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Old Age is Just a Number - That No One Dials
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Old people yearn for company, for relevance, for touch, for love. Tragically that's exactly what they don't get, thanks to the increasing trend of nuclear families with demanding work and travel schedules and even more demanding children.
The majority of old people who have meagre or no source of income need to battle poverty along with their reduced mobility and debilitating disabilities.
The lucky few with money, property and supportive (or not) children have domestic staff or nurses to help them with their physical needs. That done, they are largely left to their on devices.
43% of the elderly in India face psychological problems owing to loneliness.
45% claim that their family members don't care about their needs and interests.
The Agewell report says elderly abuse is rampant in India.
In Japan which has the oldest population many old Japanese women have taken to petty crimes like shoplifting just so that they can go to prison where they say they find the care and sense of belonging that's missing from their every day life.
In prison there are always people around and they don't feel lonely. They have nutritious meals three times a day. Once let out they commit another crime to get back to prison.
May be Jania Joplin was right. May be freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Shampa Dhar Kamath in The Sunday Magazine of The New Indian express of 01042018
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Old people yearn for company, for relevance, for touch, for love. Tragically that's exactly what they don't get, thanks to the increasing trend of nuclear families with demanding work and travel schedules and even more demanding children.
The majority of old people who have meagre or no source of income need to battle poverty along with their reduced mobility and debilitating disabilities.
The lucky few with money, property and supportive (or not) children have domestic staff or nurses to help them with their physical needs. That done, they are largely left to their on devices.
43% of the elderly in India face psychological problems owing to loneliness.
45% claim that their family members don't care about their needs and interests.
The Agewell report says elderly abuse is rampant in India.
In Japan which has the oldest population many old Japanese women have taken to petty crimes like shoplifting just so that they can go to prison where they say they find the care and sense of belonging that's missing from their every day life.
In prison there are always people around and they don't feel lonely. They have nutritious meals three times a day. Once let out they commit another crime to get back to prison.
May be Jania Joplin was right. May be freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Shampa Dhar Kamath in The Sunday Magazine of The New Indian express of 01042018
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