Photo credit to Avinash Saini
The Strength and Struggles of a Lone Senior Citizen in Calgary
A senior's life can be difficult sometimes, especially when living alone. Similarly, a resident of Calgary, AB, Abinash Saini, 74, lives alone in the NE of Calgary. Saini has lived alone for 8 years in Canada. It was not easy for him to manage everything on his own. Saini has a heart problem and diabetes. He doesn't work and simply relies on his pension to support himself.
Many seniors in Calgary live on fixed incomes and rely on government assistance, pensions, or savings to cover their daily expenses. It can be difficult for seniors to maintain a reasonable level of living due to rising living expenses, inflation, and unanticipated bills. Saini mentioned that it is difficult to pay for groceries, house mortgages, and other bills. Moreover, he needs to hire an assistant to help him with things like housekeeping and snow removal.
According to the report from Mount Royal University’s Institute for Community Prosperity, ageism is “arguably the last form of prejudice and embedded discrimination yet to be considered taboo.”
Many older citizens' mental and emotional health might be negatively impacted by loneliness and a sense of isolation.
According to the 2013 Canadian Survey on Disability, just over a third of Canadians aged 65 and older are living with a disability, rising from 26.3% among individuals aged 65 to 74 to 42.5% among individuals aged 75 and older. Furthermore, many older adults have to cope with two or more chronic illnesses; approximately 29.8% of adults 65 to 79 years old and 37.5% of adults 80 years or older report having two or more chronic conditions.
Living alone also causes mental health problems among senior citizens, resulting
in silent attacks. According to research, 1 in 4 seniors lives with a mental health
problem (e.g., depression, anxiety, or dementia) or illness, and 10 to 15% of adults
65 years of age or older living in the community suffer from depression.
“I feel so down and alone sometimes, and I've come to the realization that I have to fight the biggest battles with my mind,” said Saini.
Social isolation is among the most urgent problems he faces. His connections with loved ones are restricted to infrequent phone calls and internet communications because his family members live in other provinces.
“Living alone from your family is not easy, but sometimes it becomes difficult to handle everything because you have a lot of things to do,” said Rahul Saini, son of Saini.
Moreover, the severe winters in Calgary make it difficult for him to leave the house, which increases his loneliness. Ice-covered roads and slick sidewalks provide serious safety hazards, inhibiting outside activities and impeding social interactions. Simple tasks like going grocery shopping or going to a nearby park turn into difficult tasks and add to the feeling of isolation.
One study found evidence that shows that lacking social connections can increase one’s chances for early death to a similar degree as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Furthermore, social isolation promotes a sedentary lifestyle because elderly people may not feel motivated to exercise or engage in physical activity. This might have a negative impact on their physical health and result in problems including obesity, cardiovascular troubles, and limited mobility.
Another problem he faces is limited transportation, as he can no longer drive and has restricted mobility. It may not always be viable or convenient to rely on public transit, which results in isolation and limited access to necessary services.
Moreover, it is difficult for him to get the right healthcare services, and relying on a limited income, the cost of prescription drugs and medical care is another financial strain.
“Long wait times, limited availability of specialized care, and difficulties in traveling to medical facilities hinder my ability to receive timely and comprehensive healthcare,” said Saini.
Numerous elderly people silently carry the weight of living alone. The absence of regular companionship often leaves them with a heavy heart. It leads to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. These issues are often overlooked, as society tends to focus more on physical health concerns associated with aging.
Despite these challenges, he represents the bravery of several older adults who deal with such difficulties in Calgary and beyond. As the elderly population keeps getting older and loneliness becomes a bigger problem, this problem is far from unique. His journey is an inspiration for thousands of older people who suffer from similar problems every day.
