Students take part in a rally to mark International Day of Older Persons in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 1: Kalyani Mohapatra, 65, lives alone in a plush bungalow in the capital city. Both her sons work outside the state and she lost her husband last year. The pangs of loneliness forced her to let out a part of the house to a family on rent.

The story is no different for Bandana and Hrushikesh Das. Their son Keshav is settled in Mumbai while daughter Lisa works in Bangalore. The couple, who are in their sixties, now look forward to the family get-togethers when their children come home once or twice a year.

“I miss my children and grandchildren. Today, I wonder why I had persuaded them to take up higher studies and chase successful careers to work abroad,” said Mohapatra.

On International Day of Older Persons observed on Monday, senior citizens gathered at various forums organised by HelpAge India, People’s Cultural Centre and other organisations to express their concerns. The empty-nest syndrome was found to be one of the most common situations elderly people in urban areas are going through. This feeling of loneliness at an old age when children are away from home is visibly growing not only in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, but also in urban areas such as Rourkela and Berhampur.

Abuse by family members, health and security issues are concerns for the elderly throughout the state, but emotional stress owing to the absence of children has become a major issue in urban areas, the chief cause behind it being the pursuit of career by the children.

“Our society is not yet prepared for the transition from group living to isolated living. Parents don’t have the mindset to accept the change. But since change is inevitable, what could be suggested is a better-prepared approach. They should be aware that their children might leave one day for higher studies, job, or a more private life after getting married,” said psychologist Sarat Patra.

Apart from emotional and psychological stress, living alone makes old people vulnerable. Last month, a midnight assault on a septuagenarian couple in the posh Acharya Vihar area of the capital left the elderly woman dead and the husband seriously injured.

Sixty-five-year-old Puspalata Jena was murdered in Baramunda HIG housing colony last year and Bhubaneswar-based doctor Brahmananda Panda, 60, whose son was abroad, was murdered in 2010.

Youngsters are also aware of the depression that parents undergo when they are away from home but there seem to be very few solutions.

“We may hire caretakers to look after our parents and grandparents but considering the crime rate, this is not entirely safe. Private enterprises should come up with senior citizen-friendly health schemes because the government healthcare is not adequate enough,” said Priyanka Pradhan, a 21-year-old corporate employee.

Another youngster said that taking parents along with them is also not a feasible option. “When my parents came to Mumbai to be with me, they constantly missed the neighbourhood and lifestyle of Bhubaneswar. They wanted to go back in a few months,” said Samarendra Malik, a software developer.