BUT SOME countries that are over-populated, in spite of best of intentions, are finding it difficult to ensure that both children and old people are looked after nicely – this is largely due to lack of governance and incentives available for workers who are supposed to be giving their attention to these two sections of the population. In this article I am writing on behalf of those children and those aged parents who have nowhere to go.

I googled a list to find about the old age homes in India and found a big list emanating most of which proclaim that they are free and spread over many parts of India mainly to look after aged parents who are neglected. The good thing is at least some beginning has been made somewhere to take care of aged parents. However, when it comes to quality of service and more so if the aged homes are offering free services, there is a big question mark whether the services offered are up to the standard required?

Concerned officials must do everything to find out the quality of services offered in all the old age homes across the country and must come out with suitable suggestions and ideas as to how to improve the same. From religious viewpoint, be it any religion in the world, parents are always given topmost priority for being served by an ideal person. In some religion, mother comes first, father comes second, teacher comes third and GOD occupies the fourth position.

However, due to many changes taking place in the society when both man and women are supposed to be working for earning their bread and butter and meeting up with higher justified aspirations, attention given to aged parents in a family may not be to be desired level. I am categorising three categories of children who are concerned about their parents well being:

(a)    Some children take pride in living with their parents in their old age and helping them in day to day affairs. In spite of doing multi tasking, like taking care of themselves and other members in the family, these children go out of the way in making the lives of their aged parents comfortable by doing their best.

(b)   Some children take pride in living with their parents in their old age but due to multitasking may not be well-equipped to support their aged dependent parents to the best of their ability.

(c)    Some children, in spite of best of intentions, may not be living with their aged parents mainly due to reasons that are beyond their control. One reason is some children migrate overseas for better opportunities and find it difficult to bring in their parents with them to live in. When these parents become old and look for support, these very children find it hard to give them support because they are physically not present with them.

From the above, it becomes apparent, that there is an urgent need for good quality old age homes for giving care to aged parents especially in those cases where children have moved out to another country.

Government must also come out with new policies and amendments to help aged parents live more comfortably, safely and happily throughout the country.  Let’s be reminded that with the growing population and better quality life, in the days to come there will be a good percentage of aged people left behind to be looked after properly.

The same rule applies to children throughout the country – only the nomenclature here is changed from ‘old aged parents’  to ‘children’. Therefore, whatever law is currently in vogue for looking after all categories of children must be suitable amended to bring about a qualitative difference to their lives.

Image of a country will get a solid boost if both these sections of the population (children and aged parents) are well looked after through better governance, policies and deliverance standards! Government must do everything to ensure that these two sections of the population are getting constant and regular attention for their betterment.