Daycare old age homes draws hundreds of people in Kashmir: Official

Jahangeer Ganaie

Srinagar, Apr 03: With many aged parents being abandoned in Kashmir, the government has decided to come up with old age homes in all districts and such homes have been already started in around 7-8 districts of Kashmir.

Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that given the plight of those ageing parents who have been abandoned by their children in their own homes, old age homes are necessary in Kashmir as well.

Such abandoned elderly parents at least have someone to look after them in old-age homes, they said.

Mohammad Ashraf Akhoon, deputy director, Social Welfare department Kashmir told KNO that among 10 districts in Kashmir, old age homes have been already started in 7-8 district and it will come come up in rest of the districts as well.

There are two types of homes — daycare and residential. Daycare homes have been set up in some districts and residential in few, he said.

“As of now, he said, we have good response in day care old age homes, however, the response in residential homes is meagre as just few have come in residential old age homes yet.

Residential old age homes have just one or two admission but there are hundreds of people in daycare,” he said.

In daycare, people talk to each other besides they are provided space to share ideas with each other, he said, adding they are using library, read newspapers, tea and other recreational facilities.

“Anybody who needs shelter in these homes must contact concerned district social welfare officer,” he said.

Kashmir was not witnessing incidents of abandoning of parents before and such things were considered taboo, however, with change in behaviour such things are becoming acceptable in our society—(KNO)