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The world is a wonderful mystery where symmetry and asymmetry share the canvas as we leap into the future. Philosophy dictates that “We are a result of our past”, which is a fact as the younger generations step into the shoes of their predecessors. The senior citizens of today have dedicated their life to performing their duties as leaders and preservers of society from an ecological, socioeconomic and cultural standpoint. This article sheds light on the contribution of senior citizens in a contemporary economic and cultural setup whilst acknowledging the efforts and contributions of their youth.
5 Ways Older Adults Can Contribute to Society
The elderly community in any society has always been treated with dignity and respect. This is mainly because we respect their contribution to society as well as covet their guidance into a better and brighter future. To clearly elucidate our point we have segregated the contributions of the elderly into socio-economic, cultural and interpersonal categories.
1. Economic Contributions
It is very important to understand that we are a culmination of our past. Our elders have worked hard and long to achieve their goals and provide for their future generations. Most of our elders through their life have managed to acquire reasonable amounts of wealth which keeps them economically stable in their old age as well as provides intermittent sources of investment for the generations to come. It is the wealthy and successful people who find it their duty to help and guide the younger generations as they step into the workforce and take the steering wheel of the nation’s economic front. Their investments in terms of money and experience has been the guidebook to a successful and evergrowing future.
2. Social Contributions
Senior citizens have the gift of time and space. Their days of running around have come to a halt which gives them an opportunity to focus on and better the society through volunteer work or by providing the means through financial aid to improve the socioeconomic state. There are many government initiatives that look to help the less fortunate, may it be in terms of education, healthcare, disaster relief or other forms of philanthropy, where the elderly will find solace as well as productively spend their time.
3. Cultural Contributions
Culture is what holds societies together and the elderly find themselves as the torchbearers when it comes to upholding cultural traditions and teaching the youth about their cultural heritage. In a culturally vivacious country like India, the elderly find themselves introducing the youth to important life lessons and traditions through stories and experiences of their past and what their elders taught them. It is also the duty of the elders to make sure that they are not spreading hate or distorting information so the piety of various traditions are upheld and the younger generations can use these same tools to teach their future generations and protect their culture.
4. Family and Interpersonal Contributions
The elderly community of our society are the guiding light that enable and counsel the younger generations when it comes to interpersonal relationships and maintaining family ideals and traditions. Their understanding of life and people is much deeper due to their experiences which allows them to correctly advise younger people and spread their wisdom so as to educate the common youth and help them deal with their hardships and baggage in better ways. This maintains the sanctity of family
5. Health and Wellbeing Initiatives
As the world leaps into a completely technologically enhanced future, more people are moving towards living a more healthy lifestyle which involves fitness and exercise as a core aspect. Many senior citizens who specialize in fitness and wellbeing can work either through government initiatives or set up private centers to teach and spread awareness about fitness and yoga. Their initiatives can involve congregations that believe in their message like organizing marathon events and hosting yoga workshops which not only spread the word but also indulge the public to interact and excel together.
FAQs about Older Adults’ Contribution to Society
Q1. What roles do older adults play in their communities?
The senior demography of any country plays a very important role in guiding the younger generations to a brighter future. This guidance can take the form of economic contributions like provision of capital or expertise, social contributions, cultural contributions and much more.
Q2. How do older adults participate in politics?
The elderly within any society are the holders of knowledge and wisdom and it is their duty to spread this knowledge. Their abilities can help mold society and hence their participation in politics is with the intention of guiding the younger generations.
Q3. How do older adults impact the healthcare system?
The older adults of the society can impact the healthcare system in the following ways:
- Set up healthcare establishments with the wealth they have acquired over the years.
- Work through government initiatives and volunteer to help the less fortunate.
- Set up schools and education centers that teach and spread awareness about healthcare and wellbeing.
Q4. What environmental contributions do older adults make?
There are many active senior citizens who look to help society either by sharing their expertise and experience or by providing in the form of charity and philanthropy. In the same way the elderly people help out by organizing initiatives that help clean up the environment and teach the younger generations about sustainably and efficiently using resources.
Q5. What are the benefits of older adults participating in lifelong learning?
It is the elderly community that has gained the knowledge and expertise to lead a good life. Through their mistakes they can teach us the ways and means of attaining a healthy and spiritually active life.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it would be appropriate to say that the older adults of our society have an extremely important role to play. Their contributions in terms of finances, expertise and knowledge is unparalleled as they guide the youth to steer us into a promising and sustainable future.
Empower Communities: Contribute to the Sakal Relief Fund
The Sakal Relief Fund is one of India’s oldest NGOs that has provided services in terms of relief as well as spreading awareness about various aspects such as healthcare, education, disaster management, sustainable wellbeing and much more. For more information you can log onto our website.
