A handshake is accepted worldwide as a warm greeting but nothing could be worse in terms of disease transmission! No touch techniques to greet people are superior in terms of preventing cross infections. A bow of the head like the Japanese, or joining of palms in a Namaste or touching one’s palm to one’s head in a Salaam which are practiced in the Indian subcontinent are ways to ensure that we do not unintentionally give or receive disease causing germs from another person. The elderly should be cautious regarding hand hygiene and therefore embracing our own cultural beliefs will save us from harm. Senior care services should therefore always involve a lot of stress on personal hygiene.
Care services for the elderly must be provided by personnel who are well-versed with the logic of treating holistically and not just with medicines. Treatment should be such that it involves a well-rounded understanding of psychological issues as well, that appear with the onset of old age.
Touching is considered to be more intimate in our culture, unlike in the west and today, because of complicated working and personal relationships, touching without consent can be construed as a mis-demeanor. It is perhaps time for our respectful joining of hands to be adopted as the friendliest, most respectful greeting ever without invading another’s private space. Whether it is about touching a senior person or a child, touching is a matter of serious concern and should form part of the senior care services strategy.
Mother Tongue – An extra asset
Having 22 languages and about 400 different dialects creates a huge challenge for all Indians who need to communicate with people outside their locality. However, this has its inherent advantages too. Most children who go to school are forced to learn a minimum of 2 and more often than not, 3 distinct languages, which may be a bit taxing to begin with, but keeps the brain cells more active, than in those who speak only 1 language. Being bilingual and using two languages regularly in our daily routine can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Switching between languages requires the use of different parts of the brain and frequently activates executive function for interpretation and multitasking. The matter of dialects should therefore be taken seriously when it comes to senior care services in Kolkata.
Studies have shown that the use of 2 or more languages actually increases the grey matter of the brain and improves the integrity of the white matter leading to better neuro-transmission. Hence, seniors need to be encouraged to employ their knowledge of languages in their daily lives, be it to solve crosswords, or play with word puzzles to keep their brains buzzing.