When people retire If they are lucky enough to be financially stable and can travel or perhaps take up something they have always loved to do such as art or other projects; becomes active in their community then they build on that self esteem. Some people when retired are plagued with ill health and unfortunately are limited to what they can do and become depressed or bed-ridden, but vast majorities are still very active. Men in particular generally work three quarters of their life so it is difficult for some men to settle in to being around home more and this includes the wife having her husband around more often.
Some retired couples may do other activities and enjoy being around their home, perhaps gardeners or golfers, but often the males or females may go back to work part-time because they miss work life or their friends or colleagues. Often times society neglects to understand the wisdom of many of the seniors and that they are still very useful in society if given a chance and has a tendency either to treat them like they have had a lobotomy or dismisses the fact they are even surviving and therefore it is the younger aspect of society that takes away the dignity and oppresses the elderly.
The elderly still want to remain independent; keep their dignity and be useful both in the family and in any aspect of Society. It is Society that can be ignorant to the fact that just because a person is over the age of 60 they are no longer useful. The fact that the younger generation can sometimes stereotype the elderly as not being useful anymore can seriously affect an individuals self-confidence and if they keep being told this, then after awhile they will start to believe it and act on it, meaning they just give up on their independence and what should be the last happy moments of their life.
