Give the elderly the respect they deserve and the help they need

The report by Ed Carty (Irish Examiner, September 2) under the heading “2,400 reports of elderly abuse last year” makes very sad reading but I hope those responsible will be apprehended and brought to justice. Two-thirds ofelderly people feel unwanted, and many of them are right.

Psychologically, our society is geared to the young. Films, sports, fashions all stress the importance of youths, and we give the elderly less of a role to play than any other generation ever had. At the same time the life span is increasing. This extra time can be years of tragedy unless younger people help their elders overcome the frustration of old age. The day some older person’s attitudes or actions conflict with your own, stop and ask: “What do older people want out of life?” I would sum it up thus – somewhere to live, something to do and someone to care. Where an elderly person lives is not the major consideration. Making him/her know they are valued is all that counts.

Another major misconception is that the elderly like to be in a safe and cosy nest. An older person likes to havehis of her life planned, whether their children tuck them away in an old folks home or put them in a gilded cage. From experience I would say plan with, not for, old people.