Old-age predicament
A report in this paper following The International Day of Older Persons observed day before yesterday, was awash with a renewed concern for the lonely life being led by elderly ladies. This was epitomized by the poignant story of one such at an old-age home in Dhaka.
Her predicament is manifold -- a widow having a house of her own in the capital, but which she could not live in as a complete loner, she had no choice but to abandon it one and a half years ago. Since that point on, she has been living in a space measuring only seven feet by 15.
While she struggles to make her life interesting with a photograph from recent memory kept on the wall, somehow she forgot to display a photograph of her progeny, although a model who visited her lately figures in the photo. She has a son in the USA and a daughter who visited her but once in one and a half years. She actually undergoes the classic experience of most elderly and well-to-do ladies with established children having a life of their own.
There are three points to note about her story: first, she has made friends with people outside the family which shows a greater appreciation in society for the plight of elderly persons. Secondly, it follows from this that the children pay her occasional visits by an intensely-felt profound moral obligation towards her. More so because she herself has all the good wishes for her progeny, is manifestly uncritical of them. Thirdly, no matter how busy the organisers of the home might have remained on The International Day of Older Persons, she shouldn't have made do with residue from a diner for a lunch.
All in all, we would urge the social welfare ministry and all people concerned with the older people to go by the prevailing best practice standards of geriatric care; because there are advanced methods of health care and other forms of aid for the old people in today's world.
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