When we get old, people are often too feable to perform their daily duties themselves. This is a critical period of our lives. After childhood we are then again directly dependent upon the aid of other people. We have heard a statement that the relationship to elderly people is a criterion for the maturity of a society. Some ancient tribes practised to get rid of their elderly members quickly and without delicacy, when these became exhausted and a burden for stronger members of the society. Today there exist rest homes for the elderly, which respresent a more civilised form of turning away the elderly. In numerous cases this is the best solution for the elderly, exhausted people. Often this is not the case. Some elderly people would much rather stay in their homes, surrounded with their relatives, however, they have to leave. It is not simple to change the environment of living in old age. Several people experience this as disposal before death. A lot of people are soon forgotten, visits are more rare. It is not difficult to imagine that in estranged environment elderly people do not have a will to live so that they die before long, possibly not too happy and not with the best feelings. Their relatives have good feelings, either, although they try to convince others and themselves that this was the best solution for everybody. If we put ourselves in such a situation, I doubt that we will be successful in persuading orselves that this is the state we wanted most for our old age. Should we not die previously to that - and we do not want it - this is what awaits us in the end. It is therefore right that we try to think thereof and ask ourselves how we would like to live our old age best.
I am convinced that a plurality of people would also in old age try to be as independent as possible and live approximately in the same way as before. Often, an external home for the elderly is the only solution or the best solution. Often, elderly people could stay in their homes if they had minimum help at least. Provided that someone went to the market twice a week, if someone performed heavier domestic work once or twice a week, if someone ran errands in their name ... I see a lot of possibilites how to help the elderly. , namely, to organise aid at their homes, to develop suitable forms of voluntary work.
There is known the idea, which is not sufficiently developed here, that the young generation could in a greater measure help the older generation, that in the frame of schools voluntary work with elderly people would be encouraged. Young people as well as elderly people would benefit therefrom. To young people this would be a valuable life experience. They could learn several things from the elderly, for their character the value of solidarity with the elderly would mean a lot. In this manner they could in good time be formed as sensitive human beings with understanding and knowledge of the situation of the elderly. They would acquire the feeling of interdependence of people in this world. If we help each other, we are capable to do much more and we are better people. In the end we are happier. It is difficult to find a better school for the young people than such a school of life, which they would achieve by aiding the elderly people. Young people could draw pleasure therefrom, the lives of the elderly would be easier and would profit a new dimension also in old age.
In some places such practice has already been established, e.g. in Japan. Here also some individuals and some non-governmental organisations try to alleviate the lives of the elderly. A lot has ben achieved on state level, however, this is not enough. These measures do not reach beyond a greater number of homes for the elderly. More should be done, and this ismore easily to attain by individuals, who care, and as by interested groups, volunteers. Let us present our experiences, views and propositions on the website of present Movement. Let us give a hand to those, who are active in this field, let us add something. This is one of the opportunities that everyone of us did something valuable, to once again help others and ourselves. A better world is made of such tiny deeds. The more numerous they are, the more peacfully and happily we are going to live, with better feelings for ourselves and others. Letus think of a pleasant old age in which we are active as long as we can, when at small daily activities we are helped by young people, who will with interest listen to some thought or proposal of ours. When someone will accompany us to a walk into nature and will together with us enjoy fresh air and we would have the feeling that the day was not void, that it was worth living it. There does not exist a warmer feeling than the one given to us by a grateful person, whom we helped.
It is conceived in the Movement to direct special attention to this field. We do not want to rest on principles only. We could follow the path that on our website we could collect offerings of those wishing to help the elderly and, on the other hand, calls for help of those, who themselves can no longer cope and to whom volunteers could help in their homes. Pure visits or shorter discussion can mean a lot at times.
Let us do something!
Janez Drnovšek
Archive...
|
