Its Not Hard to Make A Conversation. This World Senior Citizen Day, Lets Try To Connect With Our Elders
Representational Image: Chitralekha

It's Not Hard to Make A Conversation. This World Senior Citizen Day, Let's Try To Connect With Our Elders

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World Senior Citizen Day, 2018 will be observed worldwide on Tuesday, August 21. In 1988, US President Ronald Reagan was the first to promulgate the Senior Citizens Day. The promulgation said, “For all they have achieved throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish, we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute.”

It is said that old age is a second childhood. It is a time when the ones who have spent most of their lives caring for their children, become children themselves. When adults enter this phase of life, they go through many changes – both physical and emotional. However, old age in India is beset with challenges. They find it difficult to talk about their problems, and there is one they talk about the least – loss of bladder control. Apart from feeling embarrassed to discuss it, youngsters not offering support adds to their woes. There are thousands of such seniors who have voluntarily locked themselves in their homes; are now settling for their lives, just to avoid discussing incontinence. Research about adult diapers has shown, that the users themselves, are the biggest barriers to product adoption.

Friends Adult Diapers is starting an important discourse on this topic. They are urging young adults to take time off their daily lives and #MakeAConversation with their seniors to help them overcome the reluctance to talk about incontinence.



We need to realize that losing control of one’s bladder in old age is a natural phenomenon that can be dealt with. If a user is in denial about a product, then there seems very little progress can be made. Thus, the responsibility falls upon us, as caretakers, as well-wishers, and as respectable human beings, that we can address this issue for the seniors in our family.

The issue of incontinence should be discussed in the open. It is the same as talking about infants wearing diapers or women wearing sanitary pads – a natural process. We need to befriend our elders and ensure that they don’t feel excluded. We need to be their companions in this new world they have entered.

Friends Adult Diapers is doing a wonderful deed by helping us shake our conscience and do what’s right. A simple conversation with the old man who sits alone on the park bench in front of your house or sharing a cup of tea with the old woman whose children have gone abroad can make a lot of difference. Also, it is time we shed our biases one by one and openly talk about incontinence within our homes. This is the very least we can do for our seniors.

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