Senicide
This morning, while at the gym, I listened to a report about the practice of an increasing number of older Japanese women who are committing petty crimes so that they can be committed to a penal institution. In prison there is not only food, a safe place to sleep and companionship, but also work. In Japan, as in many other countries, women tend to outlive men. Consequently many will often find themselves living alone. The issue is not only money, although I suspect that in Japan as in this and other countries, assisted living facilities which are able to do more than warehouse folks are beyond the means of most. A friend of mine recently looked in a relatively inexpensive part of the country to find an assisted living place for her mother-in-law. The cheapest she found was $8000.00 a month and this was not a high-end facility with staff and resources to ensure that residents lead a healthy, rich and fulfilling life. By inexpensive part of the country I mean she was not looking in expensive cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle. There are some cities or town where there are more affordable facilities, but these places tend not to have the staff or budget to provide a holistic rich health care experience and/or can only care for a limited number.
I do know individuals who continue to live with their spouse well into there nineties and who have the physical, emotional and financial resources to lead a full and satisfying life.
This morning I heard of a Memphis sanitation worker who was one of those helped by efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr who, at 84, is still working. I have many friends who continue to work at least part time well into their eighties or nineties. They have enough financial resources and a social support system which allow them to remain in their own home.
Although senicide or gerontiide – the abandonment to death, suicide or killing of the elderly – has been practiced at times on a limited bases by some cultures, until relatively recent years most people:
The idea or concept of retirement is a relatively new one for us humans. In 1875 in this country the first private pension plan was introduced. In 1908 the Old Age Pension Act was introduced which paid a very low amount beginning at age 70. In 1935 when the Social Security Act was passed in this country the retirement age was set at age 65. Germany first introduced retirement benefits in 1889
In the Stone Age by age 20 nearly everyone was dead. Those who lived longer were worshiped and/or eaten as a sign of respect. (Wikipedia)
I am blessed to be able to continue to do work for which I have a passion. Although I have friends who have retired most remain active in the community doing volunteer work, taking on new jobs/careers, devoting full time to their artistic work, and assuming leadership positions in the community. They feel useful and connected.
It is clear that:
If not careful we will increasingly practice a form of emotional or psychological senicide. Being physically alive while being killed off emotionally and spiritually may be the slowest and cruelest possible form of senicide.
We may want to reconsider the concept of retirement. Those performing certain jobs may indeed need to switch careers at a certain stage of their life. Some may need to reduce the number of hours they work. Some may need transportation or other assistance.
We cannot retire our need to be valued as living, functioning, contributing members of the community.
Written March 29, 2018
This morning, while at the gym, I listened to a report about the practice of an increasing number of older Japanese women who are committing petty crimes so that they can be committed to a penal institution. In prison there is not only food, a safe place to sleep and companionship, but also work. In Japan, as in many other countries, women tend to outlive men. Consequently many will often find themselves living alone. The issue is not only money, although I suspect that in Japan as in this and other countries, assisted living facilities which are able to do more than warehouse folks are beyond the means of most. A friend of mine recently looked in a relatively inexpensive part of the country to find an assisted living place for her mother-in-law. The cheapest she found was $8000.00 a month and this was not a high-end facility with staff and resources to ensure that residents lead a healthy, rich and fulfilling life. By inexpensive part of the country I mean she was not looking in expensive cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle. There are some cities or town where there are more affordable facilities, but these places tend not to have the staff or budget to provide a holistic rich health care experience and/or can only care for a limited number.
I do know individuals who continue to live with their spouse well into there nineties and who have the physical, emotional and financial resources to lead a full and satisfying life.
This morning I heard of a Memphis sanitation worker who was one of those helped by efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr who, at 84, is still working. I have many friends who continue to work at least part time well into their eighties or nineties. They have enough financial resources and a social support system which allow them to remain in their own home.
Although senicide or gerontiide – the abandonment to death, suicide or killing of the elderly – has been practiced at times on a limited bases by some cultures, until relatively recent years most people:
- Died before they reached old age.
- Had, when older, respected and busy roles as elders.
- Lived with or near a large extended family.
The idea or concept of retirement is a relatively new one for us humans. In 1875 in this country the first private pension plan was introduced. In 1908 the Old Age Pension Act was introduced which paid a very low amount beginning at age 70. In 1935 when the Social Security Act was passed in this country the retirement age was set at age 65. Germany first introduced retirement benefits in 1889
In the Stone Age by age 20 nearly everyone was dead. Those who lived longer were worshiped and/or eaten as a sign of respect. (Wikipedia)
I am blessed to be able to continue to do work for which I have a passion. Although I have friends who have retired most remain active in the community doing volunteer work, taking on new jobs/careers, devoting full time to their artistic work, and assuming leadership positions in the community. They feel useful and connected.
It is clear that:
- Humans are, baring certain medical conditions, social animals.
- Humans need a sense of purpose.
- If we, as a society, are going to continue to find ways to extend the length of life only to warehouse or put people out to pasture years before they physically die we might find more people resorting to the tactics of an increasing number of Japanese woman.
If not careful we will increasingly practice a form of emotional or psychological senicide. Being physically alive while being killed off emotionally and spiritually may be the slowest and cruelest possible form of senicide.
We may want to reconsider the concept of retirement. Those performing certain jobs may indeed need to switch careers at a certain stage of their life. Some may need to reduce the number of hours they work. Some may need transportation or other assistance.
We cannot retire our need to be valued as living, functioning, contributing members of the community.
Written March 29, 2018
RSS Feed