[ Beyond the Valley of Solitude ] From empty nests to filled hearts, Kashmiri elders find joy in daycare centres

Srinagar, Dec 14: Driven by loneliness and distance from their families, an increasing number of elderly Kashmiris are finding solace in senior citizen homes and daycare centres.

SHATTERED SILENCES

Asar Ahmad (name changed), 70, and his wife exemplify this trend.

After their children settled abroad, the couple, who built their lives in Srinagar, felt the void of physical and emotional distance.
Feeling overwhelmed by the loneliness, Ahmad and his wife decided to move into one of the elder care homes.

They found themselves surrounded by seniors who shared stories of being far away from their loved ones.
Like Ahmad, nearly 100 elderly individuals have registered themselves with old age homes in Kashmir.

As per the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Jammu and Kashmir has 13 senior citizen homes.
The department has also implemented the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), a component of the scheme of Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), under which grant-in-aid is provided to non-governmental and voluntary organisations for running and maintenance of Senior Citizens' Homes (old age homes).

These homes provide facilities, like, shelter, nutrition, medicare, and entertainment free of cost to indigent senior citizens.

FROM ISOLATION TO INCLUSION

Meanwhile, the Director Social Welfare Department, Kashmir, Muhammad Shafiq Chak told Greater Kashmir that there were nine old age homes in Kashmir.

“Old age home in Pulwama is under construction. Each old age home can house 50 individuals. However, some small citizen homes can accommodate 25 persons," he said.
Chak said that five to 10 senior citizens are registered in these old age homes.

“Mostly they come for a day to these homes. They meet, relax, and spend time as they feel lonely. Mostly, senior citizens are lonely. Their children are settled outside and some individuals don’t have anyone.
We did not get an abandoned case so far," he said.

Chak said that recently one person in Bandipora's old age home died and he had none.
“We performed his last rites and other necessary things,” he said.

Besides these, the Social Welfare Department is in the process of establishing two additional old age homes in Anantnag and Ganderbal districts.
The four-day care homes were established in 2019 by the Social Welfare Department in collaboration with district administration.

Two daycare homes are in the Srinagar district, one in Chanapora and another in Eidgah, and the other two are in Bandipora and Kupwara districts.
Chanapora day care home is not functional currently after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The daycare homes provide an opportunity for senior citizens to socialise, engage in hobbies, and access various resources.

As per the data, at least over 200 elderly individuals have already registered at this daycare home.
Aftab Rather, a sociologist, told Greater Kashmir that old age being a crucial phase of life brings various physical, emotional, and social changes within the society.
“Some senior citizens are fortunate enough to have a strong support system, especially in joint and extended families, while others may not have the same privilege especially those who are living in nuclear
families,” he said.

Rather said that in such cases, the senior citizens feel emotionally detached from their kin.
“Sometimes the lack of safety and security concerns are engulfed with the feeling of getting indulged in anti-social behaviour and the need for social interaction usually pushes a concern for alternatives to
family living which gives rise to old age homes. Usually, such alternatives are expected to provide a safe and secure environment for such senior citizens to live comfortably,” he said.