Life expectancy was low until the late eighteenth century; those who lived into their fifties were considered lucky. However, developments in the medical world have fundamentally altered this. The result of vaccines and medical interventions has led to an increase in lifespan.
Although science is developing better treatments for incurable diseases, there is no disputing that science has also caused issues by increasing human life expectancy. There are claims that the drawbacks of a longer life expectancy outweigh the advantages because it has worsened the quality of life and brought about several social and economic issues.
This post will analyze how life expectancy increased in the past century and how such a change affected society in general.
How Did Life Expectancy Grow in the Past Century?
The average lifespan of people has been rising quickly. We may now anticipate living much longer than our ancestors just a few generations ago thanks to increased health care and hygiene, healthier lifestyles, enough food supplies, enhanced medical treatment and decreased child mortality.
Improvements in sanitation, housing, and education played a significant role in the rise in life expectancy over the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, leading to a gradual drop in premature and mid-life mortality, primarily caused by infections. They developed vaccinations and, subsequently, antibiotics, but this pattern persisted.
There was little room for further reduction in early and midlife mortality by the second part of the twentieth century. The drop in late-life mortality is a recent occurrence that accounts for practically all of the ongoing growth.
In the EU, the life expectancy of birth increased from roughly 69 years in 1960 to about 80 years in 2010, an average of 2.2 years per ten years. A person born in the EU today should expect to live for around 100 years if the rising pace stays constant, as it has for the past century.
The Effects of Longer Life Expectancy on Society
Like in many aspects of life, changes consist of positives and negatives. However, they lengthened life expectancy and affected society in general positively and negatively.
Positive Effects of Lengthening Life Expectancy
Better Career Options
People now have more professional options thanks to longer life expectancies. They are not required to take a specific career route. With more years ahead, people can amass more skills, expand their horizons, and pursue more than one career path. Thus, they claim that longevity has enabled individuals to contribute significantly more to society through their abilities.
More Time to Achieve Goals
People no longer feel remorse for not being able to carry out their plans due to a shorter life expectancy, as they did in the past. Compared to the generations before, people in the past century had more time to do what they wanted with their life before kicking the bucket. Thus, they claim that a longer life expectancy has given people more opportunities to achieve their goals in life.
Sharing Intergenerational Wisdom
Increased tradition sharing and interaction between grandchildren and their grandparents are made possible by longer life expectancies. In addition, the older generation may mentor and train the younger generation because life expectancy is higher.
The older generation’s knowledge and abilities can assist the younger generation in resolving issues they encounter at work or in their personal lives. Senior workers, for instance, might assist younger workers in comprehending workplace difficulties.
Adverse Effects of Lengthening Life Expectancy
The Burden on the Next Generation
People with longer life expectancies may end up burdening their offspring. Poor living conditions could result from this. Even though children love their parents, it might be challenging to provide for them while also trying to feed themselves and raise their own families.
It can be unavoidable for the younger generation to struggle to make ends meet when supporting multiple family members. Factors such as increasing prices for basic needs, the brutal housing market, health conditions commonly associated with aging, and more all contribute to the struggles of the younger generation.
Declining Life Quality
The quality of life has declined as a result of greater life expectancy. In addition, despite having access to medications for various illnesses, people’s quality of life has not increased. Few patients with fatal conditions like Alzheimer’s, cancer, or heart disease experience significant health gains.
People with severe conditions gradually deteriorate, leading some to question the value of living a long life. Today’s medical advances can extend life but cannot guarantee recovery. For instance, treatments like dialysis used to treat kidney failure are excruciatingly unpleasant and have no positive impact on quality of life.
The frequently advised for cancer patients is to go under chemotherapy; while it may lengthen their life, it may also put them under a lot of stress. It’s because chemotherapy medications are strong enough to kill cancer and healthy cells in the patient’s body.
Some patients report that chemotherapy is more painful than their illness. Therefore, it is clear that even though medications lengthen life, they harm people’s quality of life, which outweighs any positive effects.
Seek Help to Make Aging Easier
Aging is not easy to age; it is not easy for all parties involved. But with the help of Infinite Love Homecare, aging in place can become comfortable. Our services help support the elderly who want to age in place while maintaining their quality of life. Our services range from simple tasks such as light housekeeping or meal preparation to more complex assistance such as surgery recovery or specialized home care.
Aside from offering quality services, Infinite Love Homecare also seeks to educate our audience to help them maintain the highest quality of life possible. Our blogs include topics that discuss keeping physical, mental, emotional, and even financial health.
For a free in-home consultation, call us at (949) 529-4130 or send us a message on our Contact Us page. Our address is City Tower, 333 City Boulevard, West Suite 1700, Orange, CA 92868. We also offer residential care facilities for the elderly with top-notch cleanliness, insulation, warmth, and security
