Why senior citizens feel alone and depressed in today's modern world?

The population of senior citizens across the world is increasing by the day due to increased life expectancy owing to advancement in health care systems. However, their longevity has started creating newer problems for them. One such problem is loneliness and the resulting depression.

 Here I am listing why the elderly feel alone and depressed in these modern times:

• Loss of a spouse: generally at this age when one of the spouses dies, the other one is left alone. It is very difficult to overcome the loss of a partner at this age, especially if they are empty nesters.
• Empty nest: The elderly at this age generally stay alone without their children. Although they may remain in touch, physical distance creates a sense of longing. They keep worrying about their and may fall into depression.
  Even if the children stay with their parents, their busy and demanding life gives them very little or no time to spend with the elderly parents. This lack of interaction with their offspring pushes them further into depression.
  
• Lack of engagement: After retirement from jobs, most of the elders spend time at home doing nothing. This lack of active engagement may cause a sense of worthlessness to creep in, leading to depression.
• Ill health: Despite longevity, bad health, illness, and diseases are quite common. It may induce a sense of dependency, leading to depression.
• Lack of friends: Physical weakness makes contact with peer group less frequent. As they do not get like-minded people to share their interests, experiences, and thoughts, they feel lonely and depressed.
• Morbid thoughts: At this age, getting the news of the death of an old friend is common. As they feel that their end is in sight too, they start waiting for their own death and get badly depressed.
• Feeling of worthlessness: They have access to modern technologies but not everyone is able to adapt to them. This induces a feeling of having become redundant and useless.