JOIN USIn a meeting organised by Vishwas Trust on Thursday, the NGO members, Social Work students and members of the press discussed the difficulties faced by the elderly and came up with possible solutions that could help the elderly to lead an abuse-free life.
Speaking on the occasion, social worker and Vishwas Trust Director Olinda Pereira stressed on the need to introduce gerontology as a syllabus in colleges. “Gerontology, the study of elderly should be given the same priority as that of child psychology. With more number of students taking up gerontology as specialisation, the problems of elderly could be learnt and solutions could be found out,” she said.
Vishwas Trust Trustee Celine Aranha felt that the reason for children abandoning their parents is the parents making their children high economic units unlike earlier. With more money in hand, the children really don’t wish to turn up towards their parents, she said.
Quoting few examples, Aranha stated that the societal changes have always worst affected the elderly.
Reiterating the same, social worker Vidya Dinkar said that elderly men and women from MSEZ project displaced families were worst affected of the lot. The rehabilitation has not been taken up well by the elderly, more so because they are so used to the place where they were born and lived for long years, said Vidya.
Informing about the senior citizen helpline, Aranha said that the helpline receives 40-50 complaints on an average in a month. “We resort to take the help of police only in case of absolute necessity,” she said.
The senior citizens can call up 1090 helpline run by Vishwas Trust.