With aging parents increasingly being seen as a 'burden' by their children amid the disintegration of the traditional family structure, a panel of experts from the Core Group of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Elderly Care has proposed a series of measures to protect and support India's rapidly growing elderly demographic.
NHRC member Dnyaneshwar Manohar Mulay emphasised the importance of old age homes, stressing that they should not be viewed as mere holding facilities with a stigma attached.
“Instead, these homes should provide an environment that promotes health, quality of life, and dignity for their residents,” said Mulay at a meeting held recently.
He also informed the group members who are working in the sector at the grassroots to ensure complaints of abuse against elderly people can be registered at the NHRC portal.
As per the minutes of the meeting, Dr Abha Chaudhary, Chairperson, NGO Anugraha called for a comprehensive need-assessment to identify challenges faced by the elderly, particularly the most marginalized.
She also advocated for a culturally suitable action plan and the creation of SOPs for stakeholder preparedness. Dr Abha posed the question of exactly how many welfare schemes and support programs there are for the ‘most marginalized’ section among the elderly, for example- those crossing 80 years of age etc. she also highlighted how India needs a more culturally and socially suitable
Himanshu Rath, from Agewell Foundation flagged the issue of lack of district tribunals for elderly issues and stressed the importance of making elderly aware of their rights. He also proposed integrating moral education in schools and reducing duplication in schemes.
Dr S Siva Raju, Professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) emphasised the role of family in elderly care and applauded the Andhra Government's Wallet Scheme. He also advocated for “Private sector involvement and NHRC's facilitative role in raising awareness.”
Rajiv Manjhi, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry highlighted achievements in healthcare provisions for senior citizens and the need for specialized care professionals while Harimohan Sharma, of United Rural Development Services, Manipur addressed connectivity issues and inadequate funding for old age homes in Manipur. He suggested increasing funding and number of beneficiaries, and improving hospital empanelment.
Gargi Lakhanpal, from Vridh Care NGO, discussed the importance of ground-level implementation, mental health programs, and awareness campaigns for elderly care.
The members also sought incorporating education about elderly care and respect into school curricula to foster understanding and empathy among young people. “Encourage youth involvement in elderly care through volunteer programs and community service initiatives,” they said.
Welcoming the NHRC panel's suggestions, later, JR Gupta, President of the Senior Citizens Council of Delhi, voiced strong expectations that its insights and proposals would be thoroughly considered and acted upon by the relevant authorities. Gupta emphasised that the elderly face significant issues, including abuse by their own children and family members. He called for strengthening reporting mechanisms by establishing more robust and confidential channels, increasing awareness and training, providing support services and enforcing legal protections among others.
