[ankurpatel]

In Indian and Asian culture in general you will take care of your parents just as they have taken care of you when you were a child. Old age is just like childhood age where you have to look after them just as much as you would look after a young child. Having your parents move in with your family is an option so that they don't feel lonely. They can also see their grand children and not feeling lonely at home. Loneliness is one of the main reasons to loose hope in life if they do not have good neighbors or support system. Once hope is lost then motivation to live long also goes away.

Not sure what other think of my opinion but I am living with at my parents at their home currently and just bought a new place and moving with my parents and wife/kids. There is attachment to the home we lived in for this long but we are looking forward to better life in new home together. There can be small disputes living together that may urge you to live separately but I feel if you look past them you all will feel stronger as you all know there is someone in the house to look out for each other.

[breakingwalls]

The sentiment of elderly become like children is very strong IMO and it actually makes sense; not in terms of innocence of children but the physical(and somewhat mental abilities) weaken as time progresses.

As per ancient texts, there are four stages to one's life. Brahmacharya (student), Grihastha (householder), Vanaprastha (forest walker/forest dweller), and Sannyasa (renunciate). I always wonder if the ancient Indians really did that and how the society would have looked back then.

With that said, modern Indian's diet is drastically different from what the ancients ate and also the daily physical work(insert yoga, going to rivers for water and rituals, farming etc) ancients must have done is very different. Not only that, the elders were considered scholarly and wise since they have the done the walk of life; and because of that, alms were given out by the Kings and other working men to the elderly. Today's society holds less relevance to all this and renunciation is clearly not an option and has faded away into the history.

Vanaprastha (forest walker/forest dweller) aka. hiking, and Sannyasa (renunciate) aka. off-grid are the new age terms and I find that very interesting idea to purse at least for my old age.

[frontman1988]

Isn't it traditional Indian culture for old people to become ascetics and indulge in spiritual pursuits? The Hindu texts talk about renunciation being most important in final ashram/stage of life as a Sannyasini. Wonder how is that goal achievable if old people are treated like a young child. Letting go of attachment amd material comforts is difficult, but it is the right thing to do according to Hindu Dharma.