An Elderly lady helping herself in an OLD AGE home at Behala in Eastern Indian state of Kolkata, West Bengal. Old People being left by their near and dear ones have no where to go , except this homes, which provides an air of breadth to their dull life. Some have their children in far off cities and quite well off, but have no time to serve their parents ,are left at the old age homes. Itââ¬â¢s a pity that this elderly people, who have been an army officer, or a teacher or a singer at the peak of their life is now left at the mercy of this homes. This old age home named ââ¬ÅShantiniloyââ¬Â, is situated at the far off corner of Kolkata among tranquility.
Within three decades, the number of older adults has more than doubled i.e. from 43 million in 1981 to 92 million in 2011 and is expected to triple in the next four decades i.e., 316 million. The life expectancy at birth has also increased from 62.5 years in 2000 to 66.8 years in 2011 and next census data is awaited.
There has been a steady growth of old age homes, because of an exceptional increase in the number and proportion of older adults in the country, rapid increase in nuclear families, and contemporary changes in psychosocial matrix and values often compel this segment of society to live alone or in old age homes. This group of people is more vulnerable to mental and health problems.
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