The affective alienation of the elderly

Abstract

The author takes into consideration one of the most subtle forms of victimization in our society: the affective alienation of the elderly. An extensive review of the medical and geriatric literature reveals a progressive alienation of the elderly from people in general and their families in particular. The elderly are frequently relegated to nursing homes, where the care they receive is resually substandard. The author believes that the post industrial society robotized and computerized, has not only produced a progressive dissolution of the family unit in the USA, but has displaced the elderly from their previous status in which they were a source of wisdom and experience. Further, the author notes that society no longer has a functional interdependence among its members and solitude and apathy are common feelings of the elderly at present. The elderly feel pushed aside and their emotional needs often remain unsatisfied. And they are placed, when necessary in istitutions that will often increase their emotional, affective deprivation. A re-integration of a modern, functional family unit is proposed where the elderly may continue to receive the proper and humane attention they deserve.