If you have no family, no money, you become a ward of the state or county. The state assigns a guardian to you, and that person makes the decisions about your living situation, your health care, your finances.
What Problems Face Seniors without a Family? Many people have diminished capacity and are less able to care for themselves as they age. They may no longer be able to easily walk or drive, and can experience difficulty with basic activities (e.g., shopping, cooking, cleaning).
A person who is socially isolated is approximately 50% more likely to get dementia. Loneliness can disrupt sleep, raise blood pressure, and increase stress levels. A person who is socially isolated, has poor social relationships, or is lonely has a 32% increased risk of stroke and a 29% increased risk of heart disease.
Loss of independence can be isolating. Seniors who are isolated often develop feelings of hopelessness and depression, and the negative effects on their mental health can lower their quality of life. Independence gives seniors a sense of purpose.
Whatever the cause, it's shockingly easy to be left feeling alone and vulnerable, which can lead to depression and a serious decline in physical health and wellbeing. Someone who's lonely probably also finds it hard to reach out.
Loss of work, through retirement, or loss of other roles (e.g., friend, spouse, parent) Loss of health. Loss of independence, as one decides to limit or give up driving, Loss of companionship when one's social circle becomes diminished due to death, relocation, or other factors.
"Lacking encouragement from family or friends, those who are lonely may slide into unhealthy habits," Valtorta says. "In addition, loneliness has been found to raise levels of stress, impede sleep and, in turn, harm the body. Loneliness can also augment depression or anxiety."
Loneliness can be damaging to both our mental and physical health. Socially isolated people are less able to deal with stressful situations. They're also more likely to feel depressed and may have problems processing information. This in turn can lead to difficulties with decision-making and memory storage and recall.
Aging adults without money to support them through the rest of their lives can stay in a nursing home for up to 100 days—and Medicaid will cover the cost for this brief period. Seniors who reside in an assisted living facility and run out of funds will be evicted.
The essentials owed to both parent and yourself are love, happiness and fun. Be kind and show how much you love your parent and yourself. Do not expect reciprocation and gratitude from you parent. It is called caregiving, not care receiving.
orphaned would also work (with "completely" or "truly"). The word can be used for the state of having no relatives at all and no guardian, as well as the state of having no living parents. With the death of her uncle, she was completely | truly orphaned. Or without family.
There is no “right” or “wrong” about a choice you make. I do suggest that if you can't stand the thought of having to take care of your aging parent yourself, that you consider investigating how that could be arranged with others doing the job.
Elderly abandonment can occur for a wide variety of reasons. In some cases, a caregiver may feel overburdened and believe that they lack the resources needed to care for the elderly individual. In other cases, abandonment may occur out of the desire to harm the elderly person.
Saying No Doesn't Make You a Bad Person
Say yes when it is an emergency or when it works with your life and schedule, but realize that saying no does not make you a bad person. While you will want to support your family and help them in all things, know when a "no" is needed, and be at peace with your decision.
A poll of over 11,000 Americans conducted in October finds that more than one in four Americans — 29% — report being estranged from an immediate family member, including siblings, parents, children, or grandparents. This figure is slightly higher for men, with 31% reporting estrangement compared to 27% of women.
The causes of estrangement can include abuse, neglect, betrayal, bullying, unaddressed mental illness, not being supportive, destructive behavior, substance abuse. Oftentimes, parents do not square with a child's sexual orientation, choice of spouse, gender identity, religion, and or political views.
"Loneliness can change the neurochemistry of the brain, turning off the dopamine neurons, which trigger the reward response, and causing some degeneration in the brain when the reward response is not activated," says Katherine Peters, MD, PhD, FAAN, associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at Duke University.
Spending time alone can be a chance to focus on your mental health. If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, it can be a chance to work on your self-care. Mental health is just as important as physical health and deserves just as much attention. Improve your mood with some solitude.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major cause of mortality in elderly individuals owing to a high prevalence of coronary heart disease, systolic dysfunction, and congestive heart failure (CHF).
The major cause of death in the 55-64 age group is cancer followed by heart disease and injury. In the 75+ age group, the leading cause shifts to heart disease, and injury drops below Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cerebrovascular diseases, and pneumonia.