news details |
|
|
| Pay and stay home for senior citizens | | | Ashok Arora | 4/4/2018 10:39:43 PM |
| Ageing, a global phenomenon, has become a gigantic problem for our country, because of population explosion and no measures taken on this account. Life span has increased. It was 37years prior to 1947 and presently 67 years and expecting our newly born babies to live upto a ripe age of 100 years. The present population of senior citizens, nearly 11.4 crores, jumping to 32.6 crores in 2050, a sheer magnitude figure is an alarm for the society as well as the Government. Thus it is imperative for us to seriously think of this gigantic problem.
Ageing is not a new phenomenon and is natural process going on since the inception of life on this earth. Let us now analyse why this has become a problem only now? Joint family system was a way of life in the past. With the fast urbanization, industrlisation, mass education, affluence, career ambitions and many more factors have contributed to NUCLEAR families. A past Slogan of HUM DO HUMARE DO has also been a significant factor in this respect.
Higher education and ambitious career have resulted in children going out of the state as well as the country for green pastures thus breaking the joint family system. Even the ones at home are helpless in view of their job requirements thus leaving very little time for them to take care of their parents. However in some cases the parents become very useful and taken care of when they are assigned the duties of taking care of their grand children.
There are senior citizens who have been abandoned by their children, are destitute, have no resources to live, are sick and frail, have mental problems etc. The other section of the society are senior citizens who are affluent and willing to spend for their care and comforts but are alone, their children being away from home.
OLD AGE HOMES is the answer for the first category. We have a very nice old age home at Amphalla, Jammu. The home is there for the last more than two decades. Even with the present infrastructure the home falls short of the present day needs. There are such old age homes at Akhnoor (District Jammu), Udhumpur, Kathua etc. There is also one such composite home at Gujroo Nagrota, in Billawar District. These homes are running on charity basis. SHANTI NIKETAN at HAR KI POURI Bahu Fort is nearing completion and shall cater to the needs of senior citizens as well as for other purposes also. J&K State social welfare Board is also contemplating for establishing a Composite Home for the society as well as for the senior citizens. We understand that Social welfare Department is also fast establishing an old age home.
Under the provisions of Govt POLICY & CENTRAL ACT, OLD AGE HOMES are to be established at each District level. The Supreme Court has recently advised the Central Govt. to review the existing NPOP and modify it to suit the present requirements of the senior citizens. A REGULATORY AUTHORITY can also be established for regulating working of such homes on a definite pattern as far as possible. Corporate Houses can equally come forward for helping these homes out of their corporate social responsibility funds.
The answer to the second problem is to establish PAY AND STAY HOMES. A number of such homes have come up in our country in various cities. These homes are designed specifically for the convenience of senior citizens. These homes provide medical facilities, recreation and many more to meet the needs of senior citizens. Such homes are generally in the close proximity of Hospitals. This helps to meet any medical emergency. Generally the homes are only having ground floors and in other cases lifts are provided. Since these homes are run on commercial basis the tarrifs are different at different places. Living in such homes is comfortable with suitable environment and the best thing is that it provides an atmosphere where you do not feel lonely, a disease that kills many a senior citizens.
Awareness, however, needs to be generated by sensitising the civil society for establishment of such homes. We are blessed with abode of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and a Board to look after it's affairs. Why can't the shrine board come forward for establishment of such a home. A super Speciality Hospital has been established by the shrine board and why not a PAY AND STAY HOME for the Senior Citizens.
Media, as all of us know, is most powerful instrument these days. It can definitely contribute to this social cause by sensitizing the civil society as well as make the GOVT. to take care of this problem well in time .The Association ,through it's HELP LINE has come to know about a number of people who want to come forward for such an adventure. Let the Civil Society and the Govt. come forward for helping such noble persons. The Association is always ready to help such people in the best possible way. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
