Old Age Homes

A small room which is white washed with 2 windows and necessary items placed in the room. There stand a lady holding a letter in her hand, which says that her children are coming to meet her. A favor that is done to her once a year. Why? Just because she gave birth to them?

Once she used to be key figure of her family and she spent her life nurturing her children. But now, she has been sent into an old age home for convenience.

It is shameful state that in modern times the need of old age home had increased. Do we really need these homes? Why? Why do we consider over Elderly relatives as a burden on us? Just before sometimes we used to live in  a strong joint family. Taking Care of Elderly was considered as an honor and blessing to us.

Joint families are loosing it existence. Now, Elderly people are considered as a liability. As we know, time is money. And Time and money determines our priorities today.

Old Age Homes are symbol of societal ingratitude. Why? Reason being the absence of near and dear ones and the lack of their love and affection are the main causes. Old age Homes are like sore thumbs in society, symbolic of our negligence towards our Elderly parents. As Thomas Merton, a catholic author said, “ These people, who live the evening  of their lives in old age homes live unloved and die unmourned. Death comes to them as a great reliever.”

Do we ever realize how priceless senior citizens are to the nation because of their experience and wisdom? How can we overlook their sad forlorn faces and concentrate on our  triumphs? Don’t you even remember all those countless hurdles and sleepless nights that they have faced while nurturing us?

So don’t you think we should make a fresh start. Lets some forward and work together to weave a web of love and compassion to shelter our elders who acted like torch  lights to guide us in every step of life.

http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/all/article/364716/Old-age-homes-A-symbol-of-Societal-Ingratitude/

Wisdom

Why is it that the younger generation thinks so highly of themselves. We believe that we know everything and are never wrong. Instead we should look up to our elders, the older generations and learn from them. Like Publilius Syrus once said,"From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own".

In fact this has nothing to do with the younger generation, it is a phase. A phase of life through which everyone goes through. This phase is mostly known as the teen years. Again why though? In my opinion we should do exactly what Publilius said. Learn from others mistakes. We should learn by looking at the lives of our elders. The older generations have already gone through these phases, they know best. What better way to know then through experience, right? If we just sit down and listen for once, we could learn so much and do so much more too. Not only for us but for all mankind. Even though it is a phase of life, some not all but there are some who catch on and use it to their advantage. There isn't anything wrong with that at all, but why not we all use that to our advantage. Imagine just skipping over so many mistakes that you never made just because you had knowledge of the past.

So how about we all sit down for once, and through the eyes of others look into the past. Look to see what compares and what contrast. Look to see how we can use it for the best, to save ourselves from blunders. To do something for not only ourselves but for all of mankind.

About the most twilight years..

Dull memory, failing eyesight, hearing problems, feeble hands and dead beat legs. The vicissitudes of Old Age makes it different for Elderly people to have control on their time and activities . Their dependency on younger family member becomes necessary.

There are many challenges like living with bodily discomfort, to follow medical regimens firmly and to follow dietary advices are challenges which is faced by almost every Elderly.

According to G V Bijur – a retired government audit officer “Old Age and spirituality do hand in glove” while residing in the Octogenarian spends his day in reading spiritual books, meditating humself  and by practicing yoga, After retirement he became the member of spiritual organization. He says that his routine starts at 04:30 AM with meditation and watching spiritual programmes  on TV. And then after he goes to walk for a healthy and fit body.

Buying vegetables and groceries is a part of Bijur’s daily routine.  He reads and exercise after siesta. And in evening he watches Kannada teleserials.

“I have live life to its fullest. During the last days of my service, I helped 10-15 retired person, some of them hapless widows, to get their pension. That was my way of giving back to society” said Bijur, adding upon he said that he has donated many of his body organs to SDM Hospital. Bijur’s wife Jayalaxami who is 77 years old, cooks her self  for the family and has limited dependency on maids. They have 2 children who are married and well settled in Mumbai.

Rukminibai G- 91 year old Elderly women resides with her son. She informed that one of her favorite time pass is to narrate stories to her grandchildren. She goes for a small walk near the house and meets her age group people in the neighborhood. “To maintain good health, I take light food everyday”. Said she.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Making-the-most-of-their-twilight-years/articleshow/10204078.cms