Home > All articles Maria Celeste Raposo : About “aging in place” By Maria Celeste Raposo, Sociologist This is a very interesting matter and certainly a hot one for discussion. I have been studying this matter for about 8 years and here are my conclusions : - I don't agree with a simple staying-in place, because : If one grows over 85, it's very common not having relatives and having lost their best friends or, at least, being unable to meet them, due to several disabilities. They can hardly contact by phone. So, there is a need to establish new relationships and look for a friendly and protecting neighbourhood. The old neighbours either moved or died. Usually older people live exactly in the older and sometimes more derelict parts of the cities, far from the new generations, that have chosen new places, where the offer for new and comfortable houses is bigger. So, they tend to become isolated, exactly because they live in older parts of their towns or cities. Cities and city centers do change, and if people don't, they become isolated and the worst of all, subject to hostile or dangerous environment. The help that can be given by caring centers who visit them at their homes, supplying meals and some other services, like helping to wash if needed , is difficult, expensive, for the welfare states and very limited. Those caring people have many houses to visit and a very short time to do it. So, what they in fact do, is feeding the poor fellows more or less as if they are some esteemed pets. Over 65s prefer to stay at their homes as long as they can, but they have to understand that, probably, they must change home, to be able to receive the help that they know they will need if they live longer. If they belong to an association and live in their homes, but near to other people of the same age or similar, they have much more possibilities of getting involved with community affairs and of joining forces to overcome some difficulties – they usually have lost social power, but when together, they help themselves to reach those still in power, because someone among them, was a teacher or is a grandfather or a friend, of someone younger and able to decide something. So, they want to keep their homes (although accepting that these will be simpler and smaller), they want to keep their autonomy for as long as possible, but they need to live near other fellows who have the same needs and they need to be associated. Just remember the recent case of the 104 years old millionaire Brooke Astor, who became a scandal of isolation and bad treatment – it's not only a question of money, but a real human rights or exclusion problem. The only possible protection comes from association. Governments seem to be very interested in stimulating the simple living-in. Probably it looks as the most economic solution, but in fact, the most economic way is to keep people happy and, as a result, also healthy. Ideal solutions do not exist but better ones do. By Maria Celeste Raposo, Sociologist         By Maria Celeste Raposo Date 01-09-2008 Print this article | Send to a friend | React to this article