Establish old-age homes

Mohd Hafiz
Gerontology is a scientific study that deals with the process of ageing and the problems of the old age people. Whereas ageing being a natural phenomenon cannot be stopped by any means or method, old age problems can be mitigated by resorting to precautionary and preventive measures.
The old age is generally considered to be the period of life from 65 years to 80 years and even above.
They are also called as senior citizens and every institution is supposed to give priority to them over others when they attend such institutions for carrying out any transaction to avoid delay or inconvenience to them but it is deplorable that some institutions hardly care to observe this moral obligation.
Old age is the fag end of life during which malignant diseases such as weakness of hearing, weakness and loss of eye sight, loss of intellectual power, tooth rot and break down of nervous system and other multiple diseases combined with wear and tear of physique of more than  sixty years of age befall on old aged people and the collective or several effect of these diseases enfeebles the entire body structure and they lose health and strength  to do any work or run their affairs themselves and as such become totally dependent upon those who were dependent on them in earlier stages of their life. The situation becomes bad to worse at a stage when old aged people are confined to bed and there is no member of family to look after them. The old age, as such, however, with some exceptions is an isolated, most painful and a sadder and a wiser concluding part of life.
Old age to life is what waning is to moon. Since moon has permanent existence, it re-emerges to its former position and this cycle of waning and waxing of moon shall continue till eternity whereas life being short lived wanes to death and does not re-emerge in the same way. It shall re-emerge only on the day of resurrection to account for right or wrong -doings of material life.
Serving old aged should be considered as the highest virtue and ignoring them as the greatest irresponsibility deadly sin.
But the rendering of services to oldies must base on the cardinal principle of human sympathy, clear conscience and sincere commitment without expecting and asking for anything or any favour in return from them.
Nothing should be said or spoken which may hurt their hearts or feelings, causes annoyance anguish and irritation or wounds their prestige, pride and status.
We must not forget that everyone who is bestowed with this life has also to pass through  this natural phenomenon.
But it is most unfortunate that in this modern civilized era instead of giving them succor, support and rendering them proper and careful look after, their wards treat them as deadwood and a burden and fail to perform their filial obligations and conventional responsibility with one excuse or the other compelling them to take shelters in old age homes run by Non Government organizations or by philanthropic agencies.
There may be several reasons for this negative attitude and moral impropriety. Some of these are as under :-
Young people prefer going abroad for better employment opportunities and finding the same settle abroad in different culture  and environment and forget their moral obligations towards their elderly family members. In such cases what generally has been observed is that a phone call or a telegram comes with the words “Sorry unable to attend last rites” to mother if father dies and to the father if mother dies.
Further young generations seem to be in strong competition and vie with each other for living a luxurious and pleasant life and therefore work hard  round the clock to earn enough money for this purpose and so can hardly spare anytime to look after the old aged people.
With the improvement of living standard of people the younger generation instead of living in old dowdy houses with gloomy lanes prefers to live in the well designed and well located colonies providing better sanitary conditions and other facilities and as such leave elders in lurch.
Families split with domestic quarrels and bitter hatred between family members compel them to live in separation  with  smaller family members resulting the old age people remain at the receiving end.
Disregard, disobedience, drug addiction, convivial living style of life, care free attitude and ignorance of moral values are some of the other reasons for the neglect of old aged people.
Whatever may be the reasons, old aged people do not get support, succor and proper attention when it is needed and as such remain isolated uncared for, and in a state of neglect.
The number of old aged people constitutes an adequate component of our population. Keeping in view their miserable condition, the State Government should take steps to provide them shelter with all facilities of living including victuals, medicare and proper look after.
Government therefore should establish old age hospitals cum old age homes at least one in each district for the old aged people in consultation with the medical department. These should be meant for old aged people and should situate beside each others to have easy access to the doctors at an emergency.

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