The wellbeing of the elderly, utopia or reality? Psychological and spirituals aspects

Abstract

When one talks about the health of the elderly, one has to relate this term with physical, mental and social wellbeing. Within the concept of wellbeing there is also the experience of the person closely correlated with factors related to time, the environment, society and culture. These factors are inter-dependent and should also be borne in mind. Today psychologists tend to consider old age with an evolutive, narrative and historical approach. When one studies the condition of the elderly one must also consider another important factor, spirituality. A series of human and social needs are connected to spirituality, including the realization of oneself, feeling useful, and the interaction with other people.

Religion is dosely connected to spirituality and this makes moments of suffering easier to bear because it becomes a point of reference. When the elderly are able to satify their spirituality they feel internal wellbeing. When the psyco- social and religious area of their life is important to them it helps them have greater esteem and awareness of them selves and they are more capable of dealing with their role and the problems they face, like suffering, death and the last of hope. In the Christifideles laici John Paul II mentions that the elderly are active people who can ggive a reat contribution. The well being of the elderly also dependes on whether they feel an active and integral part of existence and not only subject to continuous attention old age has to be considered a process of growth and continuous avolution.