It Is Time We Close Old Homes and Bring Our Old Buddies Back to Where They Belong

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You might have often heard that once you grow old you sort of become a kid again, or that childhood and old age have lots of things in common, or some other variation of this quote. This is because at both stages of life you are dependent on others to get things done. As a little kid you need your parents for everything. They take care of all your needs, feed you and clothe you and bring you up with love and kindness. In somewhat similar fashion, when you are old you are once again dependent on the help of others as your body does not have the same strength and stamina to get things done like you used to in your days of youth.

In all honesty, being old is not exactly easy in this day and age. The direction that modern life has taken, no one relishes or looks forward to that stage of life. You might also have heard that the contemporary world is a young person’s world. Be it with regard to work or anything else, the oldies, today, are dealt a pretty lousy hand.

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Old age is arguably one of the most critical stages in a person’s life. It is the ‘age of problems’; be it social, physical, mental, or even economical. And the treatment that old people have to face at the hands of the youth today also raises many concerns and even alarms. At a time when they need our love and care and patience the most, we tend to ship them off to some old home to bide their time until the Lord comes calling. Modern life with its materialistic and rather selfish nature has altered many things, one of them being the focus and emphasis on family. In years gone by, the elderly persons of a family were not just respected but revered. Particularly when they reached that age of dependence on their children and young ones, they used to be well cared for and could live out their days in peace and comfort.

Sadly, that is far from being the case today for most of us. Our elderly are a burden at best and their care is something that we either reluctantly perform or just get them admitted to some old-age home.

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You think it stops here? What is even more painful is how parents do everything to care for their children in the best possible way and provide them facilities they can afford. They don’t even think of their children as a burden. Yet, those same children turn their backs on their parents when they need them most. Where the parents might have spent many sleepless nights taking care of their little ones, changing their diapers and singing countless lullabies in the wee hours of the night to put them to sleep; those same children cannot seem to provide them a little bit of space in their house for a good night’s sleep.

You’d agree this is a pretty sad state of affairs. This is not a problem concerning just one country or society or region of the world, this is a universal phenomenon.

Another thing that has been observed in recent times is that old people who are lucky enough not to end up in retirement homes tend to live by dividing their time living with their children. For example, an old couple with three sons will live with all three of them for four months each. At first glance, you might be misled into thinking that this is an exhibition of the love and respect that the children have for their parents. However, in reality this is a way for the children to share the burden of accommodating their old parents.

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While there is no denying that old-age homes serve a purpose and provide a great service to humanity, we really need to rethink how we treat our elders. Old homes can be great for people with no offspring having no one to live with. But for the majority of them who are left there by uncaring and disrespectful children, a lot of soul-searching is needed.

Don’t delude yourself into thinking, it’s about one society or country or region of the world. This is a question of universal human dignity and a plea for compassion for an age-group that deserves peace and comfort at this stage of life.

While outright shutting down of all old homes is not exactly the solution, however, it really is high time for us to bring our old buddies back home and give them that tiny bit of love and attention that they may have been craving for some time. Let’s promise today, we will be compassionate with them to make their farewell peaceful. It’s time we bring our old buddies back to where they belong.