The Elderly

Growing up , children are taught to respect those who are elder than them, emphasizing parents and grandparents. This is a fine moral value to instill on a child but once that child begins to age , he/she will begin to see the truth behind the lies. As people age their minds deteriorate leading to bad motor skills , forgetfulness and irrational thinking , causing society to view them as a crazy nuisance. Elderly people need some assistance with daily activities and health care from their families. The adult children of this elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices.
The family is one of the most important providers for the elderly. Infact, the majority of caregivers for the elderly are often member of their own family , most often daughter or granddaughter. But sometimes family members of the elderly people ,who generally take care of them , get frustrated or angry and behave harshly with them , beat them. This leads to elderly abuse. Elderly abuse in our country is growing. Abusers of older adults are both male and female. Usually family members are often the abusers in the domestic surroundings. Researchers estimated two thirds of the elder abuse are family members.
The news which comes in the national news paper that elderly parents are being harassed, neglected, and even thrown out of the home, makes a citizen of India shameful and sad. This country was renowned for its good treatment to elderly as well as to the young since ages. The reason was the profound ethical and religious teaching which was prevalent in this country from ages. India being a land of multi lingual and multi religious back ground never one could have thought to see that elderly parents one day could be regarded as unwanted stranger in their own house.

But, from a decade or two this unnatural phenomena suddenly appears with such a magnitude that one find himself bewildered how to accept it. Unfortunately this is a real hard fact through which the nation is passing. According to a survey 40% senior citizen living with their families are facing “emotional and physical abuse. ” It is reported that one old grand mother is being thrown out in the garbage by her son and grand son where she ultimately died. India was land where elders were treated with respect and dignity.
Mother and father in a house were just like a king and queen where they were treated as a commander of the house not by force but by the way of love and affection which was flourishing in the house. How this sudden change in the attitude of son of the same soil has appeared so abruptly. It is not the soil which has changed but the air and atmosphere of the land has gradually infested with foreign culture and artificial light and glamour as projected through the television and electronic media which has eroded the Indian culture of patience, gratitude and sacrifice.