The two heavens of later life
The importance of family support
Time flies, and time flies like an arrow. When the years leave traces on our faces, when gray hair gradually creeps up on the top of our heads, when our eyesight and hearing begin to deteriorate, we truly appreciate the importance of family. With the support and companionship of his family, his life in his later years is no longer a solo dance, but a warm ensemble.
Liang Baozhen is such a lucky old actor. At the age of 87, her son and daughter-in-law are very filial. After retiring, she settled in Canada with her children, enjoying the joy of her children and grandchildren. Recently, she returned to Hong Kong to visit relatives and lived in her son's spacious and comfortable house, living a happy life cared for by his family. The meticulous care of her children made her life carefree and full of laughter in her later years.
The family's economic conditions also have a direct impact on the quality of life in old age. Leung's son comes from a well-to-do family and can provide her with a quality living environment and medical security. For those elderly people with poor economic conditions, life in their later years is particularly difficult. Without financial support, they struggle to meet their basic needs, let alone enjoy high-quality elderly care services.
The hardships of living alone
Not all old actors are as lucky as Liang Baozhen. Some people's later life is like a pool of stagnant water, silent and desolate. Yu Mulian is one of them.
Yu Mulian, who is 87 years old, has never been married and has no children. After retiring, although she sponsored hundreds of students at Guizhou Hope Primary School, she recently had to live in a nursing home due to her deteriorating health. In the nursing home, she is often in a trance, and her living conditions are worrying. Without the company of her relatives, her later life seemed particularly lonely.
For the elderly who live alone, the decline in their ability to take care of themselves will undoubtedly aggravate their living difficulties. Yu Mulian's health is deteriorating, and she needs to be taken care of by others. Lacking the support of her family, she can only hope for the staff at the nursing home. However, the care of the staff is no substitute for the care of the family.
Poverty exacerbates the insecurity of the elderly who live alone. Although Yu Mulian used to be a well-known actor, she is now unable to make ends meet. Lacking financial support, her quality of life in her later years was worrying. Those elderly people with a solid family background will not have too many worries even if they live alone.
The role of the social pension system
In the face of the increasingly severe problem of aging, the government and society are actively responding. The home-based community care model is becoming a mainstream option, aiming to allow the elderly to live out their old age in a familiar environment.
The government has also introduced a series of policies to support families to take on the function of providing for the elderly. For example, raising the level of pensions and issuing nursing subsidies are all aimed at reducing the burden of family pensions. The family is the most intimate support of the elderly, and the government and society should give strong support.
The existing home-based elderly care service model needs to be further innovated and improved. Many elderly people are not satisfied with the quality of existing services and expect to receive more humane and professional services. How to meet the increasingly diverse needs of the elderly will be a major challenge for the home care service industry.
Lifestyle changes
As we move into old age, lifestyle changes are inevitable. From independence to dependence, from freedom to a restrictive environment, these are the new lives that older people must adapt to.
In the past, Yu Mulian could live freely and do what she liked. But now that she is living in a nursing home, her life is restricted. Living and eating need to follow the rules of the nursing home, and the degree of freedom is greatly reduced. In addition, she had to rely on the care of the staff and was unable to take care of herself completely.
Adapting to new living environments and ways can be a challenge for older people. Not only do they have to deal with a decline in their physiology, but they also have to deal with major changes in their minds and lives. If you don't adapt well, it is very likely to lead to depression, anxiety and other psychological problems.
Reflection on the value of life
The changes in life in later life will undoubtedly trigger people's reflection on the value of life. When the glory and wealth are gradually drifting away, when the truth of the transience of life is in front of them, people have to re-examine their hearts and think about the true meaning of life.
For an old actor like Yu Mulian, the glory and fame of the past seem to have become so illusory. What she longs for most now is the love and companionship of her family. Family and friendship are far more important than material wealth and fame. It is only when life comes to us that we truly understand this.
Later life also makes people aware of the brevity and fragility of life. We used to think that we still had a long way to go, but before we knew it, we had reached the end of our lives. It is only at the end of our lives that we feel the preciousness of life and begin to cherish the people in front of us.