John Cage, a famous music composer once said, “Combine nursing homes with nursery schools. Bring very old and very young together: they interest one another.” While this quote and implied idea might be revolutionary, it brings to mind a question. What are nursing homes and why do they exist?
Nursing or Old Age Homes are residential facilities for the care of elderly or disabled people. They house professional nurses and volunteers who assist society’s elderly with their daily needs.
Then why don’t all people, as soon as they retire, join old age homes? There are different colours that can be used to paint this picture. The most common, but not always the most true, is that children simply forget that their parents require care and love too! They neglect their responsibility of ensuring their parent’s comfort but think of it as an option, because after all, nursing homes are always available.
There are a few who leave their parents in old age homes and don’t bother to check on them for years on end or even worse, just abandon them altogether! This is an extremely unhealthy thing to do, considering that with age, we need to socialize to maintain a healthy mind. It is also a crime by law, breaking the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act in the Indian Penal Code.
However, each colour in a picture has something different to offer to its beauty. A different shade to view is the Indian cultural outlook on this subject. Traditionally, Indian families are large, joint, and flourishing with a strong belief that one should look after one’s parents when they grow old as a simple way to thank them for all their love and support. It’s the least they can do for the beautiful lives their parents shaped for them!
However, a myriad of senior citizens join old age homes of their own volition since they do not want to be a burden for their children.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that a number of people enroll their aged parents in nursing homes on their own. The most common reason for this is lack of medical knowledge and time. The aged need medical assistance or may have different needs around the clock, which might be hard for the children to provide.
All in all, old age homes are helpful to society, giving them a chance to interact with others of the same age and allowing their children to live without constantly worrying about their parents’ well-being, safety, security and health.
Only when a child ignores their duties as an eventual caregiver, will there be problems in the welfare of their parent’s lives. This is a clarion call for us to learn to prioritize love over abandonment and at the same time, be pragmatic for the role of the working age population and super-seniors who need constant care. Will we be able to walk the fine line in between?
] A picture from an Indian nursing home
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