The more we look, the more we find cases of elder abuse and of caretakers taking advantage of the person they are supposed to take care of. While we thought that our father’s case was an isolated one, we find that there are many who seem to share the same fate. We thought first this is only Chennai, maybe being away from the Central Government makes the situation less tenable but we actually find out it is even worse in the North.
The Police do nothing to stop the caretakers even when it is proven that the person has embezzled money.
Our complaint is still pending and we realise now that it is seldom that senior citizens ever get justice in India.
The below link speaks of a Mumbai-based editor who did the reverse of rags to riches and is now roaming the streets after her caretaker took advantage of her and defrauded her
Where is the police? What is the Government doing to protect senior citizens?
Why does the Press have to talk about a case before anybody is willing to do something substantial for a senior citizen?
So many questions and only one line of answer: negligence; be it negligence towards duty by adoption of corruption rather than integrity, negligence in concrete application channels of lawmakers who are not even quick enough to issue laws protecting senior citizens, negligence of the man on the street whose heart seems to be only moved when the media pulls its strings but not when he witnesses suffering in front of him. Thank God for the few who care and who help senior citizens who are left with nothing.
Is this the future of an NRI retiring in India? Will you be secure enough when you think you have money left in the bank to take care of yourself in your old age? How long will that money last? Probably not long enough to last you a lifetime.
For those who are in India and who cannot help but retire in India, why do you not create a better place for your older self now while you are still young? Speak up when you witness an injustice committed against a senior citizen in front of you. Some day it will be you who are being helped if you set this trend.
Some of the more fortunate will plan well their estate and make sure that they have a Trust in place with a good service provider who will not be corrupt and embezzle the money because the company will have systems in place but those who cannot afford that solution can only hope that they either have a family member with full integrity or that they don’t lose their mind or become otherwise incapacitated.
A few homes are starting in India and some more organised and better servicing of elderly than others but one needs to plan well in advance.
From an old civilisation with high moral values and the utmost respect for our elders, we have now turned into a nation that could walk past trampling its elders without even so much as a flicker of regret.
Is this the future you want for yourself and for your children?