JOIN USSafety is no laughing matter — especially when you’re past a certain age and are forced to depend on others to look after you. Efforts have been made to provide a secure old age to the senior citizens in the City in the form of various helplines that can be called in case of emergencies. But how efficient are they and do people even know that such options are available?
Metrolife speaks to some of the people behind these helplines, as well as the senior citizens themselves, to understand the situation.
Dignity Foundation is one such organisation that has created a social support system for abused elders through counselling, police help and other problem-solving techniques.
Sandhya, a representative, informs, “We have small centres across the City, with five of them functioning in Jayanagar itself. As soon as we get a call, we intimate the concerned authorities. Immediately help is sent in case of emergency — we have volunteers spread across the City, who go and check up in such cases. We are also tied up with a lot of hospitals which offer their services as well.”
The number for the same is 41511307.“After retiring, I spent a very depressed life due to estrangement from my first son. On approaching Dignity Foundation, they made a lot of effort but to no avail. Suddenly, after several months, my son responded and agreed to meet me, which was arranged by the organisation. He took me in and provided all the facilities for me to live a happy life,” shares a grateful
S Aruchalam, a senior citizen.
“I am grateful to the helpline for reconciling me with my family. I’m no longer lonely and enjoy the company of my son and grandchildren,” he adds. In today’s world, senior citizens are not only neglected by their families but in some cases, exploited and abused too. As a means of creating a redressal mechanism and granting them the dignity they deserve, Nightingales Medical Trust, an NGO, has started an elders’ helpline number — 1090 — which offers emotional and legal help.
“Senior citizens call us and describe their problems, including legal ones,
matters concerning land, harassment issues etc. Usually, we go to their homes to assess the situation, talk to the family, get details and take action,” explains Satish Srinivasan, who helps run the helpline.
“It is a joint collaboration with the Bangalore City Police and in legal cases, there are lawyers who assist us. The point is to intervene in long-drawn cases and in emergencies, immediately send the police,” he adds. The helpline is supported by the department of welfare of disabled and senior citizens.