India is an ancient country. We have a history of thousand years. In many ways India ,as a country, is a grand-mom to almost all other countries in the world. In a pleasant contrast we are also a country of young people. According to World bank report published in 2012 every second person in India is young ( person of working age). But it doesn't mean that rest all are old; remaining population is made of older or younger people. My specific interest was in knowing how many of them are old which typically means people above the age of 60 years. And data shows that 10% of them are old. It means every tenth person in India is old and this percentage is growing every day. By 2040 every eighth person in India would be old and then onward there would be steep increase in the number of elderly people around us. Are we, as a country and society, ready for this demographic change? Unfortunately answer for this question is big "NO".
Our countries infrastructural and socioeconomic changes are in fact creating a very unfavorable environment for elderly people. If I have to state a few major problems then they would be...
1. Cost of Living and Medication
2. Marginalization by society which is prominently young
3. Stress of lifestyle mismatch with current generation
4. Weakening of family bonds
5. Psychological side effects of loneliness
6. Elderly unfriendly infrastructure and provisions
7. Virtually non-existent elderly care system
All these factors have assumed big enough proportion to be looked into and addressed. Time has come that we proactively look into these issues and start creating necessary awareness about the elderly care which in turn may lead to favorable government policies, better focus from NGOs and possible attention from business community.
My friends we owe so much to this grayed population; now time has come to return the favor. I appeal you to join us @ www.eldpal.com and become the part of this movement. Also request you to spread the word around so that many can be enlightened about the seriousness of this topic.
Thanks
Prasad
Surely something for us to reflect on.
ReplyDeleteAs KARMA says, you reap what you sow. So if only we care for our elders, our next generation will learn how to care for us few decades ahead.
Very true & wonderfully well worded. I particularly liked the examples you provided. Completely agree with you.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely we are going to have a tough time when we grow old because of becoming nuclear, our work style, amount of junk food we are eating, the way we are currently treating our own parents, not taking care of them physically or calling them daily.. Only if we react now for our elders or invent few schemes & make them engaged, we'll have something in return.
ReplyDeleteour parents cared us so we should do. this is as simple as that ... but sometime people used to forgot this simple philosophy. Well written and conveyed well too...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely something for us to think on ... Wonderful initiative, well written... I would like to be part of this initiative, Sir.
ReplyDeleteBhat,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your interest. Let us get connected.