Elderly Care: Social Media Reacts To Viral Take On Ageing Parents! Read Details

In India, families have to juggle jobs, home loan EMIs, children's school fees, and parents' medical needs all at once. Many elderly parents, not wanting to be a burden on their children, often suffer in silence without revealing their difficulties.

A Malayali man living in Norway has sparked a huge debate online by comparing how elderly parents are cared for in India versus Norway. In a post on 'X', the young man, Vinod, shared his observations.

Vinod explained that in Norway, elderly parents generally don't live with their children. Instead, they either continue to live in their own homes or move to assisted living facilities. These centres provide nursing care, organised meals, and daily activities, all while giving top priority to the seniors' personal dignity and independence.

He clarified that this doesn't mean families grow apart. "They meet their grandchildren on weekends and plan family get-togethers. They even go on holidays together. In short, they maintain their relationships without the parents being completely under the children's control or dependent on them," Vinod wrote. He added that in Norway, a senior citizen's quality of life doesn't depend on their children's income or their ability to care for them.

In contrast, Indian families often have to manage their jobs, home loan repayments, children's education costs, and parents' medical needs all at the same time. He pointed out that many elderly parents, not wanting to be a burden, choose to stay silent about their struggles. "In India, if you put your elderly parents in an old-age home, the entire community will talk and blame you for it," he added.

Vinod argued that Indians often mix love with duty, money, dependency, and guilt, and then call it 'culture'. He believes that the elderly should have the freedom to live happily without the fear of dependency, guilt, or the feeling of being a burden. He ended by asking if India needs to build a stronger support system for its senior citizens.

In Norway, ageing parents do not move in with their children.

They live in their own homes, or in well-run care homes, with nurses checking on them, meals arranged, activities planned, and their dignity intact.

But that doesn’t mean families become distant.

They meet on…

— Vinod (@turiyatman) September 1, 2026

The post received mixed reactions. Many people pointed out the differences in infrastructure, social structures, and the emotional needs of parents in India. One person commented, "In old age, a person finds the most comfort and peace in the home they have lived in for so long." However, another user said, "The Norwegian system seems like a very healthy approach for everyone involved."