What is the modern-day treatment of senior citizens? Are they being disrespected in any way?
Seniors are mistreated by the government, banks, insurance companies, home service providers, healthcare providers, and employers because ageism is rooted in our economic framework. Capitalism depends on a functional underclass for cheap labour to operate and adequately profit, and successful capitalists don’t like to carry vulnerable people.
As every person for themselves society, socioeconomic status is the single most crucial factor in the quality of an older adult’s life. It determines how social institutions will treat them and their level of access to opportunities, resources, goods, and services. It influences their risk of illness and longevity. Most importantly, it determines how independent they can be. We see seniors being severely disrespected, neglected, or abused when they develop health issues that impact their levels of independence, wealth, and vulnerability. Unless they’re lucky enough to have an understanding, supportive and capable family, and dependency on others puts them at severe risk of mistreatment. As the burden grows and available resources shrink, the risk of mistreatment increases. This helps explain why abuse and neglect are common elements of overcrowded and underfunded public nursing homes.