destroy the spirit which animates us. The most difficult thing for a creative individual is to refrain from the effort to make the world to his liking and to accept his fellow man for what he is, whether good, bad or indifferent.

The entire On Turning Eighty chapbook, which includes two other essays, is a sublime read. Complement it with Miller on writing , altruism , the meaning of life , what creative death means , and his 11 commandments of writing .

— Published June 26, 2014 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/06/26/henry-miller-on-turning-eighty/ —

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Student Essay: Helping the Older Generation Embrace Technology

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Jordan Mittler, a sophomore at The Ramaz Upper School in New York City and a participant in the Wharton Global Youth Summer Program, is the founder of Mittler Senior Technology, a company that helps senior citizens adapt to the world of technology. In this student essay, Jordan shares the story of how he started his business and why it has become so critical during this time of social isolation — especially in New York City, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.

In the next few months, Wharton Global Youth will be featuring a new essay every week, written by students around the world who are at home and eager to share their stories of entrepreneurship, leadership and experiences with business.

Five years ago, I gifted my grandparents, Janet and Mark Mittler, iPhones because it was painful for me to watch them still using flip phones! I have always been passionate about technology. I needed to get my grandparents, with whom I am very close, on board with the latest gadgets. It never even occurred to me that they would have no idea how to use an iPhone. They did not know how to perform many of the basic functions that come so easily to my generation, such as texting, Facetiming, photographing — and the list goes on.

And so, the idea for my business was born. I knew I needed to help this older generation, who missed the technology boom and was literally scared of trying to figure out our new connected world. As a result of this very real fear, they were often left alone and out of touch because they couldn’t communicate like everyone else.

Bonnie’s Got Mail

I decided to test my market concept at the local nursing home. I will never forget walking through those doors. I was only 11 at the time, and the director looked at me as if I had 10 heads. I went to the recreation floor and asked over a microphone: “Who would like free technology help?” I only had one taker. Her name was Bonnie Fisher, and I sat with her one-on-one for more than a year providing technology lessons. You should have seen Bonnie light up when she figured out how to connect with her sister and friends over email! I needed to figure out a way to reach a bigger audience.

I reached out to my synagogue, Congregation Kehilath Jeshrun, and asked if they would send a letter by mail promoting free technology help to all of their members over the age of 65. The synagogue was flooded with phone calls from interested seniors looking to enroll in tech class each Sunday. My temple, affiliated with my school, also let me use the school’s computer lab to hold my weekly classes. So many seniors showed interest that I had to maintain a waitlist. I got them into the classroom and taught them everything from texting to FaceTime and how to navigate the internet.

Fast forward to February 2020, and my classes were booming. I had even inspired some of my friends to join me in volunteering their time as teaching assistants. I had just added another class to fit in as many beginner and intermediate seniors as possible, and I felt like I was in a very good position to start scaling my business to reach even more learners.

We all know what happened next. Coronavirus swept through the world and our country, hitting the senior population the hardest and having a grim impact on New York City (reporting nearly 4,500 deaths through the beginning of April). During this time, I canceled my Sunday classes as my own schedule moved to at-home online learning.

I also realized, however, that senior citizens were suddenly even more cut off than ever. This new world of distancing was going to throw the older generation into more social isolation than they had ever experienced. One of my students, Roz Zuger, is 94 years old. I knew she would be disappointed without her weekly dose of tech class. So, I decided that I would attempt to continue my classes online via Zoom and walk all of my seniors through setting up the application and account. I started with Roz, spending endless phone calls with her to get her set up and comfortable with the online meeting platform. Roz had lots of trouble with the audio function on Zoom, and we slowly worked through this together.

After missing only one in-person class – and sending multiple texts and reminder calls — I had my whole class plus others online with me for our first virtual session. I updated my curriculum to be most helpful for seniors during this time when they were homebound and alone. For example, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, the Rabbi Emeritus of my synagogue and Principal Emeritus of my school, needed help creating a group chat so he could communicate with all his children at one time. He was having particular trouble setting this up. I was able to show him virtually how to work through all the issues.

Facetiming and Ordering Groceries Online

The key to my teaching success with the older generation is showing, not just explaining. For seniors, talking in technology terms is less effective than presenting them with a visual of how to do something. They’re just not used to the language of technology. Roz, for example, was only able to launch Zoom after I Facetimed with her and sent her pictures via text of the next steps she needed to take. I helped Rabbi Lookstein by sharing visuals with him from my own computer screen.

In the past few weeks, we have been figuring this out as we go along – and it’s working. I started to record all of my Zoom sessions, so the seniors could replay any section of our class for review. After each online session, I send out a link to the recording, as well as a message with everything covered in class that day. My updated curriculum includes showing my students (which total some 80 seniors) how to order groceries online, how to order from Amazon, how to Facetime to stay connected, how to access online newspapers, and, of course, how to mute and unmute their Zoom audio.

It has been really rewarding for me to help so many people become tech-savvy during a time when technology has never been more fundamental to our daily lives. Social distancing has helped me bridge even further the gap between generations – and empower older people with the very valuable tool of connection.

Related Links

• Teen Vogue: Teens Are Helping Seniors Stay Connected

Conversation Starters

How did Jordan Mittler think like an entrepreneur in a time of crisis? Need help? Check out this Wharton Global Youth article for guidance.

Initially, Jordan only had one customer. Why was Bonnie so important to the growth of his idea and his business?

Have you used innovation to respond to needs during the coronavirus pandemic? Share your story in the Comment section of this article.

33 comments on “ Student Essay: Helping the Older Generation Embrace Technology ”

Wow! It’s incredible how technology can connect everyone. Many people often say that technology drifts us apart, but I’d like to disagree. In the current age, technology lets people from all walks of life to seamlessly connect. From Jordan’s example of how he helped local senior citizens be accustom to technology, it indeed shows how something as small as a smartphone can bridge generational divides.

Moreover, I’d like to add that I’ve seen a similar experience with my grandparents. My grandparents currently reside in India while I live in the US. This poses a problem as we cannot communicate readily. However, I found a solution to that vexing issue last summer. My family and I decided it was time for a change in the technology my grandparents were using, so we bought them iPhones. I helped them understand the ins and outs of how to use the technology which they were not familiar with. Because of this, they often facetime us from India and have even become like teenagers, as now they are glued to their phones.

Hi Vishnu, I really enjoyed reading your anecdote about your grandparents in India. I could relate to this issue since my grandparents live in Maryland, while I reside in New Jersey. Pre-isolation, my extended family and I would visit them almost bimonthly. This was crucial to their well-being, as they live alone in a rural area. During the quarantine, I helped introduce them to Zoom, which has been a useful online tool. Now that they are capable of using it, our entire family has weekly digital chats. In relation to this article, our examples of giving help to our grandparents exemplify the responsibility of younger generations to take initiative with technology. Jordan allowing the Rabbi Emeritus of his synagogue to communicate with all his children at once is an important example of lending knowledge and skills to older generations to maximize efficiency and happiness during these times of uncertainty.

I understand that technology helps connect people, especially during this time of endless quarantines. It is beneficial that the older generation is taking an interest in technology, breaking the stereotype that the elderly reject new ideas. After all, technology was and is made to make humans’ lives easier. However, while reading both your comments, Vishnu and Charlie, along with the article, I see that in all the cases of older people using technology, it is because the elderly generation have no other ways to stay connected. Now, this sparked a curious thought inside me—the elderly are using tech because especially during this time period, they really need it to prevent themselves from becoming isolated. But when it comes to young people, we just use tech because we are so addicted to it. We reach for a phone because it’s just what teens do. We text, FaceTime, and play multiplayer games with each other simultaneously. For the elderly, the chance to be able to connect with their loved ones is a big highlight in their life. They have not experienced such ease and luxury for much of their lives.

In contrast, teens have grown up around technology. We should try to bring back a culture that is less focused on technology usage to grow up appreciating the time we use technology, especially to connect with others. The younger generation is so desensitized by constant interaction through texting and voice/video calls that we often fail to appreciate it. I was surprised by the enthusiasm of the elderly when Jordan offered classes, but now I realize that it’s because they have realized its value and are taking efforts to gain the most out of it. For me, it took spending some time in quarantine to realize this. My friends and I are always complaining how we are so lonely, when we have actually been texting and calling daily before the COVID-19 outbreak. Teens need to shift a little bit away from the constant technology usage and take time to do other things that do not require technology—perhaps even teaching their elderly relatives about technology, as Jordan did.

I also have another major concern: older people are already at huge risk to scams and privacy issues, and presenting them with increased technology would give others more opportunities to take advantage of the elderly. I already admire Jordan very much for being able to accomplish the feat of teaching the elderly about technology, and I am also very impressed at how he runs his program so professionally and in such an organized way. But I also hope that Jordan, along with you, Vishnu and Charlie, for your grandparents, have presented the gift of technology as well as explained the dangers that come with technology. There are many scammers and hackers that target the elderly, as they are known to take weaker security measures without knowing the consequences. They are more susceptible to common false alerts on the internet and on phone calls. When we think of introducing technology to the elderly, thinking about their tech security and scam-awareness are not the first things that come to mind, so I think there should be further steps taken to make that a priority. Still, I understand that connecting with loved ones is a priority in this case, as it is a good thing that your grandparents have been able to establish a system of communication to maximize the time you all share. I hope there will be more cases similar to that of yours and Jordan’s students. That way, the world can truly be connected and everyone will FEEL connected!

Daniel It is interesting that you note that students now are doing school from home and despite being tech savvy, they miss the socialization of school and may have to find other ways of relating to their friends or spending their time. They can stimulate their minds thinking about how they can contribute to society, or better their reading and writing skills.

Charlie It is important for children and grandchildren to recognize that their senior relatives can benefit from learning technology, and a little patience in instructing them will make them so happy. On a personal note, my Rabbi has done so much for my family and has been there for all of our family’s life events, so it gave me personal pleasure to help teach him how to connect with his family in new ways during these challenging times.

I love your personal experience with your grandparents. Your thoughts remind me that helping the older generation learn the use of technology also help us connects our lives with theirs.

Vishnu This is wonderful to hear that you got your grandparents iPhones and they are now using FaceTime. It is interesting that you point out that technology sometimes causes people to drift apart, maybe because it is often something people do alone without communicating with others. There are so many elements of technology like face time or zoom that allow people to connect virtually.

Hey Vishnu,

It sounds like we both share Jordan’s experience with the elderly population. I definitely agree that technology has connected us all and bridged generations. While your grandparents are in India, mine are in Florida. I know it’s not quite as far away, but for them, it’s far enough. Similar to how you guys had to cater your lessons to what their generation was used to, I have had my share of challenging but also rewarding experiences. For Jordan, it was FaceTime and Zoom; for me, it was Gmail.

My grandpa called me one day because his friend had sent out a party invite as a list. Grandpa spent about forty minutes trying to find it. I told him to look carefully and like Santa, check his list twice. He didn’t think that was funny. I realized that his friend’s email probably went to his Spambox. I told him to look to the left to find Spambox and click on it. He replied “My Gmail must be different from yours; I don’t have a Spambox folder.” After a few minutes of trying to describe it to him, I FaceTimed him. I looked on his screen and realized that he needed to scroll down in order to find Spambox.

For me, I had always automatically scrolled down to find it without even realizing that I did this. To me, every action or click is like a knee-jerk reflex, but I realized that for grandpa, his reflexes needed a bit more time to kick in. Jordan is absolutely right in that the elderly need more hands-on and visual support. Remember, they grew up with things that required more physical interaction like holding a thick hardcovered book or applying their index finger on a rotary phone. Even my mom tells me she used to love watching each digit of the rotary phone make its way back!

Anyways, thank goodness for FaceTime. I showed grandpa how to scroll down to find his Spambox. And sure enough, the mysterious party invite miraculously appeared. I thought about teaching Grandpa how to move that conversation to his Inbox, but he was so elated that I decided to save this lesson for another day.

I found this article very relatable as I have as well tried to teach my grandparents how to use a mobile phone. At the end I was only able to teach my grandmother how to play candy crush and how to select who she wanted to call without needing to type the number every time. But nothing more. She kept refusing to learn the “new and unnecessary technologies”.

What he is doing very important, specially during the coronavirus epidemic. I have found the elderly are the ones who suffer the most isolation, as they are the ones that are less connected. It reminds me of a video what was viral in social media about a grandmother who sang happy birthday to herself, alone, in her house. It broke my heart. This is why seemingly-small ideas like these can really make an impact and change people’s lives for the better.

Hi Alejandra! I can totally relate to your experience. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been sympathizing for the elderly in nursing homes, who are not able to interact with families. Therefore, I started Facetime sessions with the elderly, either playing piano for them or chatting with them to help time pass by for them. However, I came across some obstacles, such as having difficulties getting on the video chat. She told me that although she enjoys having a companion to talk to, it is really hard for her to work with the technology, such as logging onto the computer. I was dejected for not being able to teach her about technology usage due to the quarantine lockdown.

Furthermore, I live on the opposite side of the globe from my grandmother. The only form of communicating and interacting is through technology. However, she also has hard time using it as well, and it really is painful to think that I am not able to spend most of the time actually talking rather than being lost on using the technology to communicate, especially when I want to spend as much time with her.

As of in the near future, I would like to create a nonprofit business, putting an emphasis on sharing our knowledge of technology to those who are not efficient with it.

Alejandra Seniors are often fixed in their ways and unwilling to change. They like what has been working for so many years. They have to be told that is ok to try things with their phone and not to be afraid to make a mistake. Your grandmother liked to make calls but she may like to learn how to text if she is encouraged to do so, and understand this is a popular way to communicating these days. If she tries it maybe she will like it. She may appreciate someone texting her an image or picture, something you can’t do over the phone.

This article really reflects the present situation of contemporary society.In just 20 years, from cover phones to smartphones, from 2G to 5G, from 8GB to 512GB, the change is so fast and dramatic that the elderly feel disjointed by the society. Take my family for instance. In the 5 years ago, my grandparents don’t know how to use the smartphones. But now, they can use the app like Wechat to communicate with others. When they go out and buy stuffs, they use the apple pay instead of paying the cash. This paves the convenient for them because the elderly will be easy to lost cash or coins on the way home. You know that they will be disappointed and complaint when they know they just lost several dollars. This problem can be solved now. The another advantage that I discovered is that seeing the doctor online. In the past, my grandfather had to get up early around 5.am and go to the hospital to make an appointment. In the morning, the temperature is very low and it is so tired for him to register. But now, they can make the appointment online through the app. This can largely save the time on the way to the hospital and queuing outside the gate. After finishing the doctor, The medicine will be mailed to the home, so that grandpa would not have to go to the hospital to get it again and again. This class sounds great since it helped a lot of “students” to learn the advanced technology. Nowadays, many young people are busy with their work and don’ have enough time to teach their parents to use the phones. This class just solves this embarrassment. Recently, my grandparents know a lot of knowledge about the prevention of COVID-19 and buying the food online without going to the market to reduce the risk of infection. The phones really make the life more convenient and these classes should be encouraged by the public. We should try our best to make the contribution to the society.

I agree with you, YuTao. The article really emphasizes the change that technology has brought onto the modern world and the transformational effect it can have on someone’s life. As technology evolves every day, so does mankind. And in this time and day, it’s up to the newer generation to educate the older generations about this change. Being part of the new generation myself, I’ve had to teach many family members about technology as well, such as setting up an app, purchasing something, or helping them understand how to communicate with their friends through the use of WeChat and similar apps. A couple of years ago, we went back to China to visit our family, and at the end of the trip, because the thought of saying goodbye and not speaking to them for a long time was so painful, we decided to get them new phones and teach them how to use them so we could communicate with the touch of a button whenever we missed each other. My cousin and I had to teach our uncles, aunts, and grandparents how to set up their new phones and WeChat because technology was still foreign to them at the time. And now, they use their phones just like anyone would in this day and time, despite the large age gap between us. At home, my mom constantly asks me questions about technology because she isn’t very technologically advanced, due to the fact that she immigrated here from China back when there was little technology available. However, now that she has one, she constantly asks me how to set things up, how to search things up, or how to manage her WeChat when she wants to call or FaceTime some of her friends. She’s also learned to use her phone to go places by using Google Maps. Using handheld maps and knowing the routes by heart is no longer needed with the advancement of technology. Because of the elderly’s age, getting places and doing things by themselves is not as easy as it was when they were younger. They aren’t able to support themselves, and their kids may be too busy with work and their own lives to be around them every hour of the day. With their newfound technology, they can call for assistance by simply pressing a button that will notify help, or call someone in case of an emergency. Technology could very well save someone’s life. Moreover, I feel like the class that Jordan has decided to teach could end up helping everyone, not just his students. His teaching the classes means that the elderly’s kids don’t need to teach them themselves, and instead can focus on working and supporting their family as a whole. They can rest assured knowing that their parents are safe and that they know what to do in case of an emergency. In addition, they could also learn to download some games for their own entertainment. It’s important to acknowledge Jordan for everything he’s done and to appreciate him for giving us this opportunity to experience something new that can help many. This example shows just how much technology has evolved over these years.

YuTao Thank you for your kind words. More people are no longer using money, so it would be helpful for seniors to use their phone to pay for things, maybe with credit card or Apple Pay. It is very helpful for seniors to be able to use electronics for medical purposes, like emailing with a doctor. I also teach in my class about a healthcare app where seniors can keep all of their medical information.

Experience is key in entrepreneurship. One of the few ways we have to better ourselves as entrepreneurs, and our businesses as life experiences, is going through an initial process of practice and learning, often a synonym for failure. Bonnie’s role in the case of this fantastic entrepreneurial story is exactly this one: giving Jordan a starting point, from which acknowledging the actions necessary to improve the quality of the business. As often stated throughout the article, connecting people has never had such an importance in the terrible crisis we are facing due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Older people are being left behind, not only technologically, but unfortunately socially too: missing tools, such as the previously discussed iPhones and laptops, and absent experience, make it much more difficult for grandmas and grandpas to go beyond the standard, old-fashioned phone call, in a world, in a time, where the closer we can get to having real-life meeting with our loved ones is joining a Zoom call. I personally find this a wonderful example of how we, as youngsters, can personally engage in making these terrible times lighter and less burdensome: each small action can make a difference, regardless of the size of our targeted audience, and our duty as world-citizen, I think, has never had such an important role in our everyday life.

Jacopo I’ve been very fortunate to have this entrepreneurial experience at this early age, and I hope to continue through my high school years so that I will be able to expand this program and scale it so it helps so many more people.

Similar to your experiences, I am also a sophomore and also volunteer to aid senior individuals in adapting to new technology! As a branch director in an organization called Teach Seniors Technology, I could not relate more on the initial difficulties in gaining customers. A few years ago, when I walked into my local community center to give my first lesson, there were only one or two students. In fact, there were many times during my first couple of months volunteering where no students had signed up for my weekly lessons! Though I wasn’t necessarily successful at first, I was also forced to adapt for these reasons. After reaching out to the community center staff, I was able to secure a classroom and promotion materials for my service which now serves several seniors each week.

Yet, I believe the “success” of my organization is determined by much more than the number of seniors who I teach. I often serve seniors from China, who have to bridge both the language barrier and the technological gap here in the United States. One of the ladies at my branch literally burst into joy when I taught her how to use Google Translate! In a world which is becoming increasingly interconnected and reliant on technology, I find that “success” of my volunteering branch rests on reintegrating these seniors into the technological area of society. I am overjoyed by the fact that there are other who share so much similarity with me. As more and more technological advancements are made, we must learn to bridge generational gaps so that our society as a whole can progress together with the technology that is being invented.

Jason It is wonderful to hear of another sophomore participating in a similar type of program.

Just like you, I help senior citizens but also adults from Central and South America with the technology and language barrier that thousands of people face in the United States. Technology is not common for lower classes in third world countries which makes it difficult for these adults and senior citizens to understand what seems like the basics of a smartphone for the majority of people in the US. It is such a joy when I see those which I help finally being able to communicate through Google Translate (An incredible tool I must say) and doing tasks like buying on Amazon, Instacart, or any online store. Observing this has made me come to the conclusion that we must come together as the new technology generation and help all of those individuals who have not gotten the opportunity to learn the incredible benefits the tech world brings; together we can close the digital divide across all ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses. We are the future and have yet to see great things created through technology.

Great response, Rossana! Do I see a team of digital-divide change makers forming here?

Technology helps join people, specially for the duration of this time of infinite quarantines. It is recommended that the older era is taking an hobby in technology, breaking the stereotype that the elderly reject new ideas. After all, technological know-how was once and is made to make humans’ lives easier. However, whilst analyzing each your comments, Vishnu and Charlie, alongside with the article, I see that in all the instances of older humans the use of technology, it is due to the fact the aged era have no different approaches to remain connected. Now, this sparked a curious thinking internal me—the aged are the use of tech due to the fact particularly at some stage in this time period, they genuinely want it to forestall themselves from turning into isolated. But when it comes to younger people, we simply use tech due to the fact we are so addicted to it. We attain for a smartphone due to the fact it’s simply what teenagers do. We text, FaceTime, and play multiplayer video games with every different simultaneously. For the elderly, the hazard to be in a position to join with their cherished ones is a massive spotlight in their life. They have no longer skilled such ease and luxurious for a great deal of their lives.

Despite efforts to teach the older generation about the newest developments in technology, it is saddening how much of the older generation is still very ignorant about it, especially since it is an era of technology.

One summer, I went to China to see my relatives, especially my grandmother. My grandmother lived in more rural parts of Sichuan, in Dazu. She didn’t need to use any technology; as long as she knew how to open the television and call using her corded home telephone, she could live happily growing plants in the back yard and raising chickens. She rarely went into the city to where my other relatives lived, they always visited her instead. However, to my delightful surprise, she proactively volunteered to wait for my arrival in Chongqing, one of the busiest cities in Sichuan.

When I arrived at my aunt’s apartment, where my grandma stayed, I asked jokingly why she decided to finally come to the city, she replied that it was because she hadn’t been here for so long. It was boring back home, and my grandma wanted to experience what life is like in the city for a while. She said that she would stay in the city until I left for America in a few weeks.

I was delighted and planned to take her to all sorts of fun places with great food that I had remembered from my last visit here. In Dazu, you could hardly find such boisterousness due to the lack of crowds. I was sure that she would enjoy it.

One morning, after I had officially settled in at my aunt’s house, my aunt and her husband told me that they were going to go somewhere for the rest of the day and needed me to take care of my grandmother. They said I could take my grandmother out to walk or do some other activities, but to be careful. I agreed with a smile.

My grandma was very happy this particular morning as well. She told me that she wanted to try exercising in the nearby park with some other old people; she wanted to make some friends here. I happily agreed. I walked her to the park and watched her dance and make merry with the folks there. After a few minutes, she could tell that I was a little restless and told me to play on my own and insisted that she could manage herself well. She said that she would go home when she wanted to and told me not to worry. I reluctantly agreed, told her the directions to the apartment building, and gave her the corresponding card. The apartment wasn’t that far, only one block away from the park. Then, I went off to a nearby stationary store to buy some souvenirs for my friends in America.

After some time, I picked the gifts that caught my fancy and went on the line to pay. The store was very popular and so the line was very long as well. After waiting for a quarter of an hour, I finally got out of the line and started my way home. In the distance, I saw a familiar figure. I panicked and hurriedly ran to the entrance of the apartment.

My grandma stood in the burning sun, her arms hung down at her sides, watching the pedestrians. Apparently, she had a squabble with the people from the park almost immediately after I left. She wasn’t in the mood to dance anymore, so she went home. However, the problem is that she didn’t know how to open the more technologically advanced apartment door. To me, the door system was very simple, you just had to swipe a card, but my grandmother never had to use this sort of system, she only ever needed a key. My grandma thought that you just had to press the card against the door or something. She also forgot how to call using the smartphone that was given to her. I also didn’t think it was necessary enough to teach my grandmother how to open the door since it seemed natural to me.

This story truly shows the importance of communication and the need to help the older generation with technology.

“When are you coming back?” These words were music to my 15-year-old ears. I had just helped fix the internet connectivity issue for Ms. Jacobson, one of the residents at Sequoias’, a senior residential facility, where I was volunteering to help seniors with their tech issues in the summer after my freshman year. Ms. Jacobson sent a very nice thank you note about the help she received from me to the Services Director at Sequoias who passed it on to me. The note, painstakingly written in spidery cursive must have taken Ms. Jacobson some time to write and is still cherished by me. The experience with helping seniors with their tech issues and entertaining them with piano recitals helped me get more attuned to the needs of my own grandparents. My two sets of grandparents are separated by a decade and come from similar backgrounds but have very different life experiences. One set of grandparents who live with us are older, technologically challenged, and can call on us anytime to help them operate the phone, the TV and other gadgets. They prefer to read the actual newspaper despite efforts to get them to read news online, and prefer talking on the phone instead of using Facetime. The younger set of grandparents who live in India have a large social circle, live on their own, and while still technologically challenged, have learned the basics of how to use a smartphone, browse the internet, and order online. Jordan’s article made me reflect on my experience working with seniors, both in my own family and outside and I realized that seniors face the same challenges that students of all ages face. First of all, every student learns in their own unique way, much like some of Jordan’s students – Roz and Rabbi Haskel. Some are visual learners, some need more time to read and absorb information on their own, etc. Secondly, each student has different capabilities and interests. Some like one set of my grandparents did not have much interest in learning how to use technology as they were happy with the old ways and could always ask us for help if they needed it. The other set of grandparents found ways to learn the basics that they needed to fulfill their needs as they were living on their own. There is also a social and cultural context to this. More and more seniors are now forced to live on their own, either in their homes or in senior facilities. Those that do not live with family face loneliness among other issues, and do need to know some basics such as texting, online searching and ordering, connecting with their medical provider online, etc. to stay safe, independent, and connected. The need to stay connected has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the issue with being connected is that not only are seniors more vulnerable to scams, they are also very gullible when it comes to fake news. I have had to constantly remind my grandparents who treat WhatsApp and Facebook as reliable news sources that everything they read there is not always true. The other issue is the plethora of apps, tools, and websites that can be overwhelming for seniors. I noticed this issue after working with a couple of seniors at Sequoias and created a home page for every senior I worked with, that contained shortcuts/icons for their most frequently used apps and websites for easy access. Perhaps in all of this, there is an opportunity to create senior-friendly apps and devices, but unfortunately, this is not a coveted demographic for tech companies and marketers. There is certainly a need to help seniors learn tech basics which can enrich and simplify their life. I applaud Jordan’s efforts to provide this valuable service to seniors in his community. However, the bigger question I ponder is that why are seniors put into this position in the first place where instead of enjoying time with their families, they are forced to learn new skills, especially when many have impacted cognitive skills which makes learning new things harder. Additionally, we are only talking about a subset of the senior population. There is a big population of seniors living in poverty who have more pressing issues such as survival to deal with. My own experience with my grandparents and with seniors I worked with is that every single one of them would have preferred to live with their families, surrounded by their children and grandchildren instead of connecting with them over facetime and group chats. In fact, the percentage of multigenerational families in the United States has continued to rise, primarily due to financial necessity. While one size does not fit all and every family has their own unique challenges, perhaps it’s time for us as a society to take a closer look at how best to support the needs of our senior population, given the increased life expectancy in the United States.

Hey, Jatin. I really enjoyed reading your thoughtful post and response. What I love most is that you bring up some broader issues that really add value to the “seniors and technology” conversation. I’ve always admired certain cultures — India for one — where families place more emphasis on caring for and living with their elders, the people without whom they would not even exist. The questions you raise about supporting our senior population are so important! We deliver them meals, help them connect, even give them a ride to the market, but we don’t go beyond to the point of human companionship and connection at a time when they need it most.

The age of smartphones has progressed so quickly that the fact the first iPhone originated just over ten years ago may come as a surprise to many. This development is only one example of a world industrializing at an unprecedented rate. Despite making communication and practically every other aspect of life easier, this revolution may not apply to all — the elderly, as you stated, are often not kept up to date to these new technologies. However, it must be noted that other adults may also not be kept up to date. I believe my parents are a prime example of this. They both immigrated to the United States in the 1980s and made a decent living running a restaurant. However, when it came time to digitalize, they struggled and required my older sister’s assistance to facilitate this new aspect of the business. Now that she’s off to college, it’s my turn to fulfill this position of filling out online documents and forms. This is a growing problem as it is a given that technology will only advance forward, regardless of whether there are those who are unable to utilize these new advantages. That is why I find programs like yours to be so fascinating and thoughtful. My mother has recently taken up taking computer classes, where she learns basic computer navigation skills. It is essential for the whole population to collectively adapt as a whole.

Alvin I appreciate the idea of showing seniors how to fill out forms online, and all of the elements involved in that process.

I certainly agree with Jordan that technology helps us stay connected. It is very important that we help the elderly members of the society on the use of technology. It is not easy to teach the older generation to use technology, as they are not quite familiar with it.

Moreover, I have also had a similar experience with my grandmother who just got a new iPhone and she did not know how to use it properly. Though she was able to make her daily phone calls and read her WhatsApp messages, she did not know how to access the Internet, do Face time and little other stuff. One day during the never-ending lockdown, I decided to teach my grandmother how to use her new phone. Since, she was having sleepless nights due to the change in her sleep cycle because of lockdown, I first taught her how to use YouTube so that she could put spiritual music on it and have good sleep. As days progressed I taught her how to access the daily news online, face timing, texting and many more things. This also gave me an opportunity to spend quality time with my grandmother, which I could not during my school days. My grandmother had a habit of doing all her office-work on paper so, later I started teaching her to use the laptop to check few mails and tally her accounts. This whole process not only helped her a great deal by making her work a lot easier, but also it helped me become more patient by answering the same quarries that she had again and again.

There have been vast advancements in technology over the years and it has helped us in many ways, such as online classes and courses, which are the most helpful things at the moment. By helping the elderly members of the society as to how technology can be used, bridges the generation gap and will help the society progress faster.

I’ve spent a lot of time helping relatives with technology and sometimes it can get very frustrating but I remember that they didn’t grow up with this like we did. So I am more patient and don’t get mad because I love my relatives. What Jordan is doing is really important, especially during this pandemic. The elderly are the most impacted in my opinion, because many of them lack technological experience. His Zoom meetings are a great idea though, keeping the elderly learning and up to date with technology so they can stay connected.

The younger generation is lucky. Since we were young, we have had access to electronic products. Elders often see their grandchildren typing like a speed of light with two thumbs on the keyboard or on the phone, while they themselves can only type letter by letter or word by word with their index fingers. Many elders have only had access to technologies in the past 15 to 20 years. We sometimes get annoyed when they want to learn how to use technology. But when thinking about our situations, aren’t we like them when we are trying to figure out how to solve a simple math question? We see the technologies are easy for us to learn and use, but the elders must take a long time to get used to using technologies.

The last time I saw my grandmother in person was five years ago, but we are able to FaceTime each other at least once a week. When I visited her in China five years ago, I saw her struggling to send a message on WeChat or even make a simple phone call. She would forget which group chat is which and would constantly send private messages in group chats with other family members in it. When I started teaching her how to use WeChat, I saw my grandma was listening to what I was saying very carefully. I taught her how to use WeChat for video calls, voice calls, and many other functions of the app. Later, she took her cellphone and just pressed on it casually trying to use the phone herself. This makes me think that the elders are still very curious to learn new things and look forward to more connections with others so as not to be disconnected from society.

Although she still struggles with using keyboards, my grandma has greatly increased her ability to use her phone. Now she is able to shop online and play simple games on her phone like mahjong and Candy Crush. She sends us many photos of places she has visited and writes that she wishes to take me on one of her trips. Communication is a bridge to build interpersonal relationships. From sharing feelings to expressing ideas, the world requires us to communicate with others. Not just through face-to-face communication, but also through technologies, we are able to share our feelings with others through a simple call or message. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we find communication important with family members or friends or co-workers through technologies. We have stayed home for more than one and a half months, and we would need to communicate with our parents almost every day and stay with them 24/7 face-to-face. We might not know how to have a conversation with them before, but with this pandemic, we might have no choice but to speak with them. We have learned that communicating with them is not as hard as we thought, and moreover, it is enjoyable to hear stories from our parents or other elders in the family. The elders are aging every day and we are growing up every day. It is hard for us to frequently see each other in real life, so technology is how we would connect and communicate with them.

What a sensational experience, Jordan! I enjoyed reading your stories, and I was astonished at how your involvement with elders related to mine.

As another member of Generation Z, technology and the rapid advancement of modern devices have always piqued my interest. Due to my eagerness, I grew up as a tech nerd, earning the title of “tech guy” in the family. “Alvin, why is my wifi not connecting?” “Alvin, what’s wrong with our TV?” “Alvin, why is my Bluetooth not connecting?” At least five times a day, I would hear such questions from my parents and brothers. From simple wifi connection problems to complicated home appliance control systems, I had to be present if the issues involved technology.

My title became significant as COVID invaded our lives. Similar to your experience, my grandparents struggled the most as the majority of platforms and services turned online. Since my grandparents were in a higher-risk group for exposure to COVID, they had to be extremely cautious. They could not go outside to get food or to their workplace. Whether they liked it or not, they had to stay home and adapt to online platforms to order food and attend Zoom meetings. And, as the “tech guy” of the family, I was responsible for providing comfort for my grandparents. Starting from scratch, I had to water down difficult technological terminologies such as Airdrop, iCloud, and Bluetooth to help them rapidly adapt to new lifestyles. Such experiences were similar to teaching elementary schoolers about calculus, in which I realized how uncomfortable it was for my grandparents to utilize new technologies. For instance, Bluetooth features offer wireless connections within the comfort of one’s own vicinity, which is one of the reasons why younger generations utilize Bluetooth: it provides comfort. On the other hand, older generations have an arduous time figuring out how to connect devices using Bluetooth since they are unfamiliar with such features. It is true that consumers are attracted to more comfortable features, and businesses provide new technologies that could reduce time management for consumers. However, it creates a downside for older generations, making them take longer to do something. While convenience for the younger generations increases with the use of technology, the older generations are having difficulty adapting to rapid technological advancement.

By observing the hardships of older generations from my grandparents’ perspective, I thought there was a need for action. Although there are various ways to address such issues, I focused on a fundamental need for everyone: food.

Therefore, I gathered up my close friends, Robert and Kaiden, who shared similar visions regarding this issue, and we came up with an accessible software that will make it approachable for elders to order food from nearby food centers. Essentially, our solution focused on a sustainable, healthy, and accessible approach that is similar to your experience helping elders order groceries. We developed a food ordering app that sends prepackaged, nutritious meals to seniors who sign up for it. Our sign-up system is very simple since it could be pre-installed on phones, involves one click of a button, and has well-explained and accessible payment methods; for example, this service allows the program to automatically extract money from the elder’s source of payment which minimizes the complicated process of payment process every. Ultimately, elders can readily receive healthy and hearty meals at their doorstep. We also utilized the Zoom recording function to create tutorials to help elders navigate through our process. These methods of solution could sound ironic at first, but I believe the most effective solution for elders who are uncomfortable with technology is to expose them to an extent of unfamiliarity to reduce their discomfort.

Like most other start-ups, our application lacks feasibility, so initially, we must test it on a small group of elders and make adjustments. If our test proves to be successful, we will launch our application, which will familiarize elders with technology and aid them in accepting and embracing modern devices. Moreover, I would like to expand this business into providing food and holding online classes about ordering goods, entertainment, media, and safe technology use for elders. I would happily like to share words with you about this matter, and I want to resemble your helping and enthusiastic attitude towards social advancement.

Wow! This is a really beautiful essay. It inspires me to see a fellow teenager making such a positive impact in the world today.

Technology is one of the major generational gaps we have today, and it is very refreshing and encouraging to see someone trying to bridge that gap. I love your teaching strategy of showing instead of just telling. That is truly one of the best ways to explain. You made an astounding impact in a dreary and challenging time for many. As someone who teaches children in a local orphanage home, I can relate to the indescribable feeling of joy you get when your student finally understands.

I will also like to place emphasis on not just teaching seniors how to navigate the internet, but also on teaching them how to be safe while navigating the internet! Cyber crimes are increasing in a very tremendous way all over the world, as more people look for illegal means to usurp unknowing people. This is one of the major fears of seniors and the older generation concerning technology. I believe that teaching them how to best stay safe in the ‘dangerous’ global world provided by the internet would not just be beneficial to them, but it would also help in further bridging the generational gap.

Chidera, your comment is one that caught my attention. Your comment highlights a crucial aspect of our society today: the technology generation gap. Most importantly, the issue of cyber crimes. Indeed, with the rapid advancement of technology, it becomes increasingly challenging for elderly to keep up. Even some of us from younger generations struggle with mastering the intricacies of various tools and software, like navigating Google spreadsheets.

But you draw attention to the pressing issue of cybersecurity and cybercrime, which poses a significant threat to people of all ages, including the elderly. Even myself, who is clearly not an elderly person, receives tons and tons of spam messages and emails trying to trick me of my money. While these scams may not work on us, they can be extremely tempting for the elderly, who may be more vulnerable to such tactics.

For example, my friend’s grandma was a victim to these scams, falling victim to a company promising to save money for her granddaughter’s college tuition fee. This just highlights your point on the emphasis and awareness that should be put on cyber crimes. It demonstrates how easily elderly individuals can be targeted and deceived and the urgency of addressing the dangers they face while navigating the Internet.

Likewise, in the effort to bridge the technology generation gap, I believe that it is crucial to not only teach the elderly how to use technology but also raise awareness to the public about the prevalence of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity. By empowering people of all ages with knowledge and strategies to protect themselves online, we can help them become more confident and secure users of digital tools.

I truly believe that with stronger cybersecurity implementation and the awareness we can teach people about, the challenges of cyber crimes is one we can focus less on. Allowing us to focus more on bridging this generational gap, being able to facetime our loved ones, and even send them cool gadgets.

I think this is an amazing and much needed program! People tend to alienate the elderly from our evolving world, waving them off as they say, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This is incredibly isolating and unfair to them. A month ago, I helped organize a ceremony for my high school, and many senior citizens came to support their grandchildren. The program for the ceremony was online, and I watched many of them struggle to scan a QR code. It was clear they were embarrassed, and they deserve to spend the day celebrating their family rather than feeling ashamed.

It’s also important to recognize that technology can help them stay busy. Many of the elderly cannot drive or live very far from their families. My grandparents live across the world in India. They are retired, and travel is very hard for them. They don’t typically have much to do, and they can get bored and demoralized. However, my grandpa stays busy and keeps his mind sharp by playing sudoku on his iPad. My grandma loves to play candy crush or call her relatives. Teaching the elderly how to use technology can be more helpful than most realize.

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Once, when I was in my preteens, my best friend and I wandered off at the local ice skating rink to browse the gift shop. We were gone for so long that my mother panicked and had our names called over the rink’s loudspeaker. When she eventually found us, I think she was just as angry as she was relieved, and I’ve never forgotten the look on her face.

Now, more than 20 years later, I watch my mother care for her own mother in stores, restaurants and the house with the same love and trepidation. My grandmother has dementia that has reached the stage where she doesn’t know who most of her relatives or friends are anymore. She needs to search for most words and isn’t always able to find them. She doesn’t know that her younger sister died last year. She disappears into certain rooms of my parents’ house for so long that the other day I asked my dad if we should check on her. He said not to worry, that she does this multiple times per day. Sure enough, she reappeared and sat back down in her recliner and then, about 15 minutes later, she wandered to another room again.

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For the past several years I’ve been watching my parents raise my grandmother. I always knew they were good parents — I had a wonderful childhood, something I really appreciated only in retrospect. But watching them now as they parent my grandmother — and I don’t know what other word to use to describe the way they feed her, clothe her, make sure she’s taking her medications, set up all her appointments — it hits me in a different way. I’m turning 36 this year and have no children. I’m almost certain I don’t want any, but it hasn’t escaped me that I’m reaching the point where I need to decide for sure.

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My mom and I are different in a lot of ways. She’s very outgoing and naturally friendly, which I am not; she remembers every birthday and every important date, whereas I forget something immediately if I don’t write it down. She grew up a tomboy and has played sports her entire life; I have been awarded more than one participation medal for my feeble athletic efforts. Sometimes we’ve struggled to find common ground. But now that I am well into adulthood, we have a relationship that, for the first time, lets us see each other on the same level. Parenting is at the center of both our lives right now, as I decide whether or not I want to become one, and she is thrust back into a role that I’m not sure she ever imagined returning to after my sister and I grew up. If anything, she was supposed to get a promotion from mother to grandmother.

“Mother” is certainly not her only identity, but I know that sometimes she must feel like it is. And I know that, despite how much she loves her mom, she will be ready for the next phase of her life once my grandmother passes. She is ready to fully inhabit the other identities that I saw once I was old enough to realize that she had a right to exist outside of me: traveler, hiker, friend, reader, wife, gardener, sister, aunt.

Taking care of an elderly parent comes with a lot of complicated feelings, and my mom has begun to talk about things that show me she’s thinking about how she’ll spend the rest of her own life. There are countries she wants to explore, but also everyday activities that are easy to take for granted when you aren’t responsible for someone else, such as wanting to join me on some of my regular morning walks on the beach.

For now, I watch my mother hold my grandma’s hand as she walks her down the street. She tucks my grandmother’s scarf into her jacket to make sure she’s warm enough, and I can see that my grandma feels safe, content and protected, even if everything else is confusing for her. I can only hope that, if and when our own roles reverse, I will be as good of a parent to my mom.

Jackie DesForges is a writer and artist in Los Angeles. @jackie__writes

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Essay On Old Age Home – 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay

Key Points to Remember When Writing Essay on Old Age Home

10 lines on old age home, a paragraph on old age home, short essay on old age home, long essay on old age homes in english, what will your child learn from old age home essay.

Writing an essay is an enlightening experience that enables children and students to express their views on various topics. Especially when it comes to sensitive subjects like old age homes, an essay for children and students is a gateway to articulate thoughts and opinions properly. Today, we will delve into the topic of old age homes, exploring its facets through a concise 10-line essay, a short essay, and a more comprehensive long essay. The essay on old age homes in English is designed in different formats to give children and students a broader understanding, enhance their language skills, and highlight the significance of these institutions in our society.

The process of writing an essay can be made simpler by keeping a few things in mind. Especially when crafting an essay for kids, it’s vital to ensure clarity, precision, and relatability. Here are some golden points to remember:

Understand the Audience: Knowing your audience is crucial. The essay should be simple, relatable, and engaging if it is intended for kids.

Stay Compassionate and Respectful: Given the topic’s sensitivity, it’s essential to maintain a tone that shows respect and understanding for the elderly.

Personal Anecdotes: If possible, weave in personal stories or experiences related to old age homes. This adds authenticity and depth to the narrative.

Research: Even if it’s a short essay, it’s crucial to ensure accuracy in your statements. A bit of research can help support your views and provide valuable insights.

Structure: Maintain a clear structure – introduction, body, and conclusion. This allows the reader to follow the narrative seamlessly.

Engaging Opening: Start with an engaging statement or question to pique interest right from the beginning.

Use of Simple Language: Avoid jargon or complex words, especially in an essay for kids. The goal is comprehension and connection.

Visual Aids: If the format allows, include relevant pictures or illustrations. They can be particularly effective in making the content more engaging for younger readers.

Conclude Thoughtfully: Round off your essay with a thoughtful conclusion, summarising your main points and perhaps posing a question or call to action.

Proofread: Before finalising, always check for grammatical errors, inconsistencies, or areas of improvement.

Old age homes hold a special place in our society, providing solace and care to our elders. To give young minds a brief idea about these homes, here are a few lines on old age homes. This essay for lower primary class students promises simplicity and comprehension.

1. Old age homes are where the elderly live when not with family.

2. They provide essential services like food, shelter, and medical care.

3. Trained staff ensure that the elderly are well taken care of.

4. Such homes offer a sense of community and belonging to their residents.

5. Residents engage in various activities like reading, gardening , and group games.

6. Festivals, birthdays, and special events are celebrated with enthusiasm.

7. Some elders choose these homes for peace and companionship.

8. These homes have special facilities like ramps and emergency systems.

9. Regular visits by doctors and counsellors keep the elderly healthy.

10. Old age homes teach us about caring, compassion, and societal responsibility.

Every visit to an old age home can leave a memorable mark on one’s soul, introducing us to the feelings of wisdom, love, and memories that reside there. It’s an experience that helps us understand the importance of age, relationships, and societal responsibility. Here’s a short account encapsulating such a visit to an old age home in a paragraph essay.

My visit to an old age home was a journey filled with emotions. The corridors echoed with tales of time, lessons learned, and wisdom earned. Each room was a chapter from a different book, filled with residents cherishing their past and making peace with the present. Their eyes, although shadowed by age, sparkled with stories waiting to be told. While some recounted tales of joy, others shared life’s poignant lessons, making us understand past the narratives. It was not just a visit; it was a bridge between generations, a reminder that age is but a number, and the heart remains forever young. This visit redefined my understanding of age, making me value the fleeting moments of life even more.

Old age homes often elicit a range of emotions from society – from sympathy to gratitude, from curiosity to concern. But beyond these emotions, there lies a deeper understanding of their essence and relevance. This short essay seeks to capture that essence and shed light on the significance of old age homes in our society.

Old-age homes are more than just infrastructures built to house the elderly. They serve as sanctuaries, offering warmth, care, and a sense of belonging to those who might have been forgotten by their kin or the fast-paced world outside. In these homes, the elderly rediscover the joys of community living, surrounded by peers who share similar life experiences. These are places where birthdays are celebrated with the same enthusiasm as a child’s, where festivals take on a special hue, and where every day is an opportunity to relive memories. While some may perceive old age homes as a sad reflection of society’s inability to care for its elderly, it’s vital to see them as places of hope. They ensure that the golden years of one’s life are spent in comfort, dignity, and, most importantly, in the company of those who care.

The concept of old age homes has evolved significantly over time. From being seen as mere shelters for the elderly to now being recognised as holistic centres for geriatric care, old age homes have reshaped our understanding of ageing gracefully. This comprehensive essay provides a deeper exploration into the significance of old age homes, highlighting their importance and weighing their advantages against their disadvantages.

Importance of Old Age Homes

The importance of old age homes in essays cannot be underscored enough. As societies evolve, familial structures are changing, often leading to challenges in accommodating and caring for the elderly within nuclear family setups. Old age homes address these challenges, ensuring that senior citizens, irrespective of their familial ties or socio-economic backgrounds, receive the care and support they need in their twilight years.

These homes do more than offer shelter; they provide an environment that stimulates both the mind and body, helping residents lead an active, engaged life. They play a vital role in ensuring that the elderly don’t become victims of neglect, isolation, or even abuse. Moreover, in a world where mental health concerns are rampant, the companionship and structured lifestyle offered by old age homes can act as an anchor for many senior citizens, ensuring emotional well-being.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Old Age Homes

1. Comprehensive Care: Old-age homes are equipped to provide 360-degree care to their residents – from medical facilities to recreational activities.

2. Social Engagement: Residents get opportunities for social interaction, ensuring they stay mentally active and emotionally connected.

3. Safety and Security: With round-the-clock security and emergency protocols, residents are ensured a safe living environment.

4. Independence: Senior citizens can maintain a level of independence without the daily pressures of household chores or management.

Disadvantages

1. Emotional Disconnect: While old age homes provide physical comforts, many residents might feel an emotional disconnect from their families.

2. Perception: Society often perceives old age homes negatively, which can impact the morale of its residents.

3. Cost: High-quality old-age homes can be expensive, making them inaccessible to some sections of the population.

4. Variability in Standards: Not all old-age homes offer the same quality of care, and there can be vast differences in the services provided.

Writing an essay on old age homes can be immensely enlightening for children. It introduces them to the realities and challenges faced by the elderly, instilling empathy and compassion . Moreover, they get to understand the dynamics of our ageing society and the significance of community support. Such essays can also foster respect for senior citizens and an appreciation for the wisdom and experiences they bring to our lives.

1. Why should we take care of our older members?

Caring for our older members reflects our societal values and humanity. They have spent a lifetime contributing to our families and communities, often making sacrifices for our well-being. Offering them care and respect in their twilight years acknowledges their efforts and ensures they live with dignity, comfort, and love. Moreover, older members are reservoirs of wisdom and experience; by caring for them, we preserve and cherish this invaluable treasure.

2. How can we help old age people?

We can assist old age people by undertaking the following tasks:

Physical Support: Assist them in daily tasks, like walking, eating, or house chores.

Medical Care: Ensure regular check-ups, provide medication timely and understand their health needs.

Active Listening: Lend a listening ear. Let them share stories, experiences, or concerns.

Engage in Activities: Include them in family gatherings, events, or short trips.

Respect and Patience: Always show respect and be patient , even if they repeat stories or move slower than before.

Financial Support: If needed, help them manage their finances or support them monetarily.

Stay Informed: Be aware of common age-related issues and solutions to assist them better.

Emotional Well-being: Recognise signs of depression or anxiety and seek professional help if needed.

Offer Independence: Allow them the space and freedom to decide and do things independently.

Educate and Advocate: Educate yourself and others about the rights and needs of the elderly, advocating for better facilities and more inclusive policies.

The subject of old age homes transcends mere infrastructure or societal trends; it touches the very core of humanity, empathy, and respect. As we progress as a society, it’s imperative that we prioritise the well-being and dignity of our senior citizens. By educating our younger generations through essays and discussions, we foster a future that not only acknowledges but celebrates and supports the invaluable contributions of the elderly. Their stories, wisdom, and experiences are the foundations for our present and future.

Also Read: 5 Tips for Teaching Essay Writing for Kids

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Generation Gap: Childhood, Adulthood, Old Age Essay

The relations between the generations were always complicated. The older people always indicate that it their time the situation was different and people behaved in the different way. At the same period, the younger generation says about the impact of the modern tendencies, changes of the way of life that give an opportunity to claim that the younger generation is more advanced.

However, as it clearly seen though the history, such attitude of the generations to each other was always the same. Therefore, although the technical facilities, cultural and economical changes impact the society, it is possible to claim that there are no significant changes in the relations between the generations, they are neither improving, nor getting worse.

Analyzing the cultural aspect within the conflict between generations, it is necessary to admit that such cultural issues as art, music, fashion have a tendency of the permanent change. Thereby, it is obvious that the different generations which do not have the same tastes and fashion, cannot understand each other’s needs. And especially this aspect is sharp within the relations between teenagers and their parents.

Today, the tradition hierarchy of family is different than two centuries ago. Elder members of family feel themselves as the intruders. From the other side, their children can easily send parents to the social houses. During the past century, the patterns of solidarity in friend and family relations had been changed (Allan 2008).

The transformation of the family and friendship aspects influences the Western communities since 1970s. People got more freedom and, as the result, the gap in the relations between young people and their parents increased (Thompson 1998).

From the other hand, the flexibility in the constructing of personal life and relations within the social groups is also increased. As the diversity in the priorization provided more facilities and made the personal choice more complex, the cultural changes of the past century can be considered as positive.

The relations between adult and old people can be also considered from the mentioned below position (Edmunds & Turner 2002, Huntley 2006). Thus, in the article Building Positive Relationships (2008) is written about the relations between 57-years old woman and her 89-years old mother.

As it understandable from the article, the conflict between the generations still exists, however, due to the physical disability of old mother, both woman try to find a solution and to rebuild their relations.

Being in the difficult situation, old people need more attention. For adult people, “the decline of a parent’s health, death of one parent or financial pressures often mean an aging parent will need increased social and emotional support or services from family – such as help with meals, cleaning, transportation or financial matters” ( Building Positive Relationships 2010).

In this context, it is necessary to admit the position of Klinenberg (2001) who indicates the tendency of increase of a number of old people who are estranged from their previous social circle and who live alone without a strong connection with their children.

Many old people have to live in the social establishments due to unwillingness of their younger relatives to care about them. This tendency demonstrates that the traditional cultural attitude to family, marriage and old parent is changed.

Obviously, the economic conditions influence generations. Wyn (2006) explores the rupture of the educational and employment outcomes as the peculiarity of the current situation of the young generation.

As it was normal order of things, today, such disbalance is widely spread that makes young people face with a number of problems while searching a job as “the transition processes for the majority of young people born after 1970 are different from those of the majority of their parents’ generation” (Wyn 2006, p. 6).

From this point of view, it is possible to notice that the younger generation has a significant reason to claim that the current situation on the labor market is more difficult than it was years ago.

According to the statistics provided by Wyn, “by the year 2000, at the age of 27, 68 per cent of the respondents had achieved permanent jobs, and 76 per cent were in full-time jobs” (Wyn 2006, p. 10). However, from the other hand, the elder generation has much more problems within this aspect. Although old people are more experienced, many employers prefer to accept a young person than the elder one.

Analyzing Mannheim’s essay The Problem of Generation , Pilcher (1994) indicates that “the notion of generation being widespread in everyday language as a way of understanding differences between age groups and as a means of locating individuals and groups within historical times” ( Mannheim’s sociology of generations: an undervalued legacy , p. 481).

Thereby, it is possible to say that the present problem existed during the history and never turned into the tendency of improvement or worsening. Different social models, tendencies, fashion and other issues dictate the rules of the relations between generations. Although a number of researchers indicate the increasing way of generation gap, history demonstrates that such tendencies were presented at all times.

Today, teenagers and young people feel themselves free and independent as the world is controlled by them. The number of old people is growing day by day as the result of the demographic characteristics. The present century requires more fast reaction, creative ideas and flexibility which are typical for younger generation. Wyn claims that today the process for becoming adult is different and emerging.

The typical issues of those changes are “an increasingly flexible labor market, dissolution of occupational boundaries, deregulation of labour, and increases in contrast, part-time employment” (2006, p. 12). At the same period, the cultural aspect also changes. Thus, the attitude of the young people to marriage and family is different while the level of fertility reduces.

Privatization of educational services diminishes the capability of young people to get better education. Changed attitude to the elder relatives led to a big number of the old people abandoned in the social houses. Generation gap is the key moment within the understanding of the relations between generations.

There is possible to say about the sharp conflict which is concerned with different parts of life and particularly with economic and cultural aspects. Young adults and elder people have the different possibilities to find a job, to increase their financial status according to the current tendencies in the society and they have different cultural tastes and traditional values.

However, although the cultural and economical changes impact the society and the generation gap is significant, it is necessary to claim that the relations between the generations are neither improving, nor getting worse. The historical knowledge provides the demonstration that such situation was always actual and topical.

Reference List

Allan, G 2008, ‘Flexibility, Friendship and Family’, Personal Relationships , 15: 1-16.

Building Positive Relationships 2010. Web.

Edmunds, J & Turner, B. S 2002, ‘Introduction: Generations, War and Intellectuals’, Generations, Culture and Society , Open University Press, Buckingham, pp. 1-23.

Huntley, R 2006, ‘From X to Y’, The World According to Y: Inside the New Adult Generation , Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin, pp. 1-23.

Klinenberg, E 2001, ‘Dying Alone: The Social Production of Urban Isolation’, Ethnography , 4:2, pp. 501-531. Web.

Pilcher,J (1994), ‘Mannheim’s sociology of generations: an undervalued legacy’, BJC, Vol. 45, Issue 3: pp. 481-495.

Thompson, K 1998, ‘The Classic Moral Panic: Mods and Rockers’, Moral Panics , Routledge, London, pp. 31-56.

Wyn, J 2004, ‘Becoming Adult in the 2000s: New Transitions and New Careers’, Family Matters , 68: pp. 6-12.

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Why India's youth are abandoning their elderly parents

Why are the elderly being left in the cold by their families in a land that reveres the old?

Seventy-five-year-old Kusum Lata* remembers the heart-wrenching afternoon that changed her life like it was yesterday. “I’d had my lunch of chappatis and dal and was resting in my room in Karol Bagh, central Delhi, when my son Amit* walked in and asked if I would like to visit our relative in Ghaziabad, in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, about an hour’s drive away.’’

She was excited at the prospect of going on a car ride with her only son. “I was looking forward to spending some time with him,’’ she says. The frail septuagenarian agreed to the journey, not knowing that it would be the last time she’d ever see her son and his family.

“Although I was trying to make conversation with him on the way, he appeared to be deep in thought and was silent,’’ she remembers.

After driving about 40 minutes, once they were on the highway, Amit, who is 50 and a father himself, stopped the car near a roadside fruit stall and asked her to step out to buy some apples. “As I was choosing the fruit, I saw my son start the vehicle, and before I could call out to him, he sped off,’’ says Kusum, a tear rolling down her deeply creased face.

“Initially I thought he’d gone to fill petrol or buy something, so I waited in the hot sun for several hours hoping he would return. But then, late in the evening, the truth dawned on me – I’d been abandoned by my own son; my only son and child.’’

Taking pity on the elderly woman sitting sobbing by the side of the road, a few local residents helped her to an old-age home run by a charity in Ghaziabad. Emotionally distraught, she was initially reluctant to provide details about her son to the volunteers, but after much prodding she finally revealed his address.

A month later, representatives of the charity tracked down Amit to ask him to take his mother home, but he refused, saying he was disowning her as she was a burden to care for.

A volunteer at the home that took Kusum in two years ago says, “A few months before getting rid of his mother, Amit reportedly made her transfer the ownership of her house to him.’’

‘They took all I had and dumped me’

The saving grace in Kusum’s case is that she was not physically abused, unlike Uma*, a thin, frail woman who lies on the cot next to Kusum’s in the Ghaziabad home. The 80-year-old woman’s hands and legs bear marks of bruises and cuts, a result of the abuse she suffered at the hands of some relatives. They tortured her, forcing her to give them all her gold jewellery worth around Rs90,000 (Dh6,128), before they dumped her in front of the old-age home one evening in May last year. “They didn’t want me so they took all that I had and dumped me here,’’ she says, her voice flat.

Kusum and Uma are just two of the millions of elderly people with uncaring family members who take their limited riches before throwing them out of their homes. A report by HelpAge India, a voluntary organisation working for abandoned and needy elderly people, reveals some shocking statistics. According to the report, one in three senior citizens is a victim of abuse in India.

“Some of the abuses we found are as brutal as severe beating of elderly people by their own sons, daughters and daughters-in-law,” states the 2012 report. It also says that in more than 50 per cent of abuse cases, the perpetrators are family members, with the son being the primary abuser in over 56 per cent of cases, followed by daughters in 23 per cent of cases. The most common reason for the abuse is property related.

Mathew Cherian, chief executive of HelpAge India says, “Earlier, people lived with their children when they were too old to work, but society is no longer parent-oriented and the rising trend we notice is that the elderly are moving out of their homes to places that cater to their needs.’’ But there aren’t enough old-age homes in India to house all the abandoned elderly people, he says.

More than half of India’s 1.1 billion population is younger than 25 and two-thirds is below the age of 35. The number of seniors is growing. By 2016, around 113 million people will be older than 60, and if the recent reports are any indication, a sizeable number of them will require an old-age home.

Stories about mistreatment of the elderly can be truly horrifying. A few years ago, there were reports in the Indian media about how police caught a man striking a deal with doctors and an organ-transplant broker to sell his unsuspecting father’s kidney, first taking him to hospital for a ‘check-up’ and then telling him he needed an operation. Doctors say such practices are commonplace.

Rampant physical abuse

According to an activist and charity worker, “All senior citizens we spoke to in Delhi said they had been verbally abused, while 33 per cent confided they had been physically abused – often beaten and tied to chairs.”

Last year, in the southern city of Hyderabad, the well-off family of a 75-year-old cancer patient decided to burn her alive at a crematorium because they did not want to pay for further treatment. She was saved when the crematorium staff noticed her stir and called police.

Elderly parents being abused and abandoned is not just an urban phenomenon. In rural India, the family system is eroding, with the younger generation increasingly heading off to cities with their spouses and their children to start a new life – without their parents or grandparents.

According to a 2012 survey by HelpAge India, less than 40 per cent of Indians now live with extended family. While Delhi has the highest number of senior citizens who own property, over the years they become meek and dependent on their children. And that is generally when problems arise.

Those who have worked in government service or for a reputed private company receive pensions, but a large majority of India’s population still work as farmers or day labourers. Once they are too old to work, they are forced to rely on their children or extended family for support.

There is a government-backed pension programme for the poor called the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, which provides Rs200 a month to people over 60 who live below the poverty line, meaning they earn less than $1.25 (Dh4.59) per day. But the amount they receive is barely enough to get them food for a week. The government also approved a bill to increase the pension to Rs500 a month to those over the age of 80.

Mathew says, “At the policy level, the government needs to do a lot more to provide social security to the elderly... The long-term measure would be to offer them at least Rs1,000 per month.

“In 2007, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Bill, which protects the rights of senior citizens, was passed in parliament. It provides an inexpensive and efficient system where the elderly could petition the administration to seek maintenance from their family.

“When the bill was passed, the government discussed plans to build at least one old-age home in all 629 districts in the country. The government said it would take care of elderly people if their family members were unable to look after them.”

But Mathew says one old-age home per district is not enough to address the problem. “Simple arithmetic explains that even if 100 people are accommodated in one old-age home, it would mean provision for just 62,900 elderly people. But what about the rest? There are thousands more out there.”

Nowhere to go

Mathew is worried about people like 70-year-old Kathleen Lama, originally from Darjeeling a city in West Bengal, who made her home on a patch of land in Nizamuddin, Delhi, several years ago. But she ended up on the streets after her husband died and her kids didn’t bother to look after her. There are thousands more like her on the roads of India, forgotten.

There are shelters for homeless elderly people run by charity organisations across India, but these shelters are usually packed to capacity.

Hukabhai Somabhai, 70, was brought to Atitna Ashirwad Vrudhashram, a crowded shelter for elderly homeless people, at Hirapur Chowkdi, some 20km from Ahmedabad, by volunteers who found him wandering in the streets. Parvatiben, 75, also lives in the shelter. She was found by volunteers roaming in the streets of Ahmedabad. Both had been abandoned by their families.

“With the joint family system withering away, the elderly are being abandoned,” Meira Kumar, a social justice minister in the Congress Party-led government was quoted as saying in 2007 when the bill to protect the elderly was presented in parliament.

The legislation calls for a three-month jail term if children do not look after their elderly parents. At the time, Meira said she hoped the penal provision would act as a deterrent. There have been a few instances when the elderly have taken shelter under the law. A couple of years ago, a trial court ordered Delhi residents Sonu* and his wife Geeta* to vacate the home of Sonu’s mother, Kamla Devi*, after the elderly lady filed a complaint alleging that the couple “mentally tortured” her.

Kamla, who is in her mid 70s, said that she had built the house with her own money and, since she was a widow, had allowed her son and daughter-in-law to live with her out of love for them. However, they started harassing her and asking her for her property. Upset, she went to court and the court ordered the couple to vacate the house within a month. It also asked them to pay Rs3,000 per month as damages to Kamla from the time she filed the petition. Unfortunately, not many are as bold as Kamla, and the long wait due to the huge number of pending civil cases in Indian courts can tire most of the petitioners.

Seeking justice

In June 2012, the Delhi High Court issued an order to all court judges to give “special focus” to the cases involving senior citizens and ever since, courts in other cities are also taking similar steps.

Significantly, the bill states that a person would be disinherited if he or she fails to take care of their elderly parents. HelpAge has welcomed the legislation but says it may have little practical effect. Most parents are too demoralised, destitute or frail to begin a battle to get a ruling, HelpAge’s Mathew says. Also, “very few people will want to wash their problems in public,” he says.

But Mala Gupta* is one woman who is seeking redress under this law. After her husband Rajesh* passed away in 2010, she was confined to a single room in her own home by her son and his family who occupied the rest of the house. She was also being tortured by her son and his wife who wanted her to  transfer ownership of the house and the land to his name.

Fed up, she filed a complaint with the police, but that did not help. In fact, it only served to incense her son who unceremoniously threw her out of the house. Out on the streets Mala, who is over 60, initially took shelter in an ashram in Benaras, Uttar Pradesh. But with her daughter’s support, she has now filed a petition in the court, hoping her son will be evicted from her house.

One elderly gentleman who, sidelining his own trauma, has decided to reach out to assist others is Avikar Raj. The 66-year-old who was working in a law firm in the UK, returned to India keen to spend the last years of his life with his extended family in southern India. However, once his sizeable savings were exhausted they threw him out of the house, he says. With barely a few thousand rupees in his pocket Avikar, who was diagnosed with leukaemia, reached Delhi where, by sheer chance, he met Ravi Kalra who heads The Earth Saviours Foundation.

Ravi, who runs a home for the elderly and mentally challenged people in Delhi, took Avikar, who is a graduate from the London School of Economics, into his fold.   Avikar says, “When you retire and have no family life, you feel isolated and alienated. And I, who led a very active life, felt the impact much more. But I am desirous of spending the rest of my life in social work.” Today he helps Ravi manage the foundation.

According to a HelpAge India official, “There has been an increase in the number of senior citizens approaching us for jobs. Statistics available with job portals reveal that there has been a significant rise in the number of resumes posted by senior citizens on the websites.”

When asked his views on the increasing number of elderly people being abused in India, Gyan Prakash Pilania, a member of the opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and a social worker, has been quoted as saying, “Things have come to such a pass now that the old have to petition the government for care and help. What kind of a life is that?”

Those in old-age homes perhaps know the answer to Gyan’s question.

Holding on to hope

Sitting quietly on her bed at the old-age home where she lives, Kusum nods her head silently and wipes a tear with the corner of her sari when the caretaker of the home enquires if she is comfortable. She has few complaints. Staring blankly into the distance, her only hope is that her son will return to pick her up and take her back home. 

Clutching her walking stick, she gets up from her bed and makes her way to the window where she holds the bars and stares out. “I hope I’ll see my son at least once before I die,’’ she says, in a soft voice.

Rani, a volunteer who works at the old-age home walks up to her. “Don’t worry,’’ she tells Kusum. “We all love you and will look after you. And you can always consider me your daughter,’’ she says, before giving Kusum a warm hug. *names changed to protect identity  

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Student Essays

Essay On Old Age home – Importance, Advantages, Problems

For writing an essay on Old age home, you needed to take care of certain points; importance, necessity, advantages & disadvantages of old age homes, how old age home work, meaning & purpose etc.

Old age home is by definition is place where senior citizen are taken care of. It is hard to argue whether Old age home is blessing or curse but it has become necessary in modern world, in developed countries and in India as well. We have written a sample essay on topic old age home, visit to old age home, short & long essay in points for students.

Essay on Old Age home | Importance, Need, Advantages & disadvantages of Old age home Essay For Students

An old age home is the place for those old people who do not have a home to live. This place is like a home for them where they get everything for routine living like food, clothes, shelter and medical treatment. It is a shelter home where older people live in a community with other people when they have been abandoned by their families.

>>>> Related Post: Essay on Health & Fitness in Life

Even though it is a good home for old age people but it still cannot take the place of a real home where people live happily with their families and spend quality time with them.

Why Old Age home has become necessary today?

Old age home might be a need of society in today’s age but irresponsible people consider it as an excuse to get rid of their responsibility especially now, when traditional values have been lost.

Our parents sacrificed their whole lives for us. They taught us how to take first steps. They were always there, staying up all night and taking care of us when we were sick. When we were learning to speak or when we had questions in mind, they did not get frustrate or angry at us for asking too many questions.

They gave us everything that we wished for without caring about their expenses. Unfortunately, children forget about all these things when they grow up. When there is time for them to take care of their parents, they take it as a burden.

Especially now, when due to modernization and urbanization, joint family system has been shattered. Everyone is busy in their own life and they do not have an interest to look after their parents. They prefer to send their parents to old age home instead of taking care of them at home.

Is Old Age home a Blessing or Curse?

Most people live abroad and their ageing parents are left alone and they have no one to take care of them. They are also an easy target for criminals. In this case, old age home gives protection and security to them because of constant screening of everyone who visits there. It also gives an opportunity to those parents to live together as a community with other people. At old age homes, there are people of same age group so it is easy for everyone to blend in comfortably. Moreover, Old age staff is responsible for taking care of these old people. The staff is in charge of feeding them on time and taking care of their every need.

They take good care of these people. Old age home might be a blessing for some people but it is definitely a curse for majority of the people. For example, an old man, who was the head and the backbone of the family once is now forced to live in a house with other strangers.

A woman who used to cook meals for her family once cannot cook food for her family now as she has to live in a house with other people like her who are also thrown out from their homes.

It is sad that how this young generation is abandoning parents and grandparents. Even though old age home is a place where the staff takes good care of abandoned people but still, it cannot overcome the fact that old people are forced to go to this place, especially when they need special attention and love from their own family.

Old age homes are the last hope of these poor old people so they must be equipped with better facilities so that these people can live a better life.

Essay about Old Age:

As we progress through life, it is inevitable that we will all grow old. In fact, the global population of people aged 65 and above is expected to reach nearly 1.6 billion by the year 2050. With this increase in elderly individuals, there has been a rise in the number of old age homes around the world.

An old age home, also known as a retirement home or senior living facility, is a place where older adults can receive care and support in their golden years. Many factors contribute to the decision for seniors to move into these facilities such as health concerns, loneliness, or family circumstances. These homes provide residents with assistance in daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication management while also offering social interaction and recreational activities.

However, the concept of old age homes is often viewed negatively in society. Some believe it is a reflection of the deteriorating family structure and values, where children are no longer able to care for their aging parents. This has led to a stigma surrounding old age homes and perceptions that they are cold, lonely, and impersonal places.

On the contrary, old age homes provide a much-needed service for those who do not have access to proper care or support from their families. It also offers a sense of community and companionship for seniors who may otherwise feel isolated in their own homes. Many facilities have trained staff members who provide round-the-clock care and ensure that residents receive proper nutrition and medical attention.

In conclusion, while there may be negative connotations associated with old age homes, they serve an important purpose in our society. As the elderly population continues to grow, it is imperative that we provide adequate care and support for them in their later years. Old age homes not only offer a safe and comfortable living environment but also promote socialization and overall well-being for senior citizens. It is essential to shift our perspective towards these facilities and recognize the valuable role they play in supporting our aging population.

Short Essay on Old Age Home:

Old age homes are facilities that provide care and support for senior citizens who are unable to live independently. They offer a safe and secure environment where older adults can receive quality healthcare, daily assistance, and social interaction.

Sadly, old age homes have become a necessity in today’s society. With the changing family structure and busy lifestyles, many elderly people are left alone with no one to take care of them. These homes provide them with a sense of community and companionship.

However, it is disheartening to see how some families neglect their elderly members and send them off to old age homes without any remorse. The elders who once took care of their children are now abandoned by the same children they raised with love and care.

While old age homes provide a necessary service, we must not forget that it is our responsibility to take care of our aging parents and grandparents. We should cherish the time we have with them and provide them with love and support in their old age.

It is also essential for society to change its attitude towards old age homes. Instead of viewing them as a burden or an undesirable place, we should see them as valuable institutions that serve a vital purpose in caring for our elderly population.

In conclusion, old age homes are necessary establishments that provide care and support for senior citizens. However, it is our moral duty to take care of our elders and treat them with respect and love in their golden years.

Essay on Old age homes a blessing or a curse:

In today’s fast-paced world, the older generation often finds it difficult to keep up with the rapid changes happening around them. With families becoming nuclear and children moving away for better opportunities, seniors are left alone in their old age. This has led to the rise of old age homes as an alternative living option for the elderly.

The concept of old age homes is not new and has been prevalent in many societies around the world. In this essay, we will discuss whether old age homes are a blessing or a curse for our society.

Advantages of Old Age Homes

1). Providing Shelter and Care

Old age homes provide shelter and care to those who have no one else to turn to. Many seniors living alone face difficulties in managing household chores and taking care of themselves. Old age homes provide a safe and comfortable environment where they can live with their peers and receive proper care from trained staff.

2). Promoting Social Interaction

Living in old age homes allows seniors to interact with people of their own age group and engage in various activities together. This promotes social interaction, which is crucial for mental well-being in old age.

3). Access to Medical Facilities

Old age homes usually have medical facilities within the premises or are located near hospitals, providing easy access to healthcare services for the residents. This ensures that any health issues are addressed promptly, reducing the risk of complications.

Problems of Old Age Homes

1). Financial Burden

Running an old age home can be financially demanding, especially for non-profit organizations. With the rising cost of living and limited government support, many old age homes struggle to meet their expenses, resulting in inadequate care for the residents.

2). Lack of Family Support

One of the biggest challenges faced by seniors living in old age homes is the lack of family support. Many elderly residents have strained relationships with their families or are abandoned by them, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

While old age homes provide a safe and caring environment for seniors, they also come with their own set of challenges. It is essential to address these issues and ensure that our aging population receives proper care and support. Instead of seeing old age homes as a replacement for family, we should strive to create a society where seniors can live with dignity and respect in their own homes, surrounded by loved ones. After all, growing old is a part of life that should be embraced and celebrated, not seen as a burden.

>>>>> Related Post: Essay on Panchayat System in India

So, whether old age homes are a blessing or a curse ultimately depends on how society perceives and treats its elderly citizens. In the end, it is up to us to make sure that our seniors live their golden years with happiness and contentment, regardless of whether they reside in an old age home or with their families. Let us strive towards creating a world where age is just a number and everyone is treated with love and compassion.

How do you write an introduction to an old age home?

An introduction to an old age home typically begins by providing a brief overview of the facility and its purpose, emphasizing the care and support it offers to elderly residents who may not have families or the means to live independently.

What are the points of old age homes?

Old age homes provide elderly individuals with accommodation, medical care, emotional support, and social engagement. They offer a sense of community and assistance for seniors who may be isolated or require specialized care.

What is old age in a short paragraph?

Old age is a phase of life characterized by advanced years, typically associated with retirement and a decrease in physical abilities. It can be a time of reflection, relaxation, and the opportunity to spend time with family and pursue lifelong interests.

What is the need and importance of old age homes?

Old age homes are important for elderly individuals who may not have family support or are unable to live independently. They offer a safe and supportive environment, medical care, and social interaction, addressing the needs of seniors who may otherwise be vulnerable or isolated

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A Complete Essay on Caring for the Elderly

Essay on caring for the Elderly: – Here are a number of essays on the Essay on caring for the Elderly of varying lengths for the students of different standards. You can also use these caring for the elderly essays to craft an article on elderly care or material for speech on elderly care as well.

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Table of Contents

Essay on caring for the Elderly (50 Words)

Taking care of the elderly is a responsibility that everyone should take. The elders spend the major part of their lives in the building and shaping our life and carrier, and thus it is our responsibility to repay them in their old age.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, some youth ignore their responsibility towards their parents and prefer to put them in old age homes rather than provide shelter to them. They should know how to take care of old people. We have also elderly care law in our country to protect the elderly from deprivation.

Essay on caring for the Elderly (100 Words)

It is a moral duty of us to take care of the elderly. Being a responsible person we should know how to take care of old people. Our parents or elders sacrifice their golden days with smiling faces in shaping our life.

During their old days, they also want support, love, and care from us. So we need to provide assistance to them during their old days. But unfortunately, today’s youths are seen ignoring their moral duties.

Some youths consider their parents a burden on them in their old days and prefer to keep them in old age homes. This is very unfortunate. One day when they will get old, they will understand the importance of elderly care.

Essay on caring for the Elderly

(Caring for the Elderly essay in 150 words)

Getting old is a natural process. During old age, people need the utmost love and care. Caring for the elderly is not only a responsibility but also a moral duty. Old people are the backbone of a family.

They are well experienced with the hardships of life. It is said that life teaches us lessons. Old people teach us how to grow, how to survive in this world, and how to shape our carrier as well. They establish us in this world with their immense effort. It is our responsibility to pay them back during their old age.

Unfortunately, in today’s world, the youths are seen forgetting their moral duties towards elders. They aren’t ready to understand the importance of elderly care and instead of caring for their parents during their old age, they prefer to send them to old age homes.

They prefer to live an independent life rather than living with their parents. This is not a good sign for our society. Being social animals we need to know how to take care of old people.

Essay on caring for the Elderly (200 Words)

(Caring for the Elderly essay)

Elderly refers to old people who have crossed middle age. Old age is the final period of human life. During this time a person needs love and affection and proper elderly care. It is said that caring for the elderly is the moral duty of every man.

Generally, an old person faces different health issues and thus he or she needs proper care. The length of an old person’s life depends on how much care he/she gets. Taking care of the elderly is not a naïve task.

The care needs for the elderly are very limited.  An old man doesn’t have much requirement. He /she only needs a little affection, care, and a homely environment to spend his/her final stage of life.

We all should know how to take care of old people. But in today’s busy schedule some people consider the elderly a burden. They even don’t want to spare time for their parents. And thus they prefer to put their old parents in old age homes rather than taking care of them.

This is nothing but a shameful act. Being a human we all should know the importance of elderly care. In every country, there are different laws to protect the elderly. But the elderly care law can’t do anything if we don’t change our mindset.

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Essay on caring for the Elderly : Considerations

Caring for the elderly is specialized care that is designed to meet the requirements and needs of senior citizens of various age groups. Nowadays, some children sent their parents to old age homes to avoid the responsibility of caring.

Though most of the Indian families take special care of their parents, unfortunately, there are few people who start to treat their parents as liabilities after a certain age.

It’s a challenging task to find appropriate and affordable elder care and assistance. Consultation with medical and eldercare professionals is required to determine exactly what type of care is required.

Family members are usually the first to identify the need of elders after discussing with Doctors. Depending upon the type of health condition he or she is suffering, the type of elderly care required can be determined.

The Importance of Caring for Our Elderly Essay

Caring for the elderly is treated as one of the most important things in an Indian Family. As an Indian, deciding how to provide care for elderly parents is one of the biggest decisions a family has to make.

Though some elderly persons don’t require any type of care to live life independently, a general decline in the health of the person often leads to the requirement of elder care.

As soon as we notice any changes in the health condition of an elderly aged person, we immediately discuss the matter with doctors and other family members without any delay. Before getting started, we must ask some simple questions to them.

• In order to ensure long-term safety, what type of care is needed for him?
• What types of elderly care services should be used to provide care for them?
• What will be our financial limitations of providing elder care?

Quotes on caring for the elderly – how to take care of old people

These amazing quotes will describe.

“To care for those who once cared for us is one of the highest honors.”

― Tia Walker

“Caregiving often calls us to lean into love we didn’t know possible.”

“Love, care and treasure the elderly people in the society.”

― Lailah Gifty Akita

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Essay on Importance of Education in Our Life

3 thoughts on “A Complete Essay on Caring for the Elderly”

I want an essay saying like i helped a elderly person on the street and that and this nkt like this

Can you help me in my developing country to start my organization to look after elderly people on my own in my country please my email address is [email protected]

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• My Parents Essay

500 Words Essay On My Parents

We entered this world because of our parents. It is our parents who have given us life and we must learn to be pleased with it. I am grateful to my parents for everything they do for me. Through my parents essay, I wish to convey how valuable they are to me and how much I respect and admire them.

My Strength My Parents Essay

My parents are my strength who support me at every stage of life. I cannot imagine my life without them. My parents are like a guiding light who take me to the right path whenever I get lost.

My mother is a homemaker and she is the strongest woman I know. She helps me with my work and feeds me delicious foods . She was a teacher but left the job to take care of her children.

My mother makes many sacrifices for us that we are not even aware of. She always takes care of us and puts us before herself. She never wakes up late. Moreover, she is like a glue that binds us together as a family.

Parents are the strength and support system of their children. They carry with them so many responsibilities yet they never show it. We must be thankful to have parents in our lives as not everyone is lucky to have them.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

While my mother is always working at home, my father is the one who works outside. He is a kind human who always helps out my mother whenever he can. He is a loving man who helps out the needy too.

My father is a social person who interacts with our neighbours too. Moreover, he is an expert at maintaining his relationship with our relatives. My father works as a businessman and does a lot of hard work.

Even though he is a busy man, he always finds time for us. We spend our off days going to picnics or dinners. I admire my father for doing so much for us without any complaints.

He is a popular man in society as he is always there to help others. Whoever asks for his help, my father always helps them out. Therefore, he is a well-known man and a loving father whom I look up to.

Conclusion of My Parents Essay

I love both my parents with all my heart. They are kind people who have taught their children to be the same. Moreover, even when they have arguments, they always make up without letting it affect us. I aspire to become like my parents and achieve success in life with their blessings.

FAQ of My Parents Essay

Question 1: Why parents are important in our life?

Answer 1: Parents are the most precious gifts anyone can get. However, as not everyone has them, we must consider ourselves lucky if we do. They are the strength and support system of children and help them out always. Moreover, the parents train the children to overcome challenges and make the best decision for us.

Question 2: What do parents mean to us?

Answer 2: Parents mean different things to different people. To most of us, they are our source of happiness and protection. They are the ones who are the closest to us and understand our needs without having to say them out loud. Similarly, they love us unconditionally for who we are without any ifs and buts.

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Short Essay on Grandparents [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

Grandparents are the most senior members of our family. We all love our grandparents and they love us too. In this session today, you will learn how to write an essay on your grandparents that you may find relevant for your upcoming exam. 

Short Essay on Grandparents in 100 Words

Grandparents are the biggest blessing in our lives. They are the senior members of a family and have a lot of experience and knowledge. They love us and are always ready to help and support us. The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is very precious. They always shower their grandchildren with love and blessings and teach them good values.

Today, many families have become nuclear because of work and other issues. Many people see their old parents as a burden and many grandparents end up living alone or in old-age homes. Grandparents are the core of a family. They are the reason why our parents and we exist. We should always love our grandparents and care for them. They are a gift from God. 

Short Essay on Grandparents in 200 Words 

Grandparents are a blessing. They are senior members of a family and have a lot of experience and knowledge. They love and adore us, they care for us and are always there to support us. They help us overcome tough situations by sharing their wisdom and insights with us.

They take care of the kids when the parents are busy or at work. The bond between grandparents and grandchildren is precious. When kids live together with their grandparents, they always have company and are taken care of even when their parents are not present. Grandparents tell them stories, teach them life lessons, morals, and good values. 

Today, many families have become nuclear because of work and other issues. Many children don’t get to live with their grandparents and can only visit them during vacations. The days they spend with their grandparents become memorable and they look forward to it. However, many people see their old parents as a burden and abandon them. Many grandparents end up living alone or in old-age homes, away from their children and grandchildren.

Grandparents are the core of a family. They are the reason why our parents and we exist. We should always be grateful to our grandparents, love them and care for them. They are the biggest gift from God. 

Short Essay on Grandparents in 400 Words 

Grandparents are the biggest blessing in our lives. They are senior members of a family and have a lot of experience and knowledge. They love and adore us, they care for us and are always there to support us. They help us overcome tough situations by sharing their wisdom and insights with us.

Grandparents are like best friends. We can share all our secrets with them. They protect us and comfort us when we get scolded by our parents. Be it convincing our parents to let us go on a trip or covering up our silly mistakes, they are always there for us. Grandparents are the pillars of a joint family and keep everyone together. They resolve family issues and keep things harmonious. 

Today, many families have become nuclear because of work and other issues. Many children don’t get to live with their grandparents and can only visit them during vacations. The days they spend with their grandparents are some of the most fun-filled days for them.

These vacations become memorable and children always look forward to them. However, many people see their old parents as a burden and abandon them. Many grandparents end up living alone or in old-age homes, away from their children and grandchildren. These loving people who should have been surrounded by their family members are left to spend the rest of their lives craving for the presence of their loved ones. 

Grandparents are the core of a family. They are the reason why our parents and we exist. They gave life to our parents and raised them with love and good values. It is because of them that our parents were able to become what they are today. We should always be grateful to our grandparents for their love and care. We should also love them and take care of them. They deserve to live a comfortable and beautiful life, surrounded by their family members and loved ones. And every child deserves the opportunity to experience the love and care of their grandparents. Grandparents are the biggest gift from God. 

So, that was almost everything you may write in an essay about your grandparents. In the session above, I have discussed the essays in a holistic manner to give you a complete overview of the context. Hopefully, you have found this session helpful. If you still have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let us know in the comment section below. To read more such essays on different important topics, keep browsing our website. 

To get the latest updates on our upcoming sessions, kindly join us on Telegram. Thank you for being with us. All the best.

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Generation — The Differences Between Older Generation Vs Younger Generation

The Differences Between Older Generation Vs Younger Generation

• Categories: Generation Modern Society

About this sample

Words: 655 |

Updated: 11 December, 2023

Words: 655 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Chetty, R., Hendren, N., Kline, P., Saez, E., & Turner, N. (2014). Is the United States Still a Land of Opportunity? Recent Trends in Intergenerational Mobility. The American Economic Review, 104(5), 141-147.
• Lamont, M., & Molnár, V. (2002). The Study of Boundaries in the Social Sciences. Annual Review of Sociology, 28, 167-195.
• Levinson, D. J., & Levinson, J. L. (1996). The Seasons of a Woman's Life. Knopf.
• Mokyr, J. (2002). The Gifts of Athena: Historical Origins of the Knowledge Economy. Princeton University Press.
• Pew Research Center. (2018). Mobile Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
• Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon & Schuster.
• Roberts, S. G. B., Dunbar, R. I. M., Pollet, T. V., & Kuppens, T. (2009). Exploring Variation in Active Network Size: Constraints and Consequences. Social Networks, 31(2), 138-146.
• Turkle, S. (2011). Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books.
• Valenzuela, S., Park, N., & Kee, K. F. (2009). Is There Social Capital in a Social Network Site?: Facebook Use and College Students' Life Satisfaction, Trust, and Participation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14(4), 875-901.
• Wellman, B. (2001). Physical Place and Cyberplace: The Rise of Networked Individualism. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 25(2), 227-252.

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