Are the welfare measures for elderly enough?

 -Ria Nisar

According to WHO (World Health Organization), by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population over 60 years of age will live in low and middle-income countries. The elderly Indian population is one of the fastest-growing in the world. At 110 million, India has the second-largest global population of ageing citizens. Yet, India lacks basic infrastructure and expertise to support the health & welfare of our elderly.

Ageing and Ageism:

Ageing is a natural, gradual and irreversible process that begins in early adulthood and continues throughout life. Ageing is caused by the accumulation of a range of molecular and cellular damage throughout time. This results in a gradual loss of physical and mental capacity, as well as an increased risk of disease and, eventually, death.

Changes in dynamic biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social processes are all linked to ageing. Greying hair, for example, is a benign age-related alteration. Others lead to decreased senses and daily activities, as well as greater vulnerability to the frequency of disease, frailty, or disability. In fact, human ageing is a substantial risk factor for a variety of chronic diseases.

Ageism or ageist prejudice is stereotyping or discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age.

Challenges that go hand in hand with ageing:

“If my husband were alive, it wouldn’t have been like this, my sons and daughters-in-law wouldn’t be treating me like this. Nobody talks to me, not even my grandchildren and I need to do the domestic chores despite the chronic pain in my knees otherwise they will treat me as a burden and throw me out of the house. Also, I got my vaccination doses all alone, nobody accompanied me and I felt ashamed when the doctors at the village dispensary told me to not come alone and come with your family member”, says teary-eyed Shanti Devi, a 70-year-old woman who currently lives with her daughter in Delhi.

There is no paucity of such stories in the country and what goes without saying is that older people have a depleting health that needs constant care and management. Ageing is accompanied by various problems including deteriorating physical and mental health that causes dependency for even the daily tasks, huge medical expenses and financial insecurity, elderly abuse and domestic violence, chronic diseases or disabilities, worthlessness, loneliness and lack of companionship and hence the ageist prejudice or ageism. Here are some statistics reflecting these issues and their prevalence:

• At least five per cent of India’s elderly population (aged 60 years and above) stated they experienced ill-treatment in 2020, according to the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI).

 • A lot of women lose support as they lose their partners to old age, according to the survey. This group of people generally has no income source or economic activity.

 • About 5.7 per cent of the country’s senior citizens (age 60 and above) live on their own without the support of family or friends. 

Laws protecting the rights of senior citizens:

There are many laws protecting the interests of the senior citizens. Article 41 of the Constitutional Rights provides that ‘’the State shall within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want.’’ The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2017 requires children to provide maintenance for their parents, and the government to provide old age homes and ensure medical care for senior citizens. Under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana, a pension scheme was announced exclusively for people aged 60 years and above. Among other benefits, it states that for the Financial Year 2021-22, the Scheme shall provide an assured pension of 7.40% p.a. payable monthly. This assured rate of pension shall be payable for the full policy term of 10 years for all the policies purchased till 31st March, 2022.

Amongst others, the elderly in India are also liable to get concession in railway ticket rates if they are above the age of 60. Section 88-B, 88-D, and 88-DDB of the Income Tax Act of India allow senior citizens to claim a discount in tax. Even with so many laws in place, the elderly in India are still neglected, abused and impoverished.

Globally, many countries have realized the importance of elderly and administered laws to safeguard them. In the USA,  elderly have the right to be free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The elderly have the right to be free from discrimination. The Older Persons Act in Africa explicitly criminalizes all forms of abuse of older persons. Even in Vietnam, elderly have been given the right to be provided with conditions to work in suitability to their health and professions and other conditions in order to bring into full play their role. With effective implementation of laws in these countries, elderly are much happier and at peace there than in India.

Elderly in India: Is this country suitable for them?

With poor implementation of laws, the elderly in India are heading towards a downward spiral. With the younger generation mostly flying out of the country for a better standard of living and the rural people migrating to cities for job opportunities, older parents are all alone and lonely. In the 1970’s when Aloka Mitra tried starting an old age home in Kolkata a Government minister tried talking her out of it and deemed her idea unworthy. Her dream was ridiculed and seen as an idea a bored, aloof woman would cook up. Fighting the taboo surrounding nursing homes, her home Naba Nir still runs strong.

Elderly people in India who acquire disabilities as a result of old age aren’t extended the benefits associated with disability, as the Government fails to recognize them. The Government needs to step up and implement mechanisms to educate the elderly about their rights. They need to set up better infrastructure for medical facilities which even reaches the people at the grassroot level. It needs to recognise those children who have abandoned their parents and are not looking over their welfare and set a strict punishment regime in motion.

Older women who are often the subject of violence and gender discrimination need to be protected at all costs. Programs to educate the elderly also need to be implemented. The Government also needs to set up old age homes which cater to each and every need of the elderly. Not only physical needs but also mental and emotional needs. Aid needs to be given to those ambitious elders who want to set up their business at a later age and the Government needs to recognise their entrepreneurial spirit and incentivises it. At the age of 94, Harbhajan Kaur from Chandigarh started her own business selling sweet treats, a cherished family recipe. Not for profit homes who work for the elderly also need to be brought into the limelight.

Charity platforms for the disadvantaged elderly:

Help Age India is a leading organization which has been around for more than 40 years. It runs Agecare, healthcare and livelihood programs and provides senior care services throughout the country & advocates strongly for the cause of elderly and fights for their rights. Manavlok is a voluntary organization which runs a community kitchen for the elderly. Providing two meals a day to over 75 senior citizens in five villages of Ambajogai district, Maharashtra. Abhoy Mission aims to provide social security and dignity to the poor, destitute and income less senior citizens residing in slums and rural areas in Western Tripura. 

There are countless organizations working all over the country to protect the marginalized elderly class. Elderly play key roles in indigenous communities. They are important knowledge keepers and help in cultural continuity. Respect for elders will only lead to emboldening one’s personal identity and overall productivity of the environment. 

"No elderly person should be like an exile in our families. The elderly are a treasure for our society." - Pope Francis

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