Challenges faced by the
senior citizens ----India
India, a sub-continent that carries
15 per cent of the world’s population, is gradually
undergoing a demographic change
as a result of many factors. With decline in fertility and mortality rates
accompanied by an improvement in child survival and increased life expectancy,
a significant feature of demographic change is the progressive increase in the
number of elderly persons. 1/8th of the Worlds
Elderly Population lives in India.
As per the
2001 census data there were 77million elders in India i.e. 7.5 % of the population.
It was then projected that by 2051 it would reach 331 million i.e. 17. 3% of
the population. Every country is burdened with growing dependent elders. Yet,
the world is celebrating the International Elders Day (October 1st) through out
this month. and uses the occasion to raise some issues concerning the elderly
population
The elders live in constant worry
related to three matters, viz., deceases, poverty and loneliness. There is no
escape from the first problem because, it is the result of natural process of
aging, The second problem is either due to poverty or poor financial management
during earning time that has resulted in the absence of saved funds or income yielding
investment in the sunset years and the third problem is either due to loss of
spouse or NRI children or deliberate abandonment by the children.
In general, the diseases are to
be tackled through, holistic health care, i.e. paying attention to the preventive,
promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of health care. But regarding
senior citizens, only the last two aspects will be beneficial since the aging
process would result weakening of body parts resulting in constant aches and
pains and they might become victims of some
serious diseases too. The analysis of National Sample Survey data for
1986-87 reveals that about 45 per cent of the rural elderly are chronically ill
among whom 45.01 per cent are men and 45.85 per cent are women. In the urban
areas, 44.82 per cent of the elderly (45.49 per cent women and 44.34 per cent
men) are chronically ill. High blood pressure, heart disease and urinary
problems are more common among the elderly in the urban areas. As far as
physical disabilities are concerned, in the rural areas, 5.4 per cent of all
the elderly are physically disabled while in the urban areas, 5.5 per cent of
all the elderly are physically disabled. The official statistics reveal that
large segments of the elderly in India are illiterate, out of work
force, partially or totally dependent on others and suffering from health
problems or physical disabilities.
The better off elders, have to be careful
about timely and regular medical care,
control over their diet, follow prescribed exercises strictly and maintain
calmness of mind through mediation. They should remember that, non compliance
with these precautions would result in burdening their care takers and that
situation might tilt the existing harmonious relationship that prevails within
in the family. It is because; we are living in the century when no one has time
for others due strains and stresses of modern life. However, with very little
awareness and even fewer options to help those diagnosed with Alzheimer
decease, the onus of handling the patient falls on the caregiver or the family.
“It is very tough for caregivers, as they have to face mental, physical and
financial strain,” says Dr Shirin Barodawala, honorary secretary, Alzheimer’s
& Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), an organisation devoted to
Alzheimer’s patients and their families.Dignity foundation runs dementia day
care centre at Dadar, chembur and Neral , where patients are picked up and
dropped, fed with suitable lunch, kept occupied with occupational therapy. This
gives family member’s immense relief from 24 hours care which they find
extremely difficult, all over the counter such day care centers are needed But such facilities have not spread to many states in India.
The number of living alone
seniors has increased in recent times due to various reasons. The childless and the spouseless seniors and
the seniors with NRI children or non NRI but out of stationed children are
forced to live alone. The seniors with decent investments and pension also
prefer to live alone if they find it difficult to adjust with their immediate
family and want to live with dignity and independence .they are categorized as
active seniors capable of self management of their affairs. . These seniors
initially are happy, enjoying their independence, solitude and leisurely life
after decades of hard and pressurized life. Some of them pursue their hobbies
or involve in community work or take up part-time jobs . But ,as they grow older, as
solitude and leisure become
excessive, as contact with children ,
relatives and friends become infrequent
.When illnesses attach frequently, they are depressed worrying about their hospitalization, connected expenses ,
immobility and death. They find
self management of their life difficult. Management of outside affairs becomes
a challenge and memory loss results in loss of valuables. They are exposed to
dangers from strangers and service providers. .
In this materialistic world, where every body is busy with their own
activities, it amounts to too much expectation if such seniors expect their
kith and kin to rush to attend to their requirements or even to pay them
frequent visits. As the visits become
infrequent, they have to satisfy themselves only with the company of
television, books, phone, radio and the computer. They are non living things
and can not be substitutes for human company and with them sad and happy
moments can not be shared. .Hence, the
elders are phychologically affected and then self pity and depression sets
in. The enforced idleness and loneliness
aggravate their agony. They suffer
thinking of the past days when they were full of hope and aspirations for their
children and tried hard to make their future secure. When, the well settled
children are just satisfied with periodical phone calls and make the aged
parents live on their own, (which is almost near abandonment), they immerse in
self pity and suffer in silence, thinking of the purposeless and idle life a
Such suffering are more for the active, educated seniors .The continuation of
such a situation affect their mental, physical, emotional and psychological
health aspects. . Such seniors should either opt to join paid senior citizen
homes with good facilities or keep some relative at home or join their children
if there is such a possibility. But before they decide to live with their
children they should resolve to follow the three principles viz., “talk not,
hear not and see not.” unnecessarily.
Only then they can live with harmony and dignity
Another problem faced by the living alone seniors
is the security of life. The elderly form one of the most vulnerable groups in
the society. Police files report skyrocketing crime rates against them The
Mumbai police helpline for senior folks gets over 80 calls a day. . They have to depend on lot of service
providers and mange their out side activities too alone. They are exposed to
risks when unknown persons attend to their needs and also through thieves. They
are brutally attacked and even murdered or loose their valuables. Dementia
affected senior’s loose lot of valuables when they operate their bank works and
use credit cards or ATM cards. Such seniors should follow several precautionary
measures such as, keeping a thoroughly checked reliable servant at home, living
near relatives and friends, having the phone numbers family auditor, doctor and lawyer to reach in
times of need, fixing high technology
locks and grill gates in the needy places ,maintaining good relationship with the neighbors and
meeting them regularly and exchanging their
phone numbers, preparing a will
regarding their worldly possessions and registering it , not gossiping about their possessions
with strangers or while traveling, arranging for regular supply of food through
a caterer who will supply food as per the needs of the seniors, so that
they wont subject themselves to the
cooking hazards and risks involved in it and
keeping all the relevant document and valuables in the safety lockers.
The poor
seniors are the worst affected. Rural Affairs Minister , Jeyaram Ramesh has to be congratulated for writing to
the PM about the need to enhance the
pension amount to the poor seniors so
that they can live with dignity. But his recommendation of Rs 400 to them will
not ensure dignified living in these
days of hyper inflationThe elderly population constitute 10 per cent of the
total population, but 80 per cent of them
come under BPL they are dependent seniors and their families are also poor. But
the, benefits are not reaching the aged living Below Poverty Line (BPL) as it
is meant to be, due to the intervention of local politicos, alleged Federation
of Senior Citizens’ Associations of Tamilnadu (FOSCATAN).T he representatives
urged the government to implement the National Policy on Senior Citizens
immediately. Majority of the elderly in both rural (50.78 per cent) and urban
(57.35 per cent) areas are totally dependent on others for economic support.
About 15.20 per cent of the elderly in rural areas and 13.71 per cent of the
elderly in the urban areas are partially dependent on others. The poor seniors suffer due to inadequate and
unsuitable and untimely food, lack of timely medical care, mental trauma due to
constant verbal abuse. The pension provided by the state governments is inadequate
(since it is only Rs200 or 400 per month in most of the states) to their
requirement due to inflation and many of them are forced to take up jobs to
help their families and to maintain their dignity. A large number of their
family members are forced to migrate to cities and they usually leave behind
their aged parents and forget their existence. In other words, they are
abandoned. Their condition is very pathetic. They are severely sick, starving
and left unattended. They either turn
into beggars or subjected to mercy killing.
As per a Help age India’s
study, ninety-two per cent of Delhi’s
elderly citizens are suffering in silence because they are ashamed or afraid to
share their experiences. It is better for the very poor seniors to move to free
senior citizen homes. It is true that they are not run satisfactorily. But
recently the government has started regulating them.
The abused seniors are either unaware of there
rights or the provisions of the
“Maintenance of the Welfare of
Parents and Senior citizens Act” or
chose not to seek protection under it since they do not want to cut off their
relationship with their care givers. In the developed countries the governments
take care of the social security of the senior citizens. But in developing countries,
the families are expected to take care of them. The middle class families in
urban areas are becoming nuclear and smaller, as a result there are a few
people available in the house to provide care and comfort to the aged. Those
who are available are torn apart by the stresses of urban living. Women too in
urban areas are now working outside the family. They have fixed schedules of
work and have other pressures on them. Children are loaded with their studies. The
post globalised generation has no time to attend to the emotional needs of
their aged parents, because they are busy chasing their material dreams. If the
elders want to be with the family they have to adjust a lot otherwise they
would be bundled to the senior citizens homes. .
A review of the Indian
government’s Five Year Plans shows very limited and inconsistent concern for
the elderly. The only welfare measure for the elderly considered by the
government until the Seventh Five Year Plan was the running of old age homes.
The Eighth and Ninth Plans, however, incorporated fairly more specific and
comprehensive welfare measures for the elderly y. Yet health care for the poor
elders is not satisfactory. What the Indian government is doing for elders care
can best be described as a situation of “vast undone and little done.” Kerela has introduced some services for the
elders such as the starting of day care centers for elderly. It is boon to the
care takers Therefore, starting of more
number of day care centers in the urban areas and mobile clinics in the rural
areas is an urgent need. Senior
friendly public transport and toilets is another need. Sensitising children
regarding care of the elderly through schools is an urgent measure needed. Lack
of hospitals for terminally ill and Alzheimer affected elders is another gap in
India. There is huge gap in the supply and demand
position of personnel for palliative care and home nursing and it needs
immediate attention. Let the government acknowledge the fact the elders of to
day have contributed to the growth and culture of the country and let
youngsters realise that their sacrifice and efforts have laid the foundation
for their current position and hence it is the responsibility of the government
and the family members to take care of the elder’s needs instead of considering
their prolonged life as a burden
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