The invisible people: a sociologist about the lives of the elderly in Russia
In Russia, these people do not participate in surveys, rarely work or participate in social life — for most they are almost invisible. We are talking about the elderly older than 80, who, as a rule, with age excluded from society and their social environment is at best limited in the range of native people.
Their life was investigated employees of laboratory of methodology of social research, Institute for social analysis and forecasting Ranhigs. The results of the study in interview bi-Bi-si has told the head of the laboratory of Dmitry Rogozin.
Scientists interviewed people over 65 years of age and their families. According to Rogozin, this is a unique sample, as people older than 75-80 years, usually in the polls is not involved. With age they find it increasingly difficult to communicate, many of them already at this age is seriously ill.
About doctors and medicine
“Older people in Russia often save on medicines. They often prefer to endure the pain than take the pain meds. They do not trust doctors and what they prescribe, they often use the cheapest meds. Accordingly often suffer from the side effects of not feeling relief from the treatment.
Consult a doctor is difficult, as diagnosis is very weak. The elderly say that their trips to the doctor are that the person comes, gets a prescription and goes to the pharmacy for medicine. “That’s all my walking in the hospital, most of our doctors are no good,” says the woman, 77 years old from Bryansk.
One woman told me about how she was in a nursing home. She first lived in the house after 75 years began to pass, it is difficult for the water to go, the toilet on the street and so on. Granddaughter suggested that I move in with her, as my grandmother could not cope, they lived together for eight years, everything was fine.
But then again her prescription pills, which acted as a laxative, she did not have time to use the toilet, the conflict began with the granddaughter, which was a pain to remove.
The woman decided to go to a nursing home, this act it is clear that this is one of the solutions to the conflict, although he was other — diapers, appeal to doctors and stuff.
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There is actually no communication. I have the feeling that most of the doctors are the mass approach to the treatment formally, do not study, do not develop their competence and people cut off from it.
Therefore, the health of the elderly is often perceived as a black box — how many will live, many will live, it is better not to pay attention. This is just one of the elements why we have a standard of life of the elderly is not as high as it could be.
The study as a whole is dedicated to active longevity. The question is not how to live or live long. If people live to 65 years, then the probability that he will live to be 85 years, is quite high. Live long well, the question is, how you live, what are these years, why are they important for the person and the person himself perceives them.
On the social life
“This is the age when a person is economically inactive, that is, ceases to be a party to labour relations. They often say that once retired, people forget, but relatives don’t communicate with anybody. It is a tragedy for those who were included in the society before — for teachers, doctors, flight attendants — all those who actively communicate with people.
The aging period was very long — 20-30 years old man lives in a very different world that is not already divided for work, child care and leisure.
This is nothing. We’ve learned that our world is divided into parts — there is education, work, visits with family, caring about children is such a familiar scheme.
And then pension, and you say “relax”. The worst thing for a man is when they say, well, what are you, you’re done, outlived her rest now. But man is not to relax all the time, 30 years old man to rest in a strange way.
Physical death is always preceded by social death. When a person ceases to be moveable, refuses contact, withdraws into himself, resting.
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Relatives or those people who come and help (this may be child services or neighbors who for little money come and change diapers, wash floors), — the environment at some point begins to believe that the old man nothing more necessary, as at some point to keep it alive on the level of food and feces. We will do, so it was more or less clean, fed and more he did not have.
We asked the question: please tell me how often you leave the house — every day, once a month or less. So every day out of the house very few people.
At the age of 65-70 years, every day out of the house by 80%. After 85 years of building every day he goes out already a tiny percentage. And the reason is, unfortunately, not only in weakness.
Social contacts are very important. In 90 years, very often a person has no relatives, remain friends, maybe even 20 years younger, work colleagues or neighbors. In this sense, any regular contact, any communication and even small cash help is very important. When the old man gives money, which is often important for the old man, it raises him in his own eyes, gives the motivation to live.