The Briddhashram (elderly Home) at Pasupatinath
The sun rises with the glory of the dawn - only to set sadly when the dying dusk beckons it under the dark blanket of night. From times immemorable, the human civilisation has acknowledged to the fact that there exists an end to which all must yield. One can not escape alive from the maze we call life. This is perhaps the only eternal truth.
The body can recognise the approach of the old age. It cripples and no longer dances with the supple ease of youth. The elders then must search a corner of refuge to silently console themselves. That is the reality of the old age to most of the elders in Nepal. At least, the present of old age in Nepal is gloomy enough to frighten any one of a similar fate.
The problems of the elders in Nepal are not entirely the elders'. The solutions to the problems are not entirely in the hands of the elders' alone either. The problems are common problems, and therefore the solutions too should be sought through common efforts from the elders and all other sectors of the society. The state of the elders today in the society is undeniably the fate that awaits us in a sure future.
The problems that the elders in Nepal face can be identified as social problems arising due to various reasons. Therefore, categorising the elders can better identify their problems and also the solutions.
The problem faced by the elders in both the rural and urban areas is the profound lack of attention due to the absence of the family members during the day. In both these backgrounds, the younger members of the family go away on their own daily errands, leaving the elders behind to fend on their own. This makes the elders feel ignored and no longer useful to the family, which then becomes an emotional burden upon their conscience. They are no longer able to share their opinions on family matters and therefore tend to develop an inferiority complex at an old age. Add to this, the absence of the family members leaves the elders with inadequate nutrition and medicinal service, which aids to the deterioration of their health, and thus subsequently increase the misery of their age.
The solution to this problem is not just a solution, but a whole new dimension exploitable for the benefit of the society. The interaction of the elders with the children of the society can be an aid in not only solving the problem of the elders but also developing the children of today into a responsible and socially more aware citizens of tomorrow.
The elders also have to face the problems created due to shift of the family trend from Joint families to Nuclear families. In the Joint family system, the eldest member was the head of the family, but in the Nuclear family, the earning member is the head of the family. This has created problems similar to those described before. The solution to this problem lies in creating awareness among both the elders and the younger members of the family to create an atmosphere where the elders too have a significant role to play, and are a part of the society. The Nuclear families are a necessity of the future, and therefore there is no reverting to the virtues of the past. Rather, we should attempt to compromise with the shifts in the social changes.
The financial status of the elders also determines the ease or the misery they spend their old age amidst. Those elders who have a safe saving fort heir old age face none or very little difficulty in their old age. But those who have neither a reliable source of income nor a saving have to face many difficulties. They can not afford a better nutrition, nor do they have a secure medical insurance. This is the mammoth most problem existing in the Nepalese society of today. This problem is a result of the urge to spend the income of the family on the younger members of the family to shape their future. There is no incentive among the Nepalese elders to save for their own old age; and this attitude could be attributed to the ages old Hindu culture that demands an elder to treat his or her old age as an age of denouncement. The philosophy behind the different "Ashrams" of life reflects this attitude.
The state can provide old age pensions to the elders. This is one obvious solution to this problem. But this is not the ideal solution. Though the state is providing the elders with a certain sum annually, this sum is too meagre for any elder to expect a secure future on. The elders can not feel secure with a puny fish - they ought to be given the fishing rod itself; at least as long as they can fish. It is inevitable that they will someday grow incapable of even the most essential activities. The government can then supervise their old age - provide them with a caretaker, at the least. The state can adopt a policy to provide free medical facilities to the elders. State run old age homes can be help. The state can also create saving opportunities an also a suitable environment for the same.
THE PANCHADEWAL BRIDHDHASHRAM
The Panchadewal Bridhdhashram at Pashupatinath is a government run Old Age Home. The Ministry of Women and Social Welfare of Nepal manages the Bridhdhashram. There are many residing elders here as it is the largest old age home run by the government. The Ashram also reflects the true picture of the state run Elder Homes in the country. The home is not well managed due to the lack of working staff.
The Ashram is located on the western shores of the holy river, The Bagmati. It gets its name from the five temples inside the building courtyard. The building itself is the oldest member of the Ashram - it is over a century old, and the architecture has not kept up so well either. Though the outer wall has been renovated frequently in the recent past, the building itself is not convincingly well maintained. The rampant monkeys from the surrounding woods often raid the courtyard of the building where the elders sun themselves.
The State must bear the blame that it has not only failed to provide for the elders when it can, but also has failed to maintain what it has. The selection procedure of the Ashrams is not hassle-free. The elders are brought here on the certification of their respective Village Development Committees, and not all such certifications are genuine. The corruption in the selection procedure is blamed for the rise in the number of elders forced into Ashrams by their family members. The Panchadewal Bridhdhashram too has many such elders who confess that their families are able to support them, but do not want to.
The Ashram is run more by the volunteers who help the Ashram staff than the government employees. The Sisters of Mercy of the Missionaries of Charity have their own wing within the Ashram where they maintain the sickbay. The Sisters and their teams of Volunteers from various institutions take care of the ailing elders. That particular part of the Ashram stands out for its well-maintained atmosphere. The Elders too are contended with the service that the Sisters have been giving them. A few other organisations also occasionally serve the Elders by distributing various clothing and other items. Regular clean-up programmes, voluntary medical check-up programmes etc. are a part of the Ashram life.
Apart from the Missionary of Charity, various educational institutions like St. Xavier's and St. Mary's school, St. Xavier's College and Budhanilakntha School also aid the Ashram staff. The Social Service Club of Budhanilkantha School carries out weekly voluntary service in the Ashram. The senior students form groups among themselves to go to the Ashram and assist the elders. The LTS (Leadership Training Service) of the St. Xavier's and St. Mary's schools also have their own similar programmes aimed at allowing the students an opportunity to serve and interact with the retired citizens of the country. The St. Xavier's College also has a similar programme. Under the leadership of Anusha Mishra, a student in her twelfth class, the students form groups to go to the Ashram on weekends to assist the Sisters for some hours. As the Ashram does not allow any more interference into its activities, the more than eager volunteers are forced to restrict their services tot he needy elders.
The Social Service Club of Budhanilkantha School is another major voluntary organisation working at the Ashram. Established 16 years ago, the Club has been serving the society in many ways since. The volunteers are welcome visitors at the Ashram as they have been serving the elders for many years. The eager elders greet the volunteers from the Club with pleasant smiles and ask help from them with cleaning their soiled garments, washing and shaving. The volunteers clean the sickbay managed by the Sisters of Mercy and also feed the elders. The elders rejoice at the attention they get, and the volunteers thrive at the pleasure they get through he service. There is no reward that the volunteers get through the service, yet the selfless act is so spontaneously born.
The Ashram Management is also very happy and grateful towards these voluntary organisations. They regret that the Government policies are lenient enough to include more of such voluntary activities. Though there is a faculty related to social service in the Universities, it does not demand more than a fortnight's service from the students. The students doing this course in the university are not required to possess any practical knowledge on the subject. Though the Ashram odes have many foreigners or Nepalese nationals volunteering at the Ashram at any time, they are not as reliable in terms of timely service as the student volunteers. Therefore, the Ashram personnel expressed their concern that the Government should take initiatives to include the student volunteers in its workforce.
One Ashram is not sufficient to cater to the needs of the nation's elders. Ashrams from the private sectors alone do not seem possible either. Though Ashrams like Shanti Sewa Sadan at Shantinagar, Tapasthali Bridhdhashram at Chapaligaun are noble examples to this regard, they have not proved effective enough. Unless the private sector gets involved with utmost sincerity, these efforts will fail to make their impact on the society. The society should teach its ageing elders to save for their old age, and also secure their old age through their own efforts. The Medical subsidies, the Old age Pensions etc. must be made more effective, and the education system should be designed to include the zeal of the growing youth in catering to the elders.
