Forum: Filial care goes beyond the occasional birthday meal

I would like to highlight a situation that may be more common in our society than we realise – elderly parents who appear to have families, yet lack consistent day-to-day care.

Some seniors may prefer to live independently. Their children may invite them for birthdays, festive gatherings or occasional meals. On the surface, the family relationship seems intact and even comfortable.

However, between these occasions, the elderly parents have to manage alone. Their homes may go uncleaned, their meals may consist mainly of takeaway food, and their daily well-being may receive little attention.

Occasional invitations to meals or celebrations cannot replace consistent concern for an elderly parent’s health, nutrition and living environment. True filial care is reflected in the small but meaningful actions that ensure elderly parents can live with dignity: regular check-ins, arranging help with household tasks, and making sure they have proper meals.

As our population ages rapidly, perhaps it is time for a more honest conversation about what filial responsibility means in modern society.

Respect for parents should not be measured only by occasional gestures, but by the everyday care we are willing to give in return for the years they spent caring for us.

Shamim Moledina