A day before her grandmother passed away, my friend mailed to me, Ammachy was quite healthy and capable of looking after herself… a couple of months ago, since she led a lonely life and away from her children, a caregiver was arranged to assist her. Then began her decline.
Now she is in hospital, totally unwell, and the doctors have requested to inform all her relatives, that her days are running out.

She went on to describe the difficulties her Grandma had to endure at the hands of the so-called ‘care’ giver, who they suspect, refused to give her food, terrorized the poor hapless Ammachy and tormented her. It was a very depressing story. The next morning, I got an SMS from her that Ammachy has left this world.

This is not an isolated incident. I hear similar stories from many sources. Can one always blame the children for not looking after the parents and leaving them to the mercy of a woman who does not give a damn about them? Juggling between careers and homes and parents who are not ready to relocate, they may be forced to make decisions.

And the caregiver woman? Shouldn’t she be doing a minimum justice to the money she gets? A little kindness, if not sincerity, to the people in their care?

It makes me quite frightened to think about the possibility of my ever leaving my parents with such a caregiver, or ever finding myself at the mercy of one… God Forbid!