Many elderly people are no longer looked after by their families but are put in care homes or nursing homes. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

In the 21st century, it has been a trend that the near and dear ones

instead

of taking responsibility of their elders prefer to move them to nursing homes.

Although

such

homes have all the facilities specially the medical ones to take responsibility of the old age people, but they can never be home to the elderly as they lack the love and responsibility what humans at

this

stage of life seek for.. In my opinion, there is no doubt that old age homes are well-equipped with all the infrastructure

that is

required to ensure good health of the aged, but

such

places lack the warmth which instills the feeling of loneliness in the old-age people resulting in deteriorating their health. The greatest benefit of putting the elderly in nursing centres is that they have the medical facilities and the well-trained staff that would not be possible to provide for if the aged lived with their families in their homes. Since at an elder stage, human immunity is low and people are more prone to diseases, in

such

circumstances they need medical attention for most of the times.

Such

medical facilities can only be provided by a specialist in medicine. Providing

such

facilities at homes is not viable for most of the families, mainly due to the cost incurred to procure the equipment and hire a medical professional who is available round the clock.

Secondly

, even if

such

an arrangement is financially affordable, putting up a setup that similar to hospital is not possible.

For example

, there could be instances when some medicine or some equipment is required. In

such

a situation, when there is urgency it might be difficult to avail the same at the very moment. According to a survey of Indian Medical Association, 70% of the elderly members of the family, who was sent to nursing homes to ensure better medical assistance, have lead a prolonged living with improved immunity.

Hence

, better health care facilities have been the major reason for families to put the aged in

such

medical institutions. The main challenges that the elderly face while living in the old age homes is the feeling of loneliness which usually stems from the absence of affection and warmth of their loved ones. The healthcare professionals in

such

centres no doubt provide amenities to cater to the medical condition of the elderly, they cannot provide the emotional support the aged need in these times. If the doctors or specialists become emotionally attached to their patients, they tend to defy the oath, which makes it difficult for them to provide treatment to the sick. According to a survey by the New York Times, due to isolation, the reflexes of older patients become less responsive, which

further

makes their living even worse.

Therefore

, not having the presence of their loved ones around them, has more of a negative impact on the lives of the old. In a nutshell, children prefer nursing homes to look after their aged parents. While it is not a debatable fact that

such

homes are provisioned with the medical aid to ensure the well-being of the senior citizens, they fail to provide an environment that has affection. As the absence of love impacts the lives of the old, the motive of sending them to the nursing homes for better and longer life fades away.

Hence

the idea of moving the elderly to nursing homes has more cons than pros.