Last Updated on October 8, 2023 at 1:46 pm
With each passing day, our parents are growing old and their ability to be independent is gradually diminished. Elder care or senior care is a young, but rapidly evolving business, however, the ground reality is that, even if we are willing to pay, the competence and training levels are nowhere near adequate.
If there is one event that shakes up your finances it is an unexpected recurring expense. These days more and more middle-aged Indians are facing such an expense: finding someone to take care of their parent(s) while they need to work or go about their lives, often in another city or country.
I can visibly see the guilt in the eyes of their children as they realize that cannot leave their work, or their country of residence and come back to be with their parent at the time of their need. I have no intention to moralize and only wish to discuss a practical problem.
A salaried job can be a trap. We cannot survive without it and often can only exist with it.
There is nothing wrong in hiring elder care assistants or even asking our parents to move into a retirement home. The problem is with finding competent people or homes when the need arises.
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If mom or dad is independent but only need assistance with household chores, then the situation is a whole lot manageable either in their own house or in a retirement home. As of now, able parents can and do live in retirement homes.
The moment they become bed-ridden and/or require frequent monitoring, then the requirements suddenly scale up. In India, labour even technical labour is inexpensive. Honest labour is not too much of a problem either, but competent labour can often seem non-existent!
That is when it becomes an emotional crisis for both the children and parents. All this would cost more money (and not many can afford it), but even if we can spend and are willing to spend, finding a trustworthy (in terms of speed and efficiency) person or institution is a serious problem. We often need to play attender to the attendar!
If you are salaried, try to achieve financial independence as soon as possible at least for the sake of your parents! So that you can quit your job (and come home) when they need you (if you want to, of course).
Disclosure: I have non-zero experience with multiple patient attendants when my late father was bedridden for about 1.5 years, and for the last 3 years when we have had a day attendant for my mother.
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