Amidst Mother’s Day tributes, Ahmedabad’s old age homes see rise in abandoned elderly women

As social media fills with emotional Mother’s Day tributes and photographs celebrating mothers on May 10, old age homes in Ahmedabad continue to witness a growing number of elderly women seeking shelter after being abandoned or neglected by their families.

At least 50 old age homes currently operate across Ahmedabad, housing an estimated 3,500 to 3,700 elderly residents. As per people associated with the sector, nearly 55 to 60% of them are women.

Social workers and old age home administrators attribute a range of factors to the increasing number of elderly people being moved into care homes, including domestic disputes, financial difficulties, changing family structures and emotional alienation within households.

In many cases, elderly parents are viewed as a burden after transferring their property or savings to their children, they said.

Jivansandhya Old Age Home, one of the city’s long-running care homes, has handled numerous such cases over the years.

Social worker Suketubhai and his colleagues, who have been associated with the institution for over two decades, said they had fought legal battles on behalf of nearly 1,000 elderly people to help them reclaim their homes and rights.

Administrators also said there have been instances where family members left the responsibility of performing the final rites of elderly parents to the care home authorities.

Experts working with senior citizens pointed to mounting financial pressures in urban households as one of the reasons behind the trend.

Many families in Ahmedabad struggle to manage education expenses, high rents and household costs on modest monthly incomes, leading to domestic tensions that sometimes result in elderly parents moving into old age homes voluntarily or being left there by their children.

In one case cited by caretakers, a man from Mumbai allegedly brought his elderly parents to Vadodara on the pretext of a holiday before abandoning them in a hotel and returning home. The couple later found shelter in an Ahmedabad old age home.

According to caretakers, the son returned four years later, persuaded his parents to return to Mumbai and subsequently transferred their property into his name before allegedly resuming abusive behaviour.

Old age home operators also noted a rise in the number of elderly residents whose only children are daughters. While many daughters are willing to care for their parents after marriage, social and financial constraints often make it difficult for them to assume full responsibility, forcing elderly parents to move into care facilities.

Psychologists and social workers further highlighted growing emotional loneliness among senior citizens, especially grandparents who feel neglected once younger family members become occupied with their own lives.

This emotional isolation often leads to depression, household discord and, eventually, relocation to old age homes, they said.

Caretakers added that demand for accommodation has risen sharply in recent years, with several old age homes in Ahmedabad now operating with waiting periods of six to eight months.

Some institutions have also reportedly started informal “advance booking” systems due to increasing enquiries and limited availability of beds.