FYA003-0: Essay on Contemporary Social Issues and Elderly Care

This essay delves into the contemporary social issues affecting the elderly population in the UK. It begins by highlighting the increasing elderly population and the challenges posed by dementia, discussing its symptoms and impact. The essay then examines government initiatives and legal protections like the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS), as well as the Human Rights Act 1998, which aims to safeguard the rights of the elderly. Furthermore, it explores the sociological perspective of modernisation theory, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses in explaining the changing status of the elderly in society, particularly in the context of industrialisation and the decline of traditional family structures. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing the needs of the elderly and the need for greater care and attention from modern nuclear families.

Contemporary Social
issues

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This report outlines a report and an essay on the issues that are arises to the elderly in UK. Also a
brief discussion upon the Modernisation theory with its strength and weakness is done.
MAIN BODY
As the life expectancy in the world changes, there is been seen a growth in the elderly
population above the age of 60. Population who becomes grandparents and old lies in the
category of elderly. UK has population of around 12 million as old age 65 years and above and
5.4 million population at the age of more than 75 years. Population above 1.6 million have age
more than 85 years and around 0.5 million population above 95 years.
Most of the elderly population are affected by Dementia which is a syndrome that affects on the
memory, thinking, behaviour and ability of the elderly people in UK. The syndrome is not
supposed to be normal ageing function. The syndrome affects every elderly in a different way
and the symptoms can be seen in various stages i.e. early, middle and late.
Early symptoms: forgetfulness, losing of time and non-recognition of familiar places.
Middle symptoms: difficulty in communication, personal care requirement, behaviour change.
Late symptoms: difficulty in recognising family members, aggression, issue in walking.
Dementia will lead to memory loss, difficulty in speaking and thinking and the disease will get
worse with the passing time. Other issues includes discomfort, quality of life and increase I
chronic diseases.
UK's government although has taken precautionary and health measures to improve the
condition of elderly in UK but the efforts are seen to be underestimating the challenges faced
during ageing. It is being found out that the majority of the elderly population of UK are obese
and overweight (Walker, A., 2018). It has been projected that by 2040, one in seven people will
be over the age of more than 75 years. Families in UK facing pressure to balance responsibilities
with ensuring care are provided to the elderly. The productivity and economic growth is
depended upon elderly workforce a majority of the population is seen to be elderly. To improve
the life quality of the elderly proper living and care facilities are needed. To facilitate this care
and nursing homes are established in UK. These homes provide personal care and
accommodation to the elderly to live in. These home provide interaction with other tenants of the
homes to increase understanding and connectivity among the elderly. It has been seen that with

the improvement in the lifestyle and availability of the facilities to the elderly there will be older
people that are needed support and care needs in the future. To provide assistance and to promote
empowerment to elderly the Mental capacity Act 2005 was enacted which provide the legal
framework for planning and welfare for the people of UK when they lose their mental capacity.
This act applies to the every person age over 16 years. The Act follows five principles that serve
as the guidance for the act (Ryan and et.al, 2020). Another legal protection is Deprivation of
Liberty Safeguards (DOLS). These two administer decision-making on behalf of the persons
who are not able to make their own decisions. Protection provided by the DOLS can only be
applied to the population in care and nursing homes or in the hospitals. The hospitals and care
homes are served as the authority to the person who are admitted or living in the care homes.
One of the major issues that is creating impact on the elderly population is the increasing abuse.
These abuses are of various nature whether physical, Psychological, financial and mistreatment.
To safeguard and provide legal protection Human Rights Act 1998 is enacted and came into
force on October 2002 (Wright, 2017). Article 3 and Article 5 of the act state that no people
should be tortured or inhuman behaviour done with them and every people have the right of
liberty and security in person.
The behaviours and impact of societies, cultural change with the time affects the elderly
people. A sociological theory of modernisation is provided to understand these affects.
Modernisation is seen after World War II as the rural societies were changed into modern
nations. Modernisation generates advanced technological and economic environments. The
modernisation theory highlights that the main cause of the old population in UK to lose influence
in the society is because of the social, economic and political developments. The sociological
theory is seen as the set of ideas that explains and acknowledge the forces of the society that
developed in this modern time. Different societies has distinct nature and it has been influenced
by the way societies were developed. The development of the sociological theory is influenced
by the social forces, political and industrial revolutions, colonisation, urbanisation, religious
change and growing science (Ritzer and Stepnisky, 2020). Along with it the intellectual forces
also responsible for the development of the sociological theory. The modernisation theory relates
to the increasing size of the societies. With increasing size of the societies it brings with it bigger
and distinct societal structures. As societies modernise the elderly people status declining. Before
the modernisation the younger generations are providing eduction to care for the elder people but

now population are more tend to convert into nuclear families. In this changed social
environment the care for the elderly is seen as the voluntary duty which are to be ignored
increasingly. Modernisation theory revolves around the fact that as long as united families are
present the elderly people have value and defined roles to perform in the societies. The societies
are now beginning to modernised and converted into nuclear. Old populations have not much to
offer to the modern societies. So, the societies see them as burden and do not offer care or
respect. The impact of the modernisation is been seen in the present era as ethical and moral
practices among the younger population are diminishing. To value and contribution of the elderly
is important but the modern societies are neglecting these values. An analysis of industrialisation
and the ageism shows that the older worker lose their competitive advantage and wear and tear
will result from the physical labour will make the older population pace slow. Although many
theorists have criticised the theory of modernisation as they believe that the theory is based on
the historical status of the elderly population (Status Of Older People: Modernization, 2019).
Thus, the modernisation theory shows the impact of the industrialisation and modern changes on
the elderly population of UK.
One of the major advantage of modernisation effect is that the elderly people move to
care homes are able to develop social skills as they engage themselves in activities that increase
human interaction. But the modernisation have turn into disadvantage to the elderly as well,
because the value of the old population has decreases and young people did not much care about
them. Elderly population of the elderly people in UK is a concern as the modernisation leads to
leaving elderly population in the care homes for fulfilling their day-to-day and personal needs.
Families did not much care about the health status of their elders. Families forms the societies
and elderly population is the part of the families (Witkin, S., 2017). Chronic diseases and mental
health is the major issues that are needed to be addressed with the improvement in the lifestyle as
the norms regarding the care of the older people changing with the change in the societies.
CONCLUSION
At the end it has been concluded that ageing is the important element to look upon.
Elderly people needed extra attention and care which the modern nuclear families are not able to
provide.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ritzer, G. and Stepnisky, J., 2020. Classical sociological theory. SAGE Publications.
Ryan and et.al, 2020. Inclusion under the Mental Capacity Act (2005): A review of research
policy guidance and governance structures in England and Wales. Health Expectations.
Walker, A., 2018. Why the UK needs a social policy on ageing. Journal of Social Policy, 47(2),
pp.253-273.
Witkin, S., 2017. Transforming social work: Social constructionist reflections on contemporary
and enduring issues. Palgrave.
Wright, J., 2017. Tort law and human rights. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Online
Fears of demographic timebomb in UK are unfounded, says study, 2021. [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/nov/19/fears-of-demographic-
timebomb-in-uk-are-unfounded-says-study>
Status Of Older People: Modernization, 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/
status-older-people-modernization>