Lending a helping hand to the lonely elderly can go a long way in helping them get rid of suicidal thoughts
Bengaluru: Loneliness can weaken the life of the elderly. With no one to take care of them in the evening of their lives, they are forced to entertain suicidal thoughts.
That is when the youngsters in the society can play a great role in reaffirming that they can help the elderly in leading a meaningful life.
ACP Chandraraj Singh Jadeja of Police Suicide Prevention Helpline in Surat, Gujarat, got a call from a helpless elderly person. He said, "I am fed up with life, I can't even get food for two times. I am also troubled by the problem of diabetes and BP, no money to buy medicine. The feet are swollen, unable to go to the bathroom. I have none and can no longer bear the pain. I am thinking of suicide,” as quoted by Dainik Bhaskar.
While the ACP spoke to him, he sent ASI Naveen to his house. As he went to the house, he successfully thwarted the suicide bid of the elderly person. Not just this, Naveen also ensured that the elderly person got food for the next fortnight.
The elderly person further adds, “I have a problem with sugar as well as BP. During the financial crisis and the lockdown, the situation became disastrous. Far from medicine, there is no money left to eat. Nobody was willing to help. The condition of sons is not such that they can be asked for money. Due to lack of proper food for several days, the feet got swollen, which made me to walk two steps.”
Naveen has successfully taken care of the elderly now. He adds, “After seeing his condition and listening to his words, I was shocked. I immediately asked for food from a nearby hotel and then waited until he had eaten. After that, I asked him to remove the idea of suicide from his mind. Now I will take responsibility for you. Do you approve? After listening to me, he just kept looking at me and he saw mild expressions of happiness on his face. After this, I brought all his medicines. When he became very emotional, I also had tears in my eyes.”
Naveen ensured that his son now takes care of him.
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