Discrimination Against Older Adults

Another form of discrimination faced by older adults lies in the LGBT community. As estimated by, (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kim, Shiu, Goldsen & Emlet, 2015) “2.4% of adults aged 50 and older identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.” This accounts for more than 2.4 million older adults, in the United States. In comparison to heterosexuals of the same age, lesbian, gay male and bisexual older adults are more likely to experience mental distress. Due to their life course and different historical events, older adults grew up in a society that did not necessarily accept people who were gay or lesbian (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., 2015). This forced them to stay silent about their sexual orientation throughout their life and possibly into old
It is also crucial that older adults have support from individuals other than their spouse. The results of informal support from other family members as well as friends have seen to help lower depression in older adults (Muramatsu, Yin & Hedeker, 2010). When an individual is adjusting to old age, retirement or a decline in health, it can invoke uncertainty and hopelessness (Muramatsu, Yin & Hedeker, 2010). Having somebody to lean on during difficult times is likely to reduce stress and anxiety about difficult situations. Although, the most efficient support comes from those who an individual is close to and knows well, some older adults may not have that kind of support. Therefore, it is essential to have support from outside sources that could help the individual adjust to their new life. For instance, volunteers who can keep the older adult company within the community. This could build the relationship among the community as well as allow the older adult to feel loved and cared for even though they may not have a family of their own. According to (Futeran, S., & Draper, B, 2012) a study found that meeting the needs of patients, in particular their social needs resulted in a better quality of life for the older adults. Also, (Apesoa-Varano, Barker, & Hinton, 2015) mention that if depression in late-life is left untreated it will results in a poor quality of life. The social needs of an older
Life should not be about meeting the standards that are placed upon us by others. Everyone has a different path that they will embark on and some paths will be similar, as well. We need to support each other and encourage each other to believe in ourselves instead of bringing one another down. We need to talk about mental health as something that can decline for every one at every stage of life and that it is okay to be sad but that there are things that can be done to feel happy again. There should be more programs available for older adults to participate in that can make them feel part of the community but without making them feel like they are “old.” As well as making the word “old” not mean a negative thing but simply some thing that all individuals will eventually have to deal with. We should allow older adults to participate in cosmetic surgery if that is something that would make one happy but also encourage aging without cosmetic surgery if that is what makes another happy. The media is a crucial source of information and it would be beneficial if it contributed to older adults being seen in movies and TV shows on a more regular basis. This would allow older adults to see themselves portrayed instead of only seeing “young” actors and could in turn contribute to their mental health in a positive way. Another way to contribute to the mental health of older adults would be