If you were to ask me about my biggest fear, I would say "Growing Old" without thought! Being in my thirties, this thought still haunts me; I worry more when I realize that I have already gone through the prime of my life. They still say that life starts at forty, or whatever; but, at a later age, I fear ageism and the inequality associated with it in every single realm of life.
Younger individuals also equate depression and health issues with getting older. "Contrary to common belief, as long as they look after themselves, older people actually enjoy life more; as the famous quote goes: "It's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years. Well, that sounds great; you always come face to face with ageism when you come back to reality.
More rarely, older people, especially those living in secluded areas, lack good health care coverage and family support. The elderly are hampered by improper services, transport, and facilities from conducting basic daily tasks. Furthermore, among older people themselves, financial disparities exist. This stresses them as they, among others, are excluded from care facilities, wealth, stability, and decent jobs. As a consequence, in both developed and developing nations, more elderly people around the world live in poverty.
By seeking more imaginative and immediate solutions, stakeholders, including states, academic institutions, and decision-makers, work hard to meet the needs and desires of older individuals. These reforms will lead by all means to the fulfillment of the adopted 2030 Sustainable Development Plan, with "no one left behind." It focuses on fostering equity and inclusion, and Goal 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims, among other objectives, to minimize inequalities in and between countries in order to ensure equal opportunity, eradicate discrimination and empower inclusion of all.
Before being an economic or political one, the inequalities faced by older people are also an ethical problem. It must be regardless of age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, economic or other status to determine the quality of our later lives. A functional mechanism that fosters stable and active ageing needs to be developed and preserved. As established by the World Health Organization (WHO), an age-friendly world can eliminate obstacles and establish policies, programs, and services over the course of human life.
It's unavoidable to grow old; it is a privilege as well. You're literally dead if you're not getting older, or there's a chance that you're a zombie! Unless strategy, action, and appropriate intervention are employed, getting older brings greater inequality. In an increasingly aging world, older people have an important role to play in their societies, and reducing inequality, for the good of present and future generations, should be implemented in all countries.
Addressing inequality is never too late in later life. At any generation, individuals and societies can make improvements and strengthen behaviors; decision-makers and policy-makers can do the same. Indeed, these optimistic changes at every age will bring advantages; always note that' there is life left to be lived.'
I was afraid of getting old too