values. Is this new? No. This
thought of misunderstanding
each other has always been there
to some degree even in the past.
The seniors, as always, have tried
to accommodate the modern
thoughts as much as possible,
but have been conscious of the
effects that will be there as well
as having tried to keep up the
community and Hindu values of
life, and would appreciate highly
if the youth be strong enough
to propagate those values upon
themselves and pass on to their
children. highlighted. Are we really fighting
a losing battle with them? Is
there a clear cut answer to any
of these problems? One needs
a clear conscience and a brave
heart to make any decision, and
once made, one or the samaj
as a whole should be strong
enough to follow and face the
consequences. Hence, every
member and the samaj as a
whole have to think hard to find
appropriate solutions.
Care for the elderly is another
issue. If the family is supportive,
it becomes easier for the elderly
to be looked after and taken care
of. However, in this day and age,
the family members also need
their own free time. The time of
Shravankumar taking his blind
parents on pilgrimage is hardly
found nowadays: though, there
may be some dutiful children still
looking after their parents and
grandparents to the best of their
abilities. In UK, state assistance
in the hospitals and visits by the
carers has been well established. Conflict
The above are some of the
main issues which have been
Conflict is part of being human. It
comes from being different from
others – from having a different
set of attitudes or perceptions,
different goals and a lack of
empathy. When conflict grows
inside a family from grandparent
to grandchild or in a society
from young workers to people
on Social Security, it can lead to
painful and difficult situations.
There are reasons for the conflict:
risk, finances, physical inabilities
and a lack of empathy. The
reasons can be understood and
overcome.
Finances
Both the young and the old
require money to thrive. The
number of elderly is growing
in relation to the number of
younger taxpayers. The young see
themselves making contributions
to a system which won’t be there
[For financial options see
‘Benefits for people over 60’]
Physical Inabilities
People who can’t do as much
as other members of the
community or family take up
scarce resources, whether it’s a
grandparent who has difficulty
in moving or a teenager who has
broken a leg on the football field.
The community or the family
is better at handling stressful
situations if a responsible person
can identify the needs and
resources and develop a fair plan
to tackle such problem.
Lack of Empathy
When one or more of the
participants sees the other behind
a mask of misunderstanding,
stressful situations are made
worse We form empathy by
sharing experiences. The old and
the young may have no areas in
which they have done or seen the
same things. When the young and
old look at each other, often they
see only the mask of age and fail
to find any common experience.
Benefits For People Over 60
The benefits system in the UK
is complex. There is a lot of
information available on the UK
government’s public services and
information website, at www.gov.
uk which has an online benefits
calculator that will estimate the
benefits you are entitled to and
claim online.
The purpose of most benefits
is to make sure the basic needs
of the recipient are met, which
means that any additional
income is unlikely to help you
meet your credit commitments
Some of the rules about benefits
depend on your age. In many
cases, the rules change when you
get to state pension age, the age
when people can choose to start
getting their State Pension. State
pension age always used to be
45
Risk
Both young people and the
elderly are at risk, but for
different reasons. The young
haven’t finished their growth
period and may be working with a
mind and body that fails to work
in a responsible way. Their ability
to perceive issues of character
and situation may not be
matured. The elderly may be able
to see situations and individuals
clearly but can’t deal with either
one because of the frailty of their
bodies or health.
when they need it. They have
to pay for medicines and social
security now and all the money
goes to someone else.