Loneliness and Senior Citizens.

Loneliness: M.V.Ruparelia.

Loneliness:

``We act as though comfort and luxury were chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.``
Charles Kingsley.
Due to advent of Western philosophy, nuclear family system, retirement, death of spouse, going away of children due to service, social conditioning & customs, financial restraints, health condition & lack of proper affordable medical facilities, many Senior Citizens in rural & urban areas face loneliness and abuse. Many educated & well-off Senior Citizens also face loneliness due to inertia, `empty nest syndrome`, pre-conceived perception & closed outlook etc! A person retires from service or reaches a certain age and he feels that he has done a lot and now deserves rest! He rests and does not remain active, resulting in deteriorating health, psychosomatic diseases & connected problems! He develops inertia; he does not participate in any functions, does not go to any Associations, and does not want to learn anything new! He feels, he need not waste his energy, which requires to be preserved at this age! He forgets that we have unlimited energy and even in active life, we have used a very small % of energy. In old age also, we have unlimited energy and the Principle is ``USE IT OR LOOSE IT.`` Such self isolation increases depression, timidity, anxiety, longing for death, confusion, self-neglect, vague health problems, mounting resentment, unusual fatigue, withholding of food or medicines, hostility, unresponsiveness etc.This is Self Abuse also! A new study reveals that loneliness & isolation doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. To counter such risks, Senior Citizens should participate in social activities, increase the number of their close friends in whom they can confine their feelings, fears, thoughts in their own interest and should have a Support Group.
Earlier, in joint family system, elders were accommodated, looked after and there were less cases of isolation & loneliness. Due to individualism, human rights, women lib etc, this joint family system has weakened to a considerable extant. No efforts are made by Govt/ Media to strengthen the Joint Family System, as envisaged in NPOP,99. The recent passing of ``Parents Welfare & Maintenance Act``lays down the emphasis on responsibility of children for looking after their parents. Though, many parents may not go to Tribunals against their children due to our culture, the mere existence of this Act and provision of suo-motto action shall deter the children from driving away their parents from home and instead of paying Monthly Allowance; many may like to keep parents with them, as that may be cheaper for middle and lower income group. The Act shall reinforce the importance & role of the family to some extant, which has shattered in recent times due to adverse influence of Western Culture.

Government can take the following practical & effective steps to reduce the loneliness related problems of Senior Citizens:-
i) Get created literature and force Media by legislating, if necessary to encourage Joint Family System and encourage individuals to participate in social activities etc to reduce loneliness to some extent; give tax concession & other incentives to those keeping & looking after their parents & other senior relatives.
ii) Establish well equipped Day Care Activity Centres in villages as well as cities-one for about 10 thousand Senior Citizens, manned by properly trained welfare personnel. If possible, capable Senior Citizens should be trained and appointed on honorarium basis for such work, which shall be cheaper to the Govt and beneficial to Senior Citizens. Provide Holiday Homes, Convalescent Homes, Nana-Nani Parks etc.
iii) Establish a separate Department/ Ministry at Central & State level for planning the action for looking after various requirements of Senior Citizens and this Department should be manned by Senior Citizens on honorarium basis. This will create second career opportunities and utilization of Think-tank appropriately. This Department may be allotted the following duties:-
a) Ensure implementation of all Policies, Acts etc of Govts for Senior Citizens.
b) Administer all Day Care Activity Centres and ensure all types of help to Senior Citizens.
c) Obtain & maintain full details of all Senior Citizens through DCACentres and make them responsible for welfare of all Senior Citizens in their areas.
iv) Raise the pension for BPL as per GDP and raise the present limit of Rs 18000 to annual GDP level, as that amount is due to each citizen! Notify income limit of Middle Class also and give them free or concessional facilities in various matters.
v) Make compulsory to appoint Senior Citizens on various Consultative Committees, if possible on honorarium basis or as a social service to keep them engaged and give benefit to the Society of their reach experience.
vi) Raise the age of retirement, keeping in view long healthy life span. With the overall development of economy and expansion of employment opportunities and keeping the fact that population of Senior Citizens is increasing at higher rate than new born, a legislation can be brought to engage Senior Citizens for certain jobs or a certain % can be fixed for engagement of Senior Citizens in Government, Public & Private Sectors, may be on honorarium basis with relaxed hours. Senior Citizens are also entitled to `Right to Work` as laid down in our Constitution.
vii) Make it mandatory for Public Sector, Corporate & other major Employers to provide Welfare Centres- Activity Centres for their retired employees to pass time; call the retired employees for all their official functions/celebrations and have a special function at least once on 1st October every year on Elders` Day. Provide facilities for picnics, some holiday homes etc.
viii) Encourage or make compulsory for all schools/colleges to encourage students to respect and help Senior Citizens, as & when & where possible and arrange some programmes to mix with Senior Citizens. This shall go a long way to integrate two generations. All Schools/Colleges should be requested to give one room to registered Associations of Senior Citizens, if requested every day in the evenings for their activities, gathering etc. Their Halls should also be given occasionally for lectures, functions etc.
It may be noted here that by solving or reducing the problems of Loneliness, the cases of Elder Abuse can not be reduced/curbed, except curbing/reducing the Self Abuse and murder cases to some extent.
Planning of Older Years to deal with emotional issues:-
Proper training for planning the retirement should be given to each citizen at appropriate age. Once a person retires or decides to retire from earning life, he should be able to live life happily and pass time usefully with his hobbies, engaging in social service, having a good Support Group, participating in activities of Senior Citizens Associations, developing the spirit of `let go`; endurance/tolerance, Forget & Forgive; giving up ego of status of earning life and assuming the new Status of Senior Citizen.