Essay Sample on Aging: A Global Journey of Cumbersome Dynamics and Respect

Introduction

The journey to aging has been one of the cumbersome and dynamic across the globe. Different communities view the elderly from a different perspective angle, which defines their interaction with the rest of society. During ancient times, the elderly communities were highly associated with wisdom, knowledge, treated as an archive of ancient information, and respected because of their wealth. Therefore, these elements gave the elderly a social status, especially considering their age factor, which was deemed as a blessing to the community. Moreover, many communities respected and care for the elderly feely, as they were deemed as the stepping stone in eternal life. Therefore, they were deemed as the bridge between the living and the living dead. As a result, this concept allowed them to earn respect and unity in society. In the modern world, things for the elderly seems to have taken a different turn and twist, making the elderly spend their last days in agony. According to Hillier and Barrow (2011), “it is not surprising to see the elderly suffer in their early days, despite having contributed much in their youth life.” The society is quick to judge and even forget the achievements accomplished by these age groups. Thus it is essential for most of the aging population to highly integrate “spending down” to become eligible for Medicaid since the world has changed and taken a different turn on the elderly community.

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Ageism

Ageism is a social problem characterized by increased prejudiced behaviors, which is characterized by a series of inaccurate stereotypes of the elderly. In the modern world, the elderly community appears to have been striped-off, from their social status and respect, as ageism is slowly transforming the community. The condition is even worse, especially for those who have mental conditions. As the increased ageism is geared towards affecting the elderly, the concept of spending down, which is geared for eligibility for Medicaid, may seem to be one of the alternatives to ensure that the elderly get support whenever they fall ill. The essence of spending down increases the chances of the elderly community to have healthcare support access, which helps improve their health condition.

Pros

A lot of financial constraints characterizes the journey to aging, and healthcare demands, that help keep the elderly supported during the minimal time they are left with. Never the less, lack of proper healthcare planning may find most of the elderly community between a hard place and a rock. As a result, the concept of spending down may be deemed as the alternative to help reduce the financial constraints when it comes to Medicaid support and accessibility.

According to Liu, (2019), the elderly community does not constitute the workforce labor, as most are weak, and doddery, living in a cocktail of drugs to support themselves. Therefore, supporting their healthcare cost in their elderly stage becomes a cumbersome moment, especially for those with mental challenges or handicaps. The concept of spending down has been used to help the elderly recovery from their deteriorated relationship and the shifting status of old age.

According to Hillier and Barrow (2011), changes throughout 1800, altered the established system of age relationship negatively. Even though many communities had widely established and developed a place for the elderly, the late 1780s, and early 1800, saw the twist of a tale in the relationship system, as most changes took place in the political ideology (Hillier & Barrow 2011). The eradication of age hierarchy during the Declaration of Independence became stronger equality for all political and social matters. In Jefferson’s point of view, this concept eradicated age hierarchy, hence the respect automatically accorded the old. Therefore, this marked the beginning of the elderly communicate in the US becoming more dependent on support from the younger age groups and societies, who did not offer much support to them. As a result, the concept of spending down, aiming for Medicaid, remained to be a suitable concept for the elderly to fight back for support in their elderly times.

Cons

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes brain cells to die or waste away (degenerate). The condition is the leading cause of dementia, a continuous decline in thinking, social skills, behaviors, and the disruption of a person’s ability to function independently. While the condition may start with milled symptoms, the elderly are the most affected age groups, which calls for constant care. Therefore, this concept may be expensive, especially for those who are retired.

Current Alzheimer’s disease medications may temporarily improve the symptoms of the disorder, which helps the people with this condition to maximize their functionality and maintain their independence for a time. More so, different health programs can be used to help support those who have Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, it would be a suitable opportunity to spend down to help improve the condition of the patient, despite knowing that there is no proven treatment of the condition. As a result, this concept fosters the ancient concept of society or the young caring for the elderly.

Conclusion

While the spending down concept is widely associated with increasing the possibilities of support to the elderly community, there is a dark side behind the promising support for the elderly. One of the consequences the elderly community is subjected to in the higher premiums, which may not be accommodating for many, especially those with little income. Therefore, this increases the chances of the elderly not buying in the concept of spending to earn their Medicaid eligibility. Therefore, this leaves many Americans without proper healthcare cover, which might guarantee them healthcare services, even as they turn older, and unable to work.

References

Hillier, S.M. & Barrow G. M. (2011). Aging, the Individual, and Society. (9th edition). Wadsworth: California.

Liu, S. (2019). Social Support Networks, Coping and Positive Aging Among the Community-Dwelling Elderly in Hong Kong. Springer.doi.10.1007%2F978-981-13-3783-3