Investigation of Lonely Seniors Shows Stereotypes
July 6th, 2009
In the Nordic countries, it’s uncommon for the elderly to report feelings of loneliness. But a new study has found that how we normally perceive loneliness in older people is a poor representation of reality. Examining feedback from widows and widowers, the study reveals that stereotypes about lonely seniors have little to do with how we experience such feelings later on in life. source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703065456.htm
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this headline leaves me hanging…so what’s the verdict…tell me, are seniors in nordic countries lonely or not…i don;t want to have to actually go to the url you cited and read the study myself :)
From my own personal experience I think that family involvement makes all the difference in the world with how anyone copes from loneliness and loss. Too many times I see seniors who become virtually isolated either because of their health or people treat them as non entities as they get older. There are some who do get a little ornery and difficult to be around, I know this, but I also think that this is a good life lesson to us all to not let these people flounder. There are many out there just looking for some good conversation and some good company. As a family member or just a friend it is the responsibility of us all to treat the lederly with the same respect and dignity with which we ourselves wish to be treated. Is that too much to ask?
I think it’s a matter of feeling needed. Humans need to feel that we matter & without us someone else’s life just would not be the same. The irony is that, If we’ve parented well, our own children grow self sufficient and no longer need us, which means our need to be needed is not being met. Friends who are in the same situation can fill that void sometimes more than family members with full and busy lives.
However, there are so many younger adults who lack positive parent figures and who are looking for life mentors. I think if the seniors could connect with people who need them and who want their wisdom and guidance, it could help everyone. They don’t have to abandon the self sufficient children they did a good job raising. They could just expand their extended family circle to include intergenerational connections where they can feel needed.
There is a worldwide service that matches for those kind of connections – Creating Extended Families
What is the Biblical response to the elderly who are lonely?
What should the churches be teaching? I agree that family connections and church family connections is the answer to the loneliness that the elderly feel. The elderly are often treated like non-persons. Where are the Christians in all of this?
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