View report page

90
From time immemorial, questions such as the maintenance
of health and the prolongation of life have engaged the attention
of wise men. from the Greek and Roman philosophers to the
present-day men of science. Nevertheless, despite all that has been
said, written, theorised and attempted it is clear that the majority
of men and, to a lesser extent, women, have failed to adapt
themselves to what, after all. is a normal situation, viz, ageing
and the fact that all human life is limited.
There would appear to be no doubt but that the "meaning
of life" has a great effect upon the equanimity with which some
people approach old age and it is obvious that some form of
occupation of mind or body tends to maintain health.
A woman generally weathers the vicissitudes of life somewhat
better than a man. This is very probably due to the fact
that, at retiring age, there is no real break in her life comparable
with that of a man. Her activities continue, albeit more slowly,
on similar lines to those evident before retirement. On the other
hand, a man retires not only from a life-long occupation but
also from a way of life and his environment becomes more restricted.
From being a symbol of strength and the mainstay of the
family he often finds himself becoming a somewhat awkward
domestic to be humoured or tolerated and is bewildered to find
that the outside commercial world is able to carry on without his
active participation. Furthermore, due to reduced finances, he
is unable to meet on an equal footing his previous friends who
still pursue remunerative occupations. All these events tend to
widen the gap between his existing world and the one he knew
and they furnish a reasonable explanation for the sudden physical
and mental deterioration which many men sustain shortly after
retirement. Adjustment in these circumstances is extremely difficult,
if not impossible, especially if the problems of retirement
and old age have not been faced earlier.
There is a real need to train people for old age and to
teach them to live a life detached from the hurly burly of the
fast, modern, existence and yet at the same time to reject the life
of a recluse. In certain cases, extension of arrangements with
managements for the elderly to continue work in a part-time
capacity or in sheltered workshops is desirable in order that they
may gradually become accustomed to the drop in the tempo of
life. Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychologist, has said that the
second half of life is for culture but this pre-supposes that people
are suitably trained and intelligent enough to be able to take
advantage of their greater leisure. In relation to many of the
elderly, this usually amounts to a completely new approach to