Role of Old Age Homes as care givers

Role of Old Age Homes as care givers
The concept of the old age home, though not very common in India, is not unknown. The first old age home was established in Bangalore in 1983 by the Bangalore Friends-in Need society and was called the ‘(old Home)’. According to Help Age India estimates, there are 728 institutions at present, perhaps a majority of them in urban areas. Kerala has the largest number of old age homes. More than 60 per cent of the old age homes in India are of the charitable type, meant for destitute or very poor persons. About 20 per cent of them are of the ‘pay and stay’ type and another 20 per cent are mixed. About 15 per cent of the homes were for women exclusively. In recent years, there has been rapid increase in the number of old age homes and they are gradually gaining acceptance, especially by those who see these institutions as a better alternative than living in a son’s home where you are not wanted.
There is a debate going on in India at present among seniors’ organizations, nongovernmental organizations and others about whether this growth should be allowed, supported or curbed. There is a strong feeling that proliferation of old-age homes would make it easier for children to shirk their responsibility for taking care of their aging parents by placing them in institutions. Increasing institutionalization of elderly people would lead to erosion of the desirable traditional family values and may even lead to the breakup of the institution of family itself.
While this is the possibility in view of decline in traditional filial obligations among children and lack of an adequate social security safety.net, there is also need for various types of institutions to accommodate the increasing number of elderly parents whose children are unable or unwilling to care for their parents.
In spite of the government’s and NGO’s efforts in rehabilitating the aged in India proper care and attention. they are still the most vulnerable group facing multiple problems and hence require
Ageing is a natural process. Old age is an incurable disease’. But more recently J.S. Ross commented, “You do need old age, you protect it, you promote it and you extend it”. A man is as old as he feels and woman as old as she looks. Hence there is need for proper care and protection for the elderly in the changing scenario.