Myths About the Elderly - Jonathon Burugess
Aging can bring many stereotypes. A lot of people experience these with their own elderly parents or grandparents. This causes many myths to form surrounding elderly people. Myths such as falls are a normal thing for an elderly person to struggle with, elderly people are unable to adapt or inquire a new way to think about things, every elderly person is depressed and or lonely, and nursing homes take away elderly people’s rights are some of the most rumored.
Myth #1: Falling is normal for the elderly.
There are many myths about elderly people falling. According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) there are multiple myths and misunderstandings surrounding falls. “Falling is not a normal part of aging” (“Debunking the Myths of Older Adult Falls”). It is very important to kick this myth out the door. If falling is thought of as normal, then this could keep elderly people from seeking help and talking to someone about this problem. This myth developed from how common it is for an elderly person to fall. While it is true that the human body degenerates over time causing one to be clumsy or weak there are ways to combat this. Exercises and managing your medicine can also help you to keep yourself from falling. Another big myth is that once you lose your muscle strength as an elderly person you cannot regain it (“Debunking the Myths of Older Adult Falls”). While it might be true that it is more difficult to gain strength as an elder, it is not impossible. The last thing about falls is going to dip into the medicines affecting falls. “Medications affect people in many different ways and can sometimes make you dizzy or sleepy” (“Debunking the Myths of Older Adult Falls”). There are multiple different medicines that are used to treat the same health issue. Some may make one feel the ways that were touched on by the National Council on Aging and others could be better and not give an elderly person these drawbacks.
Myth #2: The elderly mind is unable to adapt and is set in its old ways.
Have you ever been talking to your grandparents or parents and thought “I shouldn’t even listen to them. They are just set in their own ways”. This is a very unfair train of thought. We all like to think we know what’s best in every situation, but this isn’t always true. With age comes experience and knowledge to think on many things. In the article 10 Myths about Aging Fellowship Square Blog states “Every individual has their own unique thoughts and feelings about society” (“10 Myths about Aging”). Something else that can go along with this is change. “Elderly people have faced countless challenges and situations of change by the time they reach a certain age, so while they may be a bit slower to adapt, they are certainly capable of change.” (“10 Myths about Aging”). Every elderly person has seen more change than most of us younger generation. Things such as cars and phones have changed the way the world works. Elders have been through wars and had multiple times where they either had to change their line of work or have completely been out of work due to world issues.
Myth #3: Every elderly person is depressed and lonely.
Most people believe all elderly people are depressed. Fellowship Square Blog states “There is no evidence that shows that older people are more depressed than younger people.” (“10 Myths about Aging”). Depression does not target one certain age group. Everyone is prone to depression and have their own personal causes for this mental illness. Loneliness is also a huge cause of depression. Imagine having your spouse pass away after thirty plus years of marriage. It would be very tough adapting to your new life without them. Therefore, you see many elderly people having what you would call hang out spots. We all know that one group of older men or women that get together at their favorite breakfast, lunch, or dinner spot almost every day to chat it up. This is very healthy for them and is a great way to cope with loneliness.
Myth #4: Nursing homes take away the elderly people’s rights.
It is very common for people to look down upon nursing homes because they believe that elderly people have no rights while under the nursing homes care. Diana Rodriguez states “People in nursing homes still have rights. They still control their healthcare decisions. There are rules in nursing homes to keep the people who live there safe.” People in nursing homes still can make their own decisions with most items of their life. Nursing homes must have rules set to keep a safe and healthy environment. It’s like a high school. The students can make their own decisions on activities and classes, but the school must enforce rules on and off campus to keep the student body safe while creating a positive learning environment.
We all have elderly people in our lives that we help or communicate with. These myths are so common that a lot of elderly people even believe them about themselves. We all need to stop spreading these rumors and start helping elderly people with overcoming the stereotypes set by society. Elders are very knowledgeable and useful to our future because they have been though the past that we were not alive for. Cherish the time you have with your elders and help them become healthier and more mindful.
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Work Cited
“10 Myths about Aging.” Fellowship Square Blog, 2018, https://www.fellowshipsquareseniorliving.org/fellowship-square-blog/posts/2017/10/9/10-myths-about-aging/. Accessed 09 Oct. 2019.
“Debunking the Myths of Older Adult Falls” National Council on Aging, 2019, https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/falls-prevention/preventing-falls-tips-for-older-adults-and-caregivers/debunking-the-myths-of-older-adult-falls/. Accessed 07 Oct. 2019.
Rodriguez, Diana. “7 Myths About Nursing Homes.” 2019, https://www.healthgrades.com/explore/7-myths-about-nursing-homes. Accessed 22 Oct. 2019.