Caring for old people should be one of the most important responsibilities of young people. Young people should not care less about their elders. No matter how much we try to avoid it, our elders who are people we value so much, become older as each day passes by. They become weak, frail, and may even fall ill. They need more love, attention, understanding, and quality of elderly care as they get older.
Caring for old people can be a demanding task, especially if you are juggling other responsibilities like care-giving for your family, career, and life. There are various reasons why young people should care for old people, and they include:
We can learn from them
When you study them, you will know that they longed to be heard, they have so much to offer than we can imagine. When we give your elders the time to talk, we will know that they are willing to give than most people expect. They must have experienced a lot, therefore, take the time to learn from their lives and heed what they say.
Caring for old people is important because we get to learn more about the values they held on to as important and the system they lived in. Most importantly, we need to understand that they lived in a different dispensation and the value systems they acquire during that period aren’t what is obtainable today.
Most of them are nearing their end
These might sound harsh, but it is the truth. We need to understand that with their age, the future becomes uncertain. It is the never-ending cycle of life; we need to take more time to cherish things that will soon be gone.
Caring for old people reduces their risk of loneliness
We should help them stay meaningfully engaged in their health and the health of our communities. We need to make them feel connected, to have a sense of belonging because, at their stage, they are at increased risk of loneliness.
Caring for old people is important because they might be completely lost with societal happenings. As they begin to grow older, the more they get detached from the happenings and trends in society.
However, we can help them feel a sense of belonging by associating and communicating with them regularly. Although, helping them to stop feeling depressed and disassociated might be a little bit difficult, but we must do it.
They are weak
Caring for old people is important because they become prone to sicknesses. If they are not properly cared for, they might be exposed to health issues like heart failure, blood pressure, diabetes etc. The weaker their body system becomes, the more they are prone to the sicknesses.
As young people, we are meant to support them in completing some tasks on their own. The little show of respect and proper care we show can make all the difference to them.
They are our first teachers
Another major reason why we should care for our elders is that they were the first person to teach us how to give, how to love, how to accept, and how to forgive. Without the sacrifices that they made during our early years, we wouldn’t be capable of what we are today. They deserve our love and care.
Their love for us is unconditional
Our elders’ love for us remains unconditional; No matter who we are, what we do, and who we have become. Although they might be upset or disappointed in us sometimes, their love for us is always the same. Besides, the mere presence of our elders gives us strength and hope to keep calm.
They have sacrificed a lot for us
Another important reason why we should care for our elders is that they have sacrificed a lot to see a smile on our faces. They provide us with all sorts of comforts. When we were children, they sacrificed much of their life to make sure we are well and happy.
Heritage
Our traditions, rituals, languages, new clothes for every festival, wedding festivities, food, and so on, are unique to our heritage. It brings a sense of belonging. All these things can impart ideals and traditions that have been integral to our identity or family history.
Heritage brings us a sense of the responsibility we have to stay true to our origins for future generations and the identity of our past. In addition, we should know that heritage is best preserved through our elders, and we have so much to learn from concerning our heritage, to be proud of our past.
We are human beings
Giving our support to others, especially the elderly ones, brings out the humanity in us. The truth is that one day we will also become old and we will need other people to support us.
Source (s)
Reasons why it is important to care for our elders – kindnessblog
10 reasons we should care for elders – bighearts
