A survey conducted across 20 Indian cities reveals that care-giving for elderly is increasingly being looked upon as a burden. By Sakshi Sharma
Her hair is a smoky grey, the face, a little wrinkled and the eyes, blood-flecked. At 73, Sharda Gambhir, a resident of Malviya Nagar, needed care, love and attention from her loved ones but life had something else in store for her. “Can you even imagine your daughter harassing you because she wants maximum rights in your property? Or making false allegations and calling the police?” she asks. She adds that it was only after several rounds at the courts spread over the months that she managed to get a judgement in her favour.
Gambhir is one of the elderly people who featured in a report that was released by HelpAge India, a charity working with and for disadvantaged elderly for nearly four decades. The nationwide report called ‘Elder Abuse in India: Role of Family in Caregiving: Challenges & Responses’ was released on the eve of the United Nations’ World Abuse Awareness Day over the weekend. The organisation also launched a helpline as an outreach for seniors. The report not only has surveys but also contains an in-depth analysis with the objective of studying the responsibility of care of older persons in the family on the sandwich generation. It also lays stress on the coping mechanism adopted by caregivers.
The report, where 4,000 people spread across 20 cities were surveyed, has some startling revelations which run quite contrary to our belief that India has a value system that is family-centric. Anupama Datta, head, Policy, Research and Advocacy, of the organisation has given an analytical insight into the report. She makes a notable point showing India as a hypocritical country, where on one side we inculcate the philosophy of Vasudev Kutumbakam, while on the other, elders are considered a burden to be treated shoddily. She focus on the three perspectives, which held centrestage in the research — physical, financial and emotional aspects.
Attitudes in family
A look at the figures reveals that we are certainly moving in a direction where family as a primary care-giving unit is gradually phasing out with 25.7 per cent of the care-givers feeling fatigue and frustration, which in turn results in aggressive behaviour towards their elderly relatives. It is an ossified belief that family is the care-giver, which often compels the elders tolerate aggressive behaviour. There is also a sizeable number, 35 per cent to be precise, of care-givers, who ‘never’ felt happy looking after the elderly. Twenty-nine per cent of family members feel the “burden of caregiving an elder” is moderate to severe and 15 per cent consider care-giving a serious burden. It is also important to note that 82 per cent adopt certain strategies to cope with the burden while 53 per cent express anger and frustration by accepting their feelings.
Division of responsibility
While the responsibility of care-giving primarily lies with women, especially daughters-in-law (68 per cent), that of the financial is attributed to sons (57 per cent). However, there’s another figure which is stark where 70 per cent women are happy caring for the elderly while 30 per cent want to send them to old age homes.
Since material pursuits rule, the changing attitudes might have to do with the fact that only 11 per cent of the elderly dependents contribute to the family resource pool. The fact that 42.5 per cent of care-givers always have to pay for the medicine bills, which keep on rising as sick senior citizens grow older, also complicates their mutual equations.
SURPRISE ASSISTANTS
However, considering that the aged become more dependent, 32 per cent of the care-givers say they extend physical care to elderly for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) such as assistance in changing clothes, walking, eating and more. Interestingly, it is not the blood relatives but 68 per cent daughters-in-law who are providing physical care to Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) such as helping in using a telephone, shopping, preparing meals as against the sons (51 per cent). Moreover, the youngsters, too, chip in as grandchildren are sharing the burden of taking care of the elderly (higher in case of grandsons (41 per cent) as against granddaughters (38 per cent) in daily activities.
Emotional Support
Loneliness on account of a loss of spouse and also shrinking of the social circles mean that the elderly are in need of emotional support. Almost 70 per cent of them seek this prop from care-givers at a time of crisis. About 29 per cent always need emotional support when they suffer from lack of self confidence and experience same amount of stress. Despite dependence gradually becoming a part of life as a person ages, 30 per cent need emotional support when have fear of dependence.
InstitutionAL SUPPORT
India does not have a long-term rehabilitation policy for its dispossessed senior citizens. The report highlights that for lack of an institutional or hospice option, 65 per cent of care-givers in the family have to leave the elderly persons alone. For instance, while 15 per cent acknowledge that there are institutions that take care of the elderly for money, 85 per cent feel that the steep prices are a deterrent to quality of service. The government needs to build hospitals, where elders can go alone and also make a provision for adequate transport facilities.
Workplace support
Another area which demands change is the role of the employers of care-givers where the 78.1 per cent of the latter feel that there is no leeway. Sushila Arora, a member of the senior citizen council, points out that the importance of elders is getting decimated in households as there are round-the-clock maids on hire. “Children get more attached to them, so naturally they do not imbibe love, affection and traditions from us. Won’t this create a behavioural havoc going forward?”
Neelam, a resident of Green Park, complains that the senior citizen issues cannot be isolated but would have to be linked to the generation after it. It would also have to be rights-based. Her friend Sunita Kashyap says, “Children think we have some complaints and that is the reason we are asking them to come. They forget that we are just calling them over to enjoy each other’s company and familial bonds.”
A balance and rethink is essential as no sight could be more dreadful than of those droopy, dull eyes shedding tears. These hands are weak but their will is not. These legs are shaky but their steps are not. Old age is nothing but wisdom curved into a smile.
