At the age of 88, Mr. d. * had lost most of my closest friends to death or dementia. His son moved to other parts of the country. He sees them and her grandchildren are rare. He has retired from a long career as a teacher without finding new interests. But he and his wife happy. They both read a lot, and every day they walk together, talking about the books and the state of the world, stopping for happy hour at a local restaurant where “everyone knows their name.” When his wife developed lung cancer, he takes her to the care and nurse him at home. But his cancer more deadly than most. He died quickly. The children come to the funeral and stayed a couple of weeks, but then they return to their homes. He was alone, and he felt lost. He began to attack dizziness and severe heart burn. He went to the doctor, who prescribed medication that helps a bit. One day after a visit to the doctor he went home and took his own life. (1)
Nearly 15 older adults who take their own lives every day in the United States–about 5400 per year. (2) the frequency of suicide among older adults who are not no, probably because older adults are dying from many causes. Suicide was among the three main causes of death for adolescents and young adults; It is not among the top 10 causes of death for women over 65 and just the 17th leading cause of death for men who are older. But the fact is that older adults who complete suicide at a rate of almost 50 per cent greater than people 15-24 years. White old man prone, completing suicide at a rate three times that of the general population. White men over 85 is the highest risk population; they took their own lives around four times the level of the general population. (3)