Page 23 - Seniors Today -Volume no1

to a sharp increase in seniors. An ageing a burden. A survey dated June 15, 2019 by the
population has far-reaching implications,
whether social, economic, or medical. As
people age, several issues arise. There is
reduced mobility, age-related ailments and
conditions, a need for care-givers, financial
worries, dependency, loss, possibility of
abuse, and increasingly, loneliness. Almost
75 per cent of India’s population lives in rural
areas which means that for every senior
living in an urban area there are three in rural
areas and both have their own set of specific
concerns which need looking into.
The issues related to ageing are numerous
and have to be tackled by society as a whole
– individuals, communities, NGOs and
government – with understanding, resolve,
and above all, empathy. Are we as a society
ready for the challenges of a rising senior
population?
Change in Indian Society
Indian society traditionally followed a joint
family system which ensured security for
seniors in the autumn of their lives. However,
with the growing trend of nuclear families,
and children living away from parents,
seniors are often left to fend for themselves
at a time when they most need help. The
support system provided by the joint family
has crumbled, leaving seniors vulnerable to
distressing, and often traumatic, situations.
Many Indian children who go abroad to study
decide to settle there. Parents are thus left
behind to live on their own. An important
change in Indian society has been the role of
women. The percentage of working women
has increased, as a result of which there is
often nobody at home to take care of an aged
person. Children, too, in today’s competitive
world, are busy with so many activities in
addition to school work that they do not have
much time left for grandparents. Caring for
the elderly requires patience and dedication
and is increasingly considered by many to be
NGO HelpAge India reported that 35 per cent
of respondents looking after the elderly said
that they did not feel happy taking care of
them.
However, the only constant is change and
one has to accept that social structure is
not immune to it. We therefore have to
find ways to address the issues caused by
this transformation in society and evolve
new ways of handling them. One of the
consequences of the changing family
structure has been that assisted living has
started to take shape in India. A wide range of
options from government-run old age homes
to five star assisted living communities have
sprung up all over the country.
Issues faced by Seniors
Seniors can actually be classified into two
groups – “young seniors” (60 to 75 years)
and “senior seniors” (over 75 years). With the
increased awareness today about fitness and
healthy living, young seniors are by and large
active and able to manage on their own. It is
the senior seniors who often require care-
givers and assistance.
So what are the main issues that seniors face?
Three major issues are related to health,
finance, and loneliness. It must be noted
that the root of all these problems can be
traced to much before one becomes a senior.
As Fred Astaire commented, “Old age is
like everything else. To make a success of
it, you’ve got to start young.” It is important
to plan your finances and to follow a fitness
regime from a younger age in order to
minimise problems in senior years.
Good health is absolutely crucial as one
begins to get older. With age, physical
ailments are inevitable and it is essential
to get good geriatric care at this stage. The
five “I”s of geriatrics include: Intellectual
impairment, Immobility, Instability,
SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 1