Throwaway culture, throwaway people: Who cares for the elderly?

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ 

The proverb “Old is gold” has stood the test of time—and for good reason. It speaks of enduring value, accumulated wisdom, and the irreplaceable quality of things that have weathered the years. Whether we think of cherished traditions, vintage treasures, or timeless music, there is an authenticity in the old that the new often cannot replicate.

Yet today, this saying has become little more than a cliché. We live in a throwaway culture, where the latest gadget is obsolete before its box is recycled. Disposable plates and cups are convenient; mountains of garbage reveal how easily we discard things—and even food. And when it comes to people, the elderly are too often treated as dispensable, inconvenient, and unwanted.

Pope Francis recognised this painful reality when he established the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly in 2021. He wanted to address the isolation of older people, highlight their vital role as bridges between generations, and encourage the young to connect with them. Celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of July—close to the Feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim—this day honours the grandparents of Jesus as models of tenderness and fidelity. This year, for the first time, it falls exactly on 26 July, their actual feast day.

For this sixth World Day, Pope Leo XIV has offered a stirring message titled, “I will never forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). He does not shy away from the perils of old age, but echoes the prophet’s words of hope: “Even today, we can read these words as referring to each of us... words that fill us with comfort and hope.”

He pulls no punches in describing the reality many elderly face: “The lives of many elderly people, in particular, seem to be covered by a veil that blurs the features of their faces and shrouds them in oblivion. This is what happens in homes where loneliness reigns and also in those care facilities where each person's uniqueness risks being reduced to a bed number or an illness.”

“Times are changing indeed!”—another cliché, but one that rings true. Families are smaller, careerism and consumerism consume us, and technology, for all its gifts, often leaves us more individualistic and less human. The shared time of caring, praying, playing, and bonding that once defined family life has become a rarity. The traditional joint family, where elders were revered, has all but vanished. “We have no time,” we cry—and grandparents are the ones who pay the price. Often tolerated, sometimes resented, they are all too easily placed in care homes by well-to-do children living abroad, who comfort themselves with weekly calls and monthly payments.

But what the elderly truly want is presence—the touch of their own flesh and blood.

Pope Leo challenges the young directly: “May this day, therefore, be an inspiration for everyone, especially the young, to revive the beautiful custom of visiting their grandparents, the elderly members of the family and even those who have no one to visit them.” In his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, he adds: “In an era that favours speed and fragmentation, the human person still yearns to receive care and recognition from attentive minds, kind words and hands capable of tenderness. The digital culture multiplies connections... yet the human heart retains an irrevocable need for genuine closeness.” The only remedy to loneliness, then, is physical presence, patient listening, and tender care.

In India, the number of elderly is growing rapidly. By 2036, the senior citizen population is projected to reach 230 million—about 15% of the total. Yet many find themselves vulnerable, with inadequate institutional and familial support. The challenges are stark:

· Health: Stigmatised mental health conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s, rising disabilities, insufficient geriatric care, and a deep urban-rural divide in access to medical services.

· Economic: Weak social security, rising living and medical costs, and limited financial resources.

· Social: Weakening family ties, isolation, neglect, and lack of companionship.

· Digital divide: Barriers to technology adoption, lack of training, and inaccessible devices.

· Infrastructure: Poor literacy, weak emergency response, and public spaces largely unfriendly to the elderly—ramps, handrails, and accessible washrooms remain exceptions rather than norms.

For those of us not yet elderly, there is a call to revisit and celebrate the warmth, sacrifice, and generosity we once received from grandparents and elders—a “revolution of tenderness.” We must also recognise that the elderly have rights: to independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment, and dignity. The younger generation must work actively to secure these rights. There is no debate—it is non-negotiable.

At the same time, seniors themselves must learn to grow old gracefully, adapting to changing times and circumstances.

Pope Leo reminds us: “The Church understands the suffering of her elderly members; she knows full well that they are all too often viewed through the lens of stereotypes and considered a burden... For each of these reasons, she joyfully proclaims the Lord's promise: ‘But I will never forget you!’”

The challenges are many. But when we realise that God never forgets, and when we reach out with sensitivity to our seniors, we will truly celebrate a memorable World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Let us never forget: old is gold.

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Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation, and peace activist, writer, and trainer