Dignity Of Age
 | Author:
Father Cody Williams, Holy Cross Parish
Holy Cross Parish |
Dignity of Age
Father Cody Williams
Holy Cross Parish
As the world continues to shift and change, we often do not take the time to reflect on these changes. Some of these changes have led to incredible advancements for humanity and greater opportunities for everyone. Some of these changes were detrimental to our understanding of our humanity. For instance, our advancements in medical technology vastly increased the health of people around the world and created cures for most diseases and health issues. Conversely, the advances in medical technology have become so expensive that a serious health issue could almost bankrupt a family. The increase in globalization through technology has brought the world closer together. Today a person’s situation in a foreign country is known by everyone within hours allowing people to understand and sympathize with each other. Additionally, so much information is shared that our privacy is diminished. These few examples illustrate some of the challenges and benefits of our advancements.
I want to turn our attention to another aspect of society that is often forgotten: the elderly. If we went back 100 years ago, most elderly lived in the homes of their children, were cared for by their children, and died in their homes. At that time, 80% of people died in their homes whereas 20% would die in hospitals and institutions. Fast forward to our modern day and 60% of people die in nursing homes and care facilities whereas 40% die in their homes. This shift has drastically affected our understanding of the dignity of age, the value of life and death, and the value of people. Through media like comic strips and TV shows, the aged are seen as an “inconvenience” or the effects of age become too much of a burden for society. The result is nursing homes and care facilities where specialized care can assist those who cannot find the help they need from other sources. By encouraging elder care in facilities, the youth don’t get to experience the wisdom of the past, spend time caring for their elders, or experience the dignity of age. Instead, we become a society of progress and industry, focused on survival in a rapidly shifting age.
Another aspect of society closely tied to the issues of elder care is childcare and family life. Families are more isolated from their relatives than in any other age in human history. For generations people lived in multi-generational houses where the elders would help care for the youth and the youth would care for their elders. Most modern families struggle to raise their families in a culture that needs childcare due to challenges with family support. Parents continually struggle to raise enough money to support the constant needs of their children, leading to less time for family life. The challenges posed by modern families are not addressed at the social level. Instead, sources like schools, daycares, and sports have become the standard place of child development. These changes caused divorce rates to skyrocket, increased child developmental issues, increased feelings of anxiety, social isolation, depression, and suicidal ideation. Family support is one of the most critical indicators of child and societal well-being.
On Monday, December 16th Holy Cross Church will host the next Faith Night starting at 6:00 pm. We will explore this topic of the dignity of age by examining these issues and working towards solutions or ways to better support each other. Our final activity of the night will be making tie blankets for the nursing home residents in Townsend. All are encouraged and welcome to join us.
Fr. Cody
