As we age and gradually lose the ability or the right to do those things we have always done, fear can set in. We may look around and feel that our lives are no longer our own. Adapting to a new way of life can be scary and difficult. Senior fears are common about a few things.

What senior fears are most common among seniors?

Inability to manage daily life and loss of independence

We have always thought of ourselves as free to go our own way and take care of our own lives. But as we become older, we find ourselves relying on others more, either because of illness, a move or declining finances. None of us want other people controlling our lives or making our decisions for us. We want to feel safe and secure while providing for ourselves, not defenceless because we are older.

Illness and declining health

Seeing our health deteriorate is a reality that almost all of us have to face eventually. Because of this, our quality of life is lower and we have to depend on others to do things for us that we used to take for granted. There was a time when we could do everything ourselves. Eventually this can lead to home care or living in an assisted facility, something we all dread.

Lack of finances

Whether you are prepared or not, at some point you will lose the ability to earn money but still have to pay the bills. Becoming poorer as we age leads to loss of pride and dignity, something we don’t need when we’re faced with so many other problems at the same time. Also we may not be sure if there is enough money if we need to move to assisted living or a long term care facility or need in home care.

Loss of Dignity

While aging is natural, seniors are not revered as they once were. They are looked upon as a bother or second class citizens by some, though they aren’t either one. Along with debilitating diseases, most no longer have the comfort of their families nearby and have to rely on strangers to help them with their most personal needs.

Death of a spouse or other family member

The older we become, the more people we lose. This is a fact of life and losing a long term spouse or other close member of our family is something all seniors dread as they see a future where they are alone and without any close relatives.

Loneliness

There is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. Not having someone who remembers the things we remember or friends who pass on before us and leave us with memories we can’t share together can cause depression in the elderly.

Not all of these fears are completely accurate. As we age, we tend to worry more about what could happen and once we become seniors, we realize that life is a lot better than we expected it to be.