Why the number of Old Age Homes are Increasing?

According to a 2017 study by the United Nations Population Fund

(UNFPA), India's senior citizen population will grow from 8% in
2015 to 19% in 2050. The elderly population in the country will
have increased by 270 percent. According to the study, today's
young India will become a fast-ageing society in the next decades.
Another trend in the country is the rise of old age homes, which
coincides with the country's expanding elderly population. The
number of old age homes was approximately 500 in 2016, but
thanks to the idea of nuclear families and a range of other factors,
the number has already increased to 728. Only 325 of them are
free, while 95 of them being pay-and-stay. If the existing scenario is
taken into account, the number of these residences in India could
expand by 25% per year. The average cost of living in a paid old-age
home is roughly Rs. 50000 per year, but it can reach Rs. 15 lakhs. "I
couldn't afford to live in an old age home if it hadn't been for the
generosity of the place where I now live. My children abandoned
me because they couldn't afford my medications," reveals a
resident of Mother Teressa Old Age Home in Hazratganj, Lucknow.
Elders have had a lot in their lives and need to relax during their
retirement years after shouldering the obligations of raising
children, managing domestic duties, caring for grandchildren, and
supervising maids and household help. They need to sit back and
enjoy the rest of the years. In such circumstances, individuals are
required to live in assisted living facilities. Most people choose to
live in another country while their parents remain in India. Elderly
parents may not always be able to migrate and re-settle in another
country, where they will undoubtedly experience a language issue
and cultural differences. NRI children frequently face a choice
between leaving their parents alone in India and pursuing their
dreams in other countries. Elders frequently go to distant cities for
medical treatment. People come from all across the country to
seek top-notch medical care in Delhi, for example. Elders who
travel for medical reasons are forced to stay in hotels, where they
confront a variety of obstacles, including the lack of elder-friendly
toilet fixtures, wheelchair-friendly facilities, meal restrictions, and
more. Overall, people accompanying the elderly are unable to give
all types of care that they require due to the lack of these facilities.
Elders with serious illnesses, geriatric problems, or those who have
had surgery are especially affected by this situation. Another
important factor is the elders' safety and security while they are
alone at home. The safety of elders is critical, especially in the
current climate, where crimes against elders are on the rise. Living
alone puts you in a vulnerable position. The elderly requires proper
security measures, such as a visitor screening system, confirmed
and trustworthy maids, drivers, and concierge. For the possibility of
theft and trespassing, they should have 24/7 CCTV surveillance
around their home and premises. When our children leave for job
or school, our seniors are forced to stay at home, often alone and
with only domestic help. They are more prone to depression and
social isolation when they are alone. In such circumstances, they
are more likely to neglect self-care, skip meals and medications,
ignore illnesses, and become anxious about managing the
household. If an elderly person falls, cuts, or burns themselves,
they have no one to contact for medical help. Elders at luxurious
old age homes are spared from such annoyances.
Hill-station pilgrimages are considered auspicious. However, many
times, children conveniently ditch their ailing parents on sidewalks
with no cash to afford even a meal under this pretext. In recent
years, an increasing number of senior citizens from the Indian
middle class have sought shelter in old age homes. Some of them
are in considerably worse circumstances. They are taken away from
their family and placed in nursing facilities. As a result, old age
homes have become an integral element of our social structure.
Many older people may be afraid of old age homes because of a
long-held prejudice. When seniors hear the term "old age home,"
they think about loneliness, abandonment, alienation from their
family, and limited care and safety.
In India, old age homes have become a shelter for the crippled and
needy over the previous few decades. Finding dignity and
independence would be challenging, as many old age homes do not
provide adequate or the kind of care that elders require. In India,
however, a large number of old age homes have sprung up all over
the country. At the same hand, retirement can be a time for
establishing new friends, exploring new hobbies, learning new ways
to serve, and spending more time in God's presence. It can be
joyful or depressing, depending on the person's faith and grace.
People who ignore their elderly parents and grandparents should
reflect on the moral ideals they instilled in us and strive to be polite
and affectionate to them. If they are unable to meet their requests,
they should at the very least communicate with them courteously.
As a result, it's preferable to start saving now for old age, because
we never know how our children and grandchildren will treat us.
Help the elderly who are in severe need of assistance. Donate to
old age facilities to alleviate starvation and homelessness among
the elderly. Support an old age home to ensure that these senior
individuals are cared for in their later years. People with a generous
heart can donate to aid the old age homes with daily necessities
and ongoing medical care. You can also donate items such as cots,
mattresses, cutlery, fans, chairs, tables, meals, wheelchairs and so
on. They also seek cash to construct a larger old age home to meet
the growing number of elderly residents.