The United Nations General Assembly, designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It represents the day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of our elderly people.
Elder abuse is a global social issue which affects the health and human rights of millions of old persons around the world. As per an estimate, the global population of people aged 60 years and more will be more than double, from 542 million in 1995 to about 1.2 billion in 2025. Around 4 to 6 per cent of elderly people have experienced some form of maltreatment at home. Elder maltreatment can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences.
Population ageing is an inevitable consequence of the demographic transition experienced by all countries in different degrees. India has around 104 million elderly persons which is 8.6 per cent of the population as per Census 2011. The number is expected to increase to 315 million, constituting 20 per cent of the total population by 2050. A large majority of the elderly lives in rural areas and there is an increasing proportion of the oldest age of 80 years and above. India ranks 73 out of 91 countries in quality of life for the aged as per the ‘global age watch index’ by Health Age International. According to the 2011 Census, 9.5 per cent of Odisha’s population consists of the elderly, which is higher than the national average.
Over the past 10-15 years in India, many schemes for care and welfare have been initiated by both the Central and State Governments especially for the elderly. The Government has enacted a law in 2007 called the ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act of 2007’ that aims to empower the elderly to receive maintenance and care from children or their legal heirs. The act also provides for establishment of old age homes both by public or private institutions. At the same time, the Act discourages relatives from sending senior citizens to old age homes.
In Odisha where poverty and vulnerability are often exacerbated by frequent natural calamities, coping with the increasing need for social security and support is a considerable challenge both for policy makers and implementing agencies, and more particularly for the elderly. The present old age support schemes and programmes
implemented in the State are as per provisions of the National Policy for Older Persons (NPOP), 1999 and the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act of 2007. The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension (IGNOAP), Indira Gandhi Widow Pension (IGNWP), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension (IGNDP) and National Family Benefit (NFB) provide financial support for the elderly in the State.
The national programme for healthcare of the elderly (NPHCE) was initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The NPHCE provides preventive, curative, rehabilitative and promotional healthcare for the elderly through primary healthcare institutions by creating additional special infrastructure and medical and paramedical human resources, including referral services. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) has recently initiated day care centres for the elderly under the Integrated Programme for Older Persons with 90 per cent financial support from the Government of India. Around 65 day care centres have been established by NGOs operating across the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Kendrapada, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh and Puri. In order to provide safety and security for the elderly, Senior Citizens’ Security Cells (SCSC) have been created since 2012 in certain police station areas.
Under the eleventh Five-Year plan, India has taken many a step. Well-being of old persons has been mandated in the Constitution of India. Article 41, a Directive Principle of State Policy, has directed that the State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right of public assistance in cases of old age. There are other provisions, too, which direct the State to improve the quality of life of its citizens. Right to equality has been guaranteed by the Constitution as a Fundamental Right. These provisions apply equally to old persons. Social security has been made the concurrent responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
The elderly in Odisha are more vulnerable, and in this context, the issue of social security assumes greater significance. As per the extensive survey, The Status of Elderly in Odisha-2011, conducted by United Nations Populations Fund-India, one out of ten people above 60 years experience abuse in Odisha. As high as 80 per cent of the elderly in Odisha work due to economic and other compulsions, clearly indicating that poverty and lack of resources compel a majority of them to continue to work well in their senior years for subsistence. Furthermore, the elderly working due to economic compulsion in rural areas (81.2 per cent) is higher than in urban areas (65.5 per cent).
In Odisha, elder abuse and neglect has only recently been a subject of discussion. Most of the elders did not report abuse to maintain confidentiality of the family matter. In fact, to a large extent it is hidden by old people, their families and communities as people do not want to acknowledge or talk about this sort of behaviour.
Old persons play a crucial role in their communities, but their contributions can only be ensured if they enjoy good health and if societies address their needs.
In Bhubaneswar there are about 37,825 old persons, of whom 17,151 are women and 5,122 persons above eighty years of age. Some of them face common form of abuse and neglect. However, most of the elders remain silent to protect family honour. The Smart City should provide more inclusive environment for the elders to live in a smart environment
(Dr Praharaj is faculty member, Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)
