Old Age – A Privilege not Enjoyed by All – Part 2
Posted by jose kutty kurian
= Remain Active. I have known so many elders, who, after retirement, while away their time staring at the blank walls or sleeping morning, afternoon and evening. That is definitely not the ideal way of spending your old age. Develop some hobby, remain socially connected, keep oneself usefully engaged. For me personally, the last six years since retirement have been busier than my 39 years of employment. Minimum three hours exercising, three to four hours of online bridge game, blogging since last three years, reading books and of course, travelling extensively meeting friends and relatives all across the country and abroad. I make it a point that I never decline an invitation to any occasion- be it a wedding, engagement, baptism, death anniversary or a family get together. Being from a Sainik School, NDA, Gorkha Rifles, Intelligence Corps and SBI, social get togethers are frequent. I also readily accept additional responsibilities in the service of the residents’ welfare associations, bridge clubs, School Old Boys Association etc. Besides being of service to a local orphanage. So the sum total is, there’s no dull moment for me in my retired life.
= Exercise Frequently. There is no doubting the fact that regular exercises are an absolute must to remain fit during old age. While strenuous exercises like jogging may not be advisable, brisk walking is a must. It should be supplemented with yoga and pranayama, which are very beneficial to the body. Regular meditation too will do good to the mind and body. In order that one works to a target, it will be useful to download certain apps from the Google Play store, like ‘Fit’, that give out the number of steps, distance covered, heart points earned and calories expended etc. I set out weekly targets for all these parameters and ensure that these are achieved, even while travelling. It will also be advisable for senior citizens to undergo regular medical check up, at least once an year.
= Keep the Mind Occupied. As much as the body requires exercise, the mind too needs to remain active during old age. Best means for that is to develop hobbies that needs the constant use of your brains. Take to playing bridge or other card games, chess, solving crossword puzzle and sudoku. Reading books as per your taste keeps the mind engaged. Recollecting old experiences and jotting them down, besides exercising your brain, also helps pass on valuable lessons to the future generations. Scientific studies have proved beyond doubt that people who indulge in such activities are less likely to develop Alzheimer disease and dementia.
= Financial Matters. RBI reports that there is over Rs 1.5 lakh crores (approx $20 billion) worth of unclaimed deposits in Indian banks, basically because elders failed to pass on details of their deposits to their children/ nominees. As per rules in vogue, all bank accounts without any transaction for 10 years, are transferred to a specially designated RBI account. Similar is the case with shares worth lakhs of crores lying unclaimed. It’s therefore imperative that senior citizens meticulously list out details of all their properties (with location of title deeds), bank accounts, demat accounts, bank lockers etc and the children/ legal heirs are aware of it. In the present-day context, the user id and password for such accounts too need to be discreetly kept, so that it can be accessed by the children after you are no more.
= Execute a Will Compulsorily. There is a misconception in India that a Will needs to be executed only once you are on the death bed. Probably it’s an effect of the old time movies, both Hindi and regional. Whenever I insist on my 83-year-old elder brother to execute a Will, he asks me what’s the hurry, in spite of the fact that he is a retired Professor with a Doctorate in Hindi. All of us would have been witness to intra-family quarrels and court cases, because the patriarch overlooked executing a will in his lifetime. Even when in rare cases will is executed, a common drawback noticed is that all properties are bequeathed to the children, with nothing for the spouse. A perfect recipe for agony and suffering for your spouse. I am aware of a case wherein the head of the family willed all his properties to his children, proudly proclaiming that he is fully confident that his children love their mother so much that she would be so well looked after, after he is gone. But exactly the opposite happened and the poor old, saintly lady led a dog’s life for over 10 years, before she finally passed away. Of course, the children may love their mother, but the outlook of their spouses too need to be taken into consideration. I recommend executing a joint will between the husband and wife, with all assets passing on to the surviving spouse and once both are gone, to the children.
= Old age does mean that one is past his/her prime, with best part of life behind you, that you are on a downward slope. It doesn’t mean you are in your last stage of life, unless you are under palliative care, counting your days. Old age is a stage which can last 25, 30 or 40 years. It’s upto each individual as to how best he/she makes best use of this stage of life. Always keeping in mind that he/she is privileged to be enjoying this God given gift!!
