During a debate hosted by the Women in Public Sector (WIPS) Haridwar chapter on the burning social topic, ‘Are old age homes necessary’, the concept of old age day care centres won the appreciation of those present. While all the participants in the debate spoke against the concept of dropping elderly at the old age homes they said that the day care centres where the elderly people can spend time productively are a good concept.
Notably an adult day care center is a non-residential facility where the needs of the elderly people, including medical facilities, are met. Besides, they are engaged there in meaningful activities.
A debater from the winning team Priyanka Yadav said that abandoning the elderly members of the family and dropping them at the old age homes is an inhumane tendency which would ultimately corrode the foundations of the family system and weaken the societal bonds. Bind the senior citizens with the family, stressed Pratibha Gupta, another debater from the winning team. Reena Rai enacted the scene how a senior citizen at home expressed his loneliness.
The debaters from the other team asked the senior citizens to plan for their second innings in advance. They also suggested building up Dada Dadi and Nana Nani parks in large number to cater to the emotional needs of the elderly people. They said that the time has come for the day care centres to replace the old age homes.
The BHEl lady club members, members of WIPS and senior citizen forum of Shivalik Nagar were present during the debate.