Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
Historically, for generations India had a tradition of the joint family system of undivided family, consisting of two or three generations living together in the same home under one roof. The system was prevalent throughout the Indian subcontinent, particularly in India; the family headed by a patriarch, usually the oldest male, who used to make decisions on social and economic matters on behalf of the entire family and exercise authority. The family income used to flow into common pool from which resources were drawn to meet the needs of all. It was a system of complete care of all members of the family irrespective of their age and their contribution into the common pool of the income. There used to be importance of protocol in the family contributing towards discipline and elderly people were matter of pride. With urbanization and economic development, we witnessed a break up of joint family culture into more nuclear like families. The beauty of Indian culture of the joint family stand shattered now and with the descent of the joint family concept and with more and more seniors remaining active for much longer, preferring to live close to their own family members, lifelong friends and communities, and with more children. But we find that the prevailing system has led to negligence and avoidance of older age people and they are most sufferers and are facing acute hardships of life in their concluding journey of life. Changing value systems, economic compulsions of the children, neglect and abuse has caused elders to fall through the net of family care. We strike to a question that, what are the options today for the elderly, when they reach that stage of becoming dependent? If one realizes his duties towards their elders, the ethics called for caring for the elderly is to love hem and keep them active. They are required to be given a care on following parameters:
Watch to the signs of weakness, extra forgetfulness, lack of direction or other unsteadiness.
Mental health is often overlooked, but it is an important part of caring for an elderly person. Keep an eye out for signs of depression such as lack of interest, listlessness or deep feeling of sadness or anger. This can be most difficult time for elders so make sure to monitor their mental well-being as well as their physical health.
Always be respectful to the elderly. Even they have aged and may be losing their health; they are still people with emotions and ideas. Aging is simply a part of natural cycle.
Find out the area of mutual interest.
Be prepared for resistance from elderly person. Resistance is the most common challenges people face when caring for the elderly. Elderly people might feel the loss of independence, physical loss or mental loss. This can lead them to feeling frightened vulnerable, guilty and/or angry and cause resistance in accepting the care.
We all have to sometime of our life, take care of our elderly parents.
Owing to this phenomenon, the governments all over the continent have promulgated many social schemes, exclusively for the older age people to provide and atmosphere and circumstances of living a happy life by the older age people devoid of total dependence on their family members. An international organization ‘The Global Age Watch’ is keeping a vigil about the welfare schemes launched by the various governments, which contributed to taking care of elderly people and rise in the life expectancy of elders and it release annual index based on survey conducted on 96 countries, with their order of better care and welfare schemes. The Global Age Watch Index ranks countries by how well their older populations are farming. Global Age Watch indeed for 2015, released speaks of concern of countries caring for the elderly people and Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Netherland, Iceland, Japan, USA and United Kingdom occupying first ten positions and China as 52, Russia at 65, Bangladesh 67, Nepal at 70, India at 71, Nigeria 86, Iraq 87, Uganda 88, Rwanda 89, Zambia 90, Tanzania 91, Pakistan 92, and Afghanistan 96 occupying last among 96 countries listed. The Global results are
Depicting that top caring countries for elderly are industrialized nations; Africa is over represented at the bottom, with 10 lowest places. All other lowest scorers all share a background of conflict.
(To be Continued)