Elderly are neglected in society, say experts

No country for the old

The proportion of the elderly in India’s total population is increasing fast, but the support system required to take care of such a large number of senior citizens is missing.

The number of 60-plus people in the total electorate is 16.7 per cent, yet politicians are not paying attention to them.

In a panel discussion on ‘ageing with dignity’ organised by Consumers India in collaboration with Vasant Vihar Club, experts said alternate support systems must be set up to meet the needs of the elderly as the joint family system is getting weaker.
According to the 2011 census, there are 10 crore senior citizens in India. This may increase to 31.5 crore — 20 per cent of the population — by 2050.

Consumers India president Dr Jayashree Gupta said the question is whether are we ready to ensure quality ageing of the vast number of elders in the country.
While the national voting average was 55 per cent in the 2009 general elections, the elderly voting average was 90 per cent.

“Despite the great influence that they can wield on the fortunes of major parties in elections, they are not getting the much-needed attention in terms of actual facilities for their well-being,” said Dr Gupta.

The Economic and Health Survey (2010) conducted by HelpAge India found that 80 per cent of the elderly felt they don’t have a support system in the community level.
Also, 72 per cent of India’s 80-plus population were financially dependent on others, while 52 per cent suffered from poor health.

The survey also showed that 40.2 per cent felt they were disrespected or abused, be it verbal, economic, emotional or physical abuse.

Maulana Azad Medical College professor Dr Naresh Gupta said for healthy and active ageing it is necessary to promote a healthy lifestyle. Many health problems faced by the elderly are the result of risk factors that arise during earlier years, such as smoking, lack of physical activity and unhealthy diets.

According to experts, it is necessary to develop geriatrics as a speciality in all medical colleges and make services of geriatricians available in all hospitals for providing quality healthcare to the elderly.