Istanbul Gelisim University - Research: The Elderly are more helpful

Research: The Elderly are more helpful

According to a study conducted with two groups aged 18-36 and 55-85 in the UK, the elderly were found to be more empathetic, participative and helpful compared to young people.

Evaluating the research which reveals that the elderly tend to work and labor more for others without any benefit, Gerentologist Sıla Ayan from Istanbul Gelisim University Faculty of Health Sciences says, “In this research, the helping behavior that changes with aging is defined as helping a person take steps and take actions rather than a financial help. The study conducted with 95 adults aged 18 through 36 and 92 adults aged 55 through 85 has shown that the latter group is more empathetic, participative, and helpful than the former. The research reveals important data on elderly people's participation in social services and their benevolence attitudes.”

"THEY TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM"

Indicating the fact that young people are defined as 'selfish' compared to elderly according to the research, Ayan says, “The elderly have a prosocial approach in order to solve problems. They take responsibility to solve the problem or they accept to be a part of the solution. People's willingness and helpfulness to work in favor of someone else is evaluated seperately from financial resources or available time. The elderly tend to work and labor more for others without expecting any benefit in return.” She also emphasizes that the elderly define helping as 'breaking a sweat' in contrast to young people.

"TURKEY IS THE SECOND FASTEST AGING COUNTRY IN THE WORLD"

Emphasizing that old age is a life period that offers opportunities for both individuals and societies, Ayan says, “We need systems that support voluntary and wage-based activities and works of our elderly people, who constitute 9.5% of our society and whose number is rapidly increasing, and we also need gerontologists to build these systems. Turkey is the second fastest aging country in the world. In this respect, ensuring that our elderly people remain active and we benefit from their experiences should be the backbone of sustainable development, not a secondary gain for us.”