Seniors suffer most in this society and there is little care once you attain 60 plus age and retire from service. You are dependent on your children for finances and also face many problems. At home, you are treated as a liability and used for taking some unwanted work. And if you go to bank for withdrawing your pension, then the staff curse at you saying that trouble “T” has come. Keeping all this in view, seniors think about living independently by staying in old age homes, ashrams or community centre and spend their old age in peace and harmony.
When you are at the wrong side of your life, one has to face more and more problems. First and foremost is health problem and you find that the medical facility available is not adequate and the medicines cost very high. If you stay with the family and let alone during day time then there is a distinct possibility of getting attacked by miscreants. Even while travelling by bus you feel the pinch of climbing the stairs at a height and you are made to struggle every time you venture out. User friendly bus service is not available as well in the city. Even the public convenience available is not meant for seniors as you will have to crawl to attend nature’s call.
The senior community is not expecting much from the government but only want a decent living. For that the Government should be able to help the seniors in providing funds for medical facility at concessional rates and make them comfortable at all levels. Police department on their part should be able to give them protection and see that safety of seniors is ensured without giving scope for lapse on their part. A cheerful life at the fag end of the career is all that is required and that end should be met in the best way possible. The ultimate wish is that the seniors are respected well in society as the present generation will also become seniors one day and will have to undergo all the trouble when they grow old.
Jayanthi Subramaniam
