Quality of Life Essay

Twenty first century is witnessing a world that has fail an increasingly diverse and complex place. Changing global trends atomic number 18 create a paradigm transformation of complaisant and cultural systems. Western societies be experiencing an accelerated aging and wad in general have evolved a misconception ab break todays elderly. They argon perceived as organism sick, isolated, self-centred and a burden on guild, which is totally false. There is a need to develop kindly cohesion between generations and within the former(a) generation to understand the matter in correct perspective.An effort has been make in this musical composition to focus on this key issue and senior high schoollight the importance of inter and intragenerational relationships to tonus of life to aged mountain. The present demographic profile of the United Kingdom reflects a number of consistent and pronounced trends. People are living increasingly longer, the birth rate is c all overing a steady decline and the mean age is increasing steadily. By 2031, the over 80s population is predicted to double to 5 million, according to the Office of discipline Statistics.If the health of the elderly population follows current trends that will mean pot spend much of their lives fighting various illnesses. Since 1981, the amount of eon wo custody pot expect to live in poor health has increased by 15%. For men, the length of poor health rose by 34% (Triggle, 2004). Besides health, older masses face the mobility problems, poor transport and inadequacy of finance. Car usage declines with age and varies by sex. 77 per cent of men and 64 per cent of women aged 65-74 in 2001 in Great Britain had feeler to automobiles (National Statistics, 2006). Today, we can observe a significant change in family structures.The realignment of family ethos has caused change degrees of separation between the young and old members of families and falled familial relationships negatively. As batch age and their working lives end, they may have more renounce time available to spend in a social circle. Barriers of older life further enhance the necessity to promote inter and intragenerational relationships. This paper scrutinizes the various dimensions of look of life at old age. It overviews the factors affecting case of life and highlight the significance of relationships at old age.Components of Quality of flavor Quality of life is a wide ranging term. The De eruptment for Work and Pensions of UK (2006) identifies tailfin domains as the most relevant to assessing progress in older peoples quality of life 1) license within inclusive communities. 2) Healthy, active agent living. 3) Fairness in work and later life. 4) Material considerably-being. 5) stay and care. Independence within inclusive communities necessitates to address issues like exercising independence, exercising choices that puddle them control over key aspects of their lives, and participation in local residential area through inter and intragenerational relationships.Health and active living deals with problems like feeler to healthcare proportionate to older peoples needs. Fairness in work and later life encompasses factors like job opportunities, involvement in decisions that affect their lives, and no age discrimination in access to goods, go and employment. Material tumefybeing includes sustaining key elements of their previous lifestyle, and using their resources to best effect. Support and care encompasses the supply of care and support, availability of support in a variety of forms to meet diverse needs, affordable care, and protection to older people from abuse.Factors Affecting Quality of Life of fourth-year People Good quality of life in old age is a realistic ambitiousness for all. Early old age, sometimes called the Third Age, between 55 and 75 years old, is the phase of life between leaving the labour market and the onset of physical dependency. There are a n umber of factors that affect quality of life at this age. A research study carried proscribed by Dr Blane (2003) concluded that quality of life for the affluent-healthy is higher(prenominal) than for the deprived-sick.Having control over when and when not to work has a significant bearing on quality of life. Then the quality and density of a persons social network was more grave than the number of people in the network. sizeableness of Intergenerational and Intragenerational Relationships to Quality of Life The term generation has a numerous contemporary meanings, incorporating biological, familial and social factors (Back, 1987). An intergenerational perspective (between and across generations) highlights the reciprocal obligations, rights and influences between divergent generations.An intragenerational perspective identifies similar age groups and the succession of individuals who are distinguished by the bounds of a society and set apart by time and common experience (Fredri ksen, 1993). Historically, within the UK, there had been a strong impost of the young learning from the old in their role as well-thought-of elders or through structures such as apprenticeship schemes and trade guilds (Hatton, 2002). Significance of intergenerational relationships is discernible from a survey which reports that to the elderly, welfare of children and grandchildren is twice as more pregnant than their own health and money (Roy, 1999).Older parents have always been providing financial support in the forms of donations, gifts and regular monetary contributions to their children. They are also important sources of instrumental support (shopping, cleaning, home maintenance, childcare) and emotional support (advice, validation) for their children (Bengtson, Rosenthal & antiophthalmic factor Burton, 1990). more elderly people continue to provide support for adult children and the provision of a home for ones children can extend well beyond middle age (Evandrou, Falki ngham, Rake & Scott, 2001). Living arrangements are a key dimension of quality of life and well-being in old age.Older people living alone are more likely to enter an institution than those living with other people (Breeze, Slogett & Fletcher, 1999). Involvement of older persons in local communities contributes to their quality of life, as well as to the functioning of the community. The relationship between different groups of older persons is and then very crucial in maintaining the quality of life (UN-Economic and Social Council, 2002). alter patterns of mortality and fertility have made intergenerational structures in the family more perish heavy and vertically extended.While horizontal, intragenerational ties are shrinking, vertical ties across generations are more complex and durable than ever before in narration (UN-Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2005). Importance of social groups and networks in later part of life is quite evident from a research study carried out in Scotland (Philip, Gilbert, Mauthner and Phimister, 2003). The participant observations and questionnaires have provided useful insights into the levels and types of participation in social groups among older people in the study area.The report finds that there is high level of participation and involvement in social groups amongst older people (aged over 60). As a whole, respondents attended 68 wide-ranging types of groups including civil participation (e. g. local government), voluntary activities (e. g. Red Cross Meals on Wheels), friendship, social, leisure, religious, cultural, hereditary pattern and surplus interest groups. Those aged in their seventies and early mid-eighties were the most likely to be involved in social activities other study summarises that older people preferred the company of others, had a higher level of contact with friends and lower levels of psychological problems (McKee, 2002). In 2002 around triplet in ten men aged 80 and over and nigh one in five women in England said they owned a mobile phone. Use of mobile phones and the Internet helps older people to persist in independent by making it easier for them to communicate with their family and friends or to access semipublic and commercial services (National Statistics, 2006). Conclusion Society in the UK is changing. More people are living longer in greater prosperity.In the near decade, the numbers over 50, over 65 and over 80 will all increase to levels never seen before. We need a coherent scheme to manage that demographic change. Elaborate and diligent plans are required to change older persons to continue to participate fully in all aspects of life. For a better quality of life, we need to promote the development of a society for all ages through the strengthening of intergenerational and intragenerational solidarity. Young generations have responsibilities and a special role in building a society for all ages. Older generations have equal role to pl ay.