With the rise in the nuclear family system, ‘Grandpa’s’ and ‘Grandma’s’ might be in for a rude awakening that they are not wanted by the younger generation. Their independent life ahead, is also full of struggles, and no one seems to be concerned.

In the midst of the stories of a booming economy and the growth of a culture of consumerism, it is easy to lose sight of other issues. This neglect is common to all sections of society that have been left outside the glowing and charmed circle of urban India. But of particular urgency and concern is the story of the aged people in our country. We might refer to them in the politically correct terminology of ‘senior citizens’ but their condition is anything but healthy.

Lengthy discussions have been done by all sections of the media regarding, the effects of the break up of the joint family system and the rise of the nuclear families. Now it’s not the time to sit and cry over the causes but look at what can be done. It is not just the turmoil in the Indian families that is making life difficult for the elders. Loneliness and a lack of supportive services too, hamper their attempts to live independently and with dignity in their own homes.

As India rushes ahead to keep its date with economic prosperity, no one seems to have the time for the senior citizens. Here are just a few examples of what they go through on a daily basis. Everything in our country seems to be designed for the physically fit and the young. If the financially independent want to visit any of the new malls and other markets, they run into a formidable challenge. Badly designed steps, difficult to access parking, wheel chair unfriendly ramps (that is when there are ramps) and shop interiors designed to make navigation difficult for them, are some of the serious hurdles.

Most essential services like the banks tend to be located in buildings where at least a dozen steps have to be climbed to access them. For the average senior citizen, banks and shops are a daily necessity but the customer friendly services that the banks talk about seem non-existent. It was heart breaking to watch an elderly gentleman struggle up the flight of stairs of a big public sector bank only to find, that there was not a single chair available for him to sit on and catch his breath. When my mother needed to close her account in a bank, we had to literally carry her into the bank because the footpath outside was broken and the available space was used up as a parking lot. There was no place for her to use her walker.

Security is another issue that has become a nightmare for the older citizens living alone. This is especially true of the larger cities like Delhi. Hiring domestic help has become like playing the Russian roulette. The police do try to provide some assistance but given the scale of the problem, very few actually benefit from it. Our national capital in the past has seen a rash of murders of older people.

The cities also have no provisions for leisure for its aged population. There are no libraries or clubs in most localities where they could gather and form their own network of friends. Not many of this generation are conversant with the use of computers and the Internet and thus are unable to take advantage of services like e-banking. Things only get grimmer for the less affluent. The state of our public transportation is an indicator of the challenges faced by the aged.

Maybe it is also time to stop expecting everything from the government and popularize the concept of volunteer work and harness the resources of a neighborhood to get some services in place. Students in their holidays could perhaps teach the older generation the use of computers, and who is better placed than neighbors to keep an eye on the safety of the seniors.

In a society that has become accustomed to thinking only about ‘self’ maybe this sounds too idealistic but it is a step we need to take if modern living is not to take a harsher toll on our cultural values. Its time the celebration of the senior citizens stepped outside the realms of catchy advertisements and sentimental films and became a reality. Otherwise India might well be on its way to earn the dubious honor of being ‘no country for old people’. 

More Information on World Elder Rights Issues