Elderly Are Defined and What

¶ … elderly are defined and what their roles are in U.S. society. The elderly seem to be the forgotten sect of the American population. As baby boomers grow older, the elderly population is growing, but it simply does not get respect from American media and American society. Many people define anyone over 50 as "elderly," but many 50+ adults defy the definition and act and feel much younger than their years.

There are many problems facing the elderly in American society today. For example, retirement is a growing problem facing society because so many of the baby boom generation are growing older and retiring at the same time. There is worry that Social Security will not be able to afford this great number of retirees. In addition, many other social and community functions are challenged as society ages. There are not enough nursing homes and hospital beds for the elderly population, and so more in-home services, such as meals on wheels and in-home nursing care will need to be provided. The funds for these will have to come from local, state, and the Federal governments, and this means higher taxes for American society overall. In addition, many elderly parents are moving in with their adult children because they have nowhere else to go, and this is changing the face of the American family, which is becoming more blended and more responsible for aging parents and relatives. Besides retirement, there are many other aspects of aging that are difficult to deal with.

The media tends to portray the elderly as helpless, hopeless, and laughable. Most advertising is geared to young consumers, while ads geared to the elderly are usually for prescription drugs and other pharmaceuticals from denture adhesive to arthritis pain medications. The elderly are not usually portrayed as active, but as helpless and hopeless, such as the people in the ads for medical emergency signals they wear if they live alone. These people are portrayed as most American society sees the elderly -- helpless, forlorn, lonely, and of little further use to society. Most of the drug commercials also show the elderly with health concerns and needing help from others. In addition, it is rare to see an elderly contestant on a game show or interviewed on the nightly news, and most commercials star young, healthy, and very vital and attractive young people. When the elderly are featured, it is mostly with health concerns and problems.

Some situation comedies depict the elderly in a better light. For example, in "Everybody Loves Raymond," the two elderly cast members, Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, are depicted as cranky and eccentric, like many elderly are depicted on TV, but they are also loving, if annoying, parents. They are also funny and warm, and have a mature relationship on the screen. They are funny, but they also add warmth to the show, and great character. It would not seem they were entirely positive, but they certainly are alert, competent, and productive.