At this stage, agism entails that many older people are made to feel that they are a burden not only on society, but also on those who are obliged to care for them (Holstein, Parks, and Waymack, 2011, p. 130). This in turn creates related ethical concerns such as sexism, since the most common informal caregivers for older relatives are women.
There are two basic forms of care that people who grow old and frail might choose or be forced to choose between; home care or institutional care. At home, caregiving is provided by relatives, which could create a sense of frustration for both the person receiving and the person giving the care. Caregiving is a significant emotional, physical, and financial burden. Few old people would want to impose this kind of burden on their families. Furthermore, specialized care may not be within the skill set possessed by family members. Institutional care, on the other hand, could become very impersonal, cold, or even abusive. This is not to say that home care might not also ultimately include an abusive element. Older people who are vulnerable tend to be at risk of receiving poor care. Caregivers should realize that providing a high level of quality care is an ethical duty towards human beings. The fact of old age and vulnerability is likely to be in the future of us all, which makes providing excellent care even more highly important.
The neglect and abuse of elderly people is one of the most serious violations of human rights in the world today (Holstein, Parks, and Waymack, 2011,...
201). There is nothing that can justify such behavior. However, its prevelance in the world makes it an essential factor to investigate with great care; ways should be established to either eradicate this atrocity completely or to mitigate the factors that might lead to such abuse. Some abuse might be perpetrated by family members. In some such cases, one might cite ignorance or temptation as reasons for the abuse. In a caregiving facility, professionals who abuse or neglect their charges should be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law. Surely there are no mitigating factors that could justive such a violation against the caregiving profession and against humanity itself. The frail nature of many older people make them vulnerable to various types of abuse, and it is a social ill that should be addressed as thoroughly as possible.
In conclusion, nobody looks forward to old age, frailty, and the inevitable approach of death. However, making the right decisions while young would mitigate some of the pitfalls that could affect one's quality of life when becoming older. On the whole, however, society should begin to realize its obligation towards its elder generations. Social ills such as agism and elder abuse should be addressed, while care giving and anti-aging should be addressed from a truly critical viewpoint, without succumbing to be petty debate points.
Reference
Holstein, M.B., Parks, J.A., and Waymack, M.H. (2011). Ethics, Aging, and Society. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
