Whether or not an elderly person's old age is miserable is a matter of their own feelings rather than the judgment of others; to put it bluntly, whether or not it is miserable depends entirely on the individual's own feelings, not on what ""outsiders"" think.
It is not true that older people in the United States do not rely on their children; however, what does this "reliance" mean? The financial support of their children? Children's "24/7" (24/7) personal care? How many Chinese seniors can do this?
The American senior citizen model is actually similar to that of Chinese seniors - not that they don't rely on their children, but it's simply not possible! In contrast, young people in the US are much more mobile and are never likely to live with their parents for the rest of their lives!
The healthy elderly in the US (who can take care of themselves) generally live alone and do not need to be taken care of by their children; they usually live in the same household as Chinese families, and only have the opportunity to reunite with their families during the Chinese New Year holidays;
If the economy permits, they also hire "bellboys" to come to their homes to clean or fix their gardens; and call for "take-out" for their meals. They are commonplace there.
The elderly in the United States also have another destination, that is, socialized or private retirement institutions; this is in fact, and China's current retirement model is not far from it;
The rich people choose good conditions of the nursing home; not much savings of the elderly can only be the fate of God - there are children and what can be done about it? When they pass away, they have no relatives around them!
Nurses in nursing homes are a mixed bag; although they don't tie the elderly to their beds to prevent them from falling over when they are moving around, how many of them are able to serve elderly people they don't know as well as they would like to!
Every New Year's Eve is a check sent to the nursing home mom and dad; weekdays do not have a phone call or "text message" - they are miserable in their old age?
The so-called "miserable" is just a feeling; in common parlance, it is "think happy" - the social environment is like this, relying on children can not be relied on! The children have their own pile of things!
Raising children for old age is the law of survival of the past agrarian civilization; not to mention the United States, such as the "post-industrial" countries, or today's China, can rely on their children's old age?
Therefore, the way out of the old age is "socialization", not just count on children; as for the old age is not miserable, lies in the individual's feelings - mentality adjusted, where all the same! Live, is not easy; live, is miserable!
Let's talk about my big sister's mother-in-law. Old white lady who worked until she was almost in her 60s before retiring and working at the mall. Then, lived in a senior citizen's apartment, which you have to wait almost 2~3 years to get lined up for, and the rent was about 25% of the pension. Then, in his 80's, fell twice and was sent to a nursing home by his kids , two to a room, with a caregiver taking care of everything. The caregiver also takes her to the doctor, and last year, at age 87, she had two surgeries, and the caregiver only notified her daughter. The daughter is the designated guardian of the old lady. The son was not, so the son was not notified. The entire operation is the caregiver and the hospital interface, no family members whatsoever. The nursing home is subsidized by the old lady's pension plus the state government, and the hospitalization is the same. The old lady is a no-home, no-savings person. Basically rely on state government benefits.
It's the publicist's voice again, isn't it?
What's the difference between the Chinese and the foreign, and what's the difference between the foreign moon and the full moon?
What does it mean that American seniors don't rely on their children when they get old?
What does it mean that American people don't have to worry about anything in their lives?
How can you deprive the American elderly of the need for affection? Who are you to ignore the differences between American seniors?
One, it's true that old people of different ethnicities in America live differently in their old age!
Did you know that Americans include basically every ethnicity in the world?
White seniors have the same life as Asian seniors?
African-Americans and Italian-Americans live the same old lives?
Older people of Spanish descent live the same as older people of English descent?
Not the same!
Some ethnic groups are family oriented, with seniors living at home with their children and grandchildren, and paying attention to family relationships!
There are some ethnic groups that are not family oriented, and seniors are more likely to spend the day sitting in a bar drinking, or at home alone with no one to take care of them, no matter how much money they have!
Secondly, is the life of a poor person in the US the same as that of a rich person?
What is the difference between a person who has a pension and has saved a 401k for their entire life, and a person who has only paid social security taxes for their entire life and has worked part time all their life, and who lives the same life after retirement?
The US is not a welfare state , but a country that encourages individual struggle! Most of your old age "benefits" are paid for with your own money.
If you're young and don't have a good job, family and that kind of inhumanity, you're old and no one will take care of you, after the old life is very miserable.
Of course, there is also a large amount of money saved, relatives are often to come, after the retirement of the mixed prosperity!
Summary:
The elderly who don't want to communicate with their children regularly are after all a minority!
We're all human beings, so what makes you think Americans are so exceptional?
While many American families are now being deconstructed, and too many older Americans have become marginalized, the children of normal American families take care of the elderly!
It's just in a different way than we do!
This is a very simple question, and an easy one to answer.
Because the United States has a robust welfare system and a well-developed welfare environment, American seniors don't need children to take care of them.
What evidence is there that they are happy
Americans grow up with a spirit of personal independence, a belief in God, and a rich spiritual life. It is a shame to be dependent on others.
Who told you that your old age isn't miserable? You see propaganda pictures of basically middle class and above level living. Do you see the poor people who live underground?
Isn't it often said on the Internet that the elderly in the city are dancing in the square? Isn't it often said on the Internet that the elderly in the city raise their children? Why is this so? It is not that the city old man has a pension? If you have a pension, you can support yourself, so you don't have to rely on your children. Of course, they don't have to rely on their children at all. There are things they can't do by themselves, such as doing things they don't know how to do, or going to the hospital when they are sick. This is the country's economic development to a certain extent of the inevitable phenomenon, not only is the United States, any country's economic development to a certain extent are like this, do not have to because of this point to the United States to lift up much higher, our country also has a considerable number of people do not rely on their children completely, and even receive children and grandchildren. Slowly, like most developed countries, they will not rely entirely on their children. In short, the economic foundation determines people's consciousness. Only with a high degree of economic development can we make old age care a benefit enjoyed by all. Without a certain economic foundation, it is useless to rely on dreaming, which requires real money to make the foundation, and it is not something that can be done just because you say it makes sense. It's better to envy others than to work hard for it yourself! Even if you know that the economy is not completely dependent on your children's pension foundation, then in their own not old can still stand on their own, to lay the foundation for their own, you can be like those who, when you are old, do not have to completely rely on their children, you do not need to feel how the United States how to be as good as the paradise. But nothing is a pie in the sky, you have to rely on yourself to work hard. Don't believe in the pie that some people draw for you, what is universal retirement, universal health care. It is true that some countries have practiced it, but who pays for it? Does the state give you money for nothing? Where does the state get the money? It's not from increased taxes! It's still your own money! Don't listen to crooks, even if it's true that universal old age pension and universal medical care, firstly, the country must increase the tax, you have to take out the money before it's possible, maybe then you will regret it again, you have to pay even if you are not sick. Secondly, even if the country increases taxes, the country's economy has not developed to a certain extent, even if the people's pockets bulging, but not so big, that little tax can not play a role, to increase taxes, you certainly can not stand, a serious impact on your life. Or less dream, face the reality, anything is a product of certain conditions, the conditions are not ripe to realize, can only be self-defeating. In short, life is a real thing, not by dreaming and talking big words can be.
Americans love two things, either young or rich. Being young means having the opportunity to change one's destiny, and being rich means being able to solve most of life's problems, which is still very true in the modern society full of competition. As Americans reach middle age, men exercise to maintain their physical fitness, and women look to their estheticians to help them look good.
So, Americans are quite concerned about aging, and behind that is a harsh reality. Rich American old people, do not rely on their children all right, as usual, dashing and happy. However, most of the American elderly, just ordinary people, their old age is very unfortunate, otherwise the Americans will not be so emphasized "young".
Normal American seniors will openly accept aging, which is an inescapable fact, but when it comes to age, they will look lost and show a brave face. In many American movies, you will see the end of the close-ups presenting the elderly: people have aged, accepting it with dignity, but it is hard to hide the helplessness.
In China, many people look forward to retirement not to delay, late retirement a few years are panicked. American seniors are very different, they often express the desire to refuse to retire, and many retired seniors will also return to the office from time to time to see.
Even the American elderly will be "reverse behavior", to prove that they are still young. A group of old men and women in their seventies and eighties, riding a motorcycle to run a long trip, or climbing the internal steps of the Washington Monument with their bare hands, to prove to society that they are still young. They are really afraid of getting old, not only because of the decline of their physical functions, but also because of the difficulty of coping with the misery of their old age.
Currently, the U.S. system of protection for the elderly is full of flaws, and the microblogging of the security of the money (limited savings, pensions, stock debt, private insurance, government benefits) is being depreciated in inflation, and the old people who rely on money rather than their children are in a predicament.
By contrast, the wealthy American elderly have earned the company of friends and relatives because of their wealth, and the heads of charitable organizations and private entities in society visit them from time to time for donations. At the same time, the names of these elderly people also appear in the media from time to time to report on their deeds in their old age.
In addition, there is another category of elderly people who receive preferential treatment, and often they are not short of money either. These are people who either have a special talent, have made a great contribution, or enjoy a high profile, and they will be well off in their old age. In any case, there are very few older Americans who have the respect of society at large, and most of them are not doing well in their old age, living in nursing homes or living on the streets.
In China, there is no such problem, and as long as we continue to follow the traditional model, the problem of the elderly is not a big problem. Of course, there are a very small number of unscrupulous people around us, but most people will treat the elderly well, after all, honoring the elderly is a Chinese virtue.
This is the same as monkeys who can only eat 9 apples a day. Some monkeys like to eat 6 in the morning and 3 in the evening, some monkeys like to eat 3 in the morning and 6 in the evening, and some monkeys like to eat 4 and a half in the morning and 4 and a half in the evening. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. But there is a group of monkeys who say that they have 20 apples a day, it is better than another group of monkeys who only have 9 apples a day to eat, then I suggest you take a look at the animal world, no matter how the elephants survive, how the scorpions survive, how the whiteheads survive. But they all continue to survive in this diverse world according to their own characteristics.