WEDNESDAY, MAY 08, 2024
KSS Pillai
Many people on the verge of retirement are happy as they feel the whole experience of life is behind them to help them spend the next few years. No longer required to follow a strict schedule, they look forward to engaging in new hobbies and activities. They have the examples of a few writers, painters and the like who began their trades at the ripe old age and became famous.
Old age is a dreaded phase for many. Though some are financially well off by getting pensions from their ex-employers, it is not a smooth phase of life for the majority. All in the family take good care of the pensioners if their death means the stoppage of pension. There was a joint family system to look after them, but it is disappearing. With hardly any government scheme in place, their lives have become a nightmare. Some have given away their properties to their children, confident of their support, only to realize their mistake later.
Medical problems creep up with advancing age. Bones tend to shrink in size and density, weakening them and making them more susceptible to fracture. Some might even become a bit shorter. Muscles generally lose strength, endurance and flexibility, affecting coordination, stability and balance. Many suffer from physical disabilities needing constant attention. Forgetfulness, hearing loss, weak eyes, and diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes that call for diet control are rampant among the elders.
Those who are forced to live alone, like widows or widowers, struggle to have an audience. People avoid them as the stories they tell are repetitions of what they have said several times. Visits from their friends with similar problems are not welcome.
Getting free medical treatment from government hospitals is not easy. There will always be a large crowd of patients there. The heavy workload makes the doctors and other staff members anything but sympathetic towards the patients. Doctors usually prescribe costly medicines for various reasons, even when they are available cheaply under generic names. The insurance companies shun the elders.
Grown-up children are blamed for the neglect of their parents, but they are helpless with other responsibilities and low income.
Visiting government offices for various documents is also a nightmare for them. In most cases, they are not on the ground floor, adding to their misery. Wheelchairs are mostly non-existent, and the ramps are too steep even for those using 'walkers'. Very few offices have separate queues for the seniors and do not have toilets or drinking water.
Though petrol pumps are required to have toilets, many are non-functional. They do not have water, or the key is not quickly available. Toilets may not be in a convenient place, or their steps may be too high. There are still many toilets with old-fashioned commodes, rendering them useless for the aged. While undertaking long road journeys, many elders demand frequent stoppages to answer calls of nature. Many are unable to control themselves, and adult diapers are not affordable. Staying overnight in hotels is also not free of danger, as the beds are too low for the aged, who are required to get up several times to urinate.
