Expectations of Senior Citizens.

Expectations Of Senior Citizens:
M.V.Ruparelia.

United Nations have defined a Country as ``Ageing``, when the proportion of people over 60 years goes to 7%. India has exceeded this proportion with number becoming more than 8 crores. Last Century’s biggest achievement is Longevity but due to industrialization, urbanization & westernization of our Society, the Joint Family, which was the natural Support System for Elders, has become almost non-existent. Elderly Population in our Country is the second largest in the World. 75% live in rural areas, 74% are illiterate, 50% are women, out of which 55% are widows, and 66% are in vulnerable situation without having food, clothing & shelter. There are 225 cities with over 1 lakh population. In last 10 years, growth in elderly population is increasing at more than double the rate of increase in general population due to improved health-care systems, low mortality & low fertility factors due to adoption of Family Planning.

The fact that there would be more & more elders in future with the above types requires a serious thought by Government and all segments of Society. If proper attention is not paid now to such a large number of experienced elders, their position & problems, the Society will face a serious insurmountable problem!

The darker scenario is that Senior Citizens are treated as unproductive, there is not much respectful recognition in the Society & inspite of Govt Orders, even the minor benefits like separate ques at Post Offices, Hospitals etc are not yet implemented by many departments/units & where implemented, are resented by younger generation by shouting, not vacating seats reserved in buses etc etc. There is abuse of elders. Many below poverty line are not looked after by children, relatives, society, Governments. More than 30% readers of Newspapers & viewers of T.V. are Senior Citizens, but no separate page/supplementary or slot is given for them by Media. They are neither given proper consideration by any Political Party (Legislative), nor by Government (Executive), nor by Courts (Judiciary) nor by Powerful Fourth Estate-the Media.

Government had got prepared by Master Minds the most comprehensive document and declared it as National Policy On Older Persons,1999(NPOP) but little action is taken by nodal Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment for its implementation in last 9 years, as would be seen from the following.

The expectation of Senior Citizens from Government is the expeditious & sincere implementation of this all-covering Policy.

i) Para 24: Monthly Pension to Senior Citizens below poverty line was to be revised periodically to beat the inflation. This has not been done, except once and that too is not followed by all State Govts. This should be done every 6 months.
ii) Para 28: Cost of medical treatment & medicines has not been got reduced. Appeal can be made to Associations/Federations of Manufacturers of Medicines, Chemists, and Doctors etc. No concession/rebate is given to children keeping their parents with them.
iii) Para 30: No sincere efforts are made to introduce pre-retirement counseling.
iv) Para 31: Age related discriminations in matters of entitlement to credit; marketing & other facilities are not removed nor reduced. On the contrary, it is allowed to be increased. Insurance companies (including medi-claim) refuse to take proposals, increase premiums and reduce commission to agents for such proposals!
v) Para 34: 36: Heavily subsidized health services are not yet provided by all State Government/Municipal Hospitals except one or two states like Maharashtra. Efforts should be made to peruse States & Municipalities.
vi) Para 37: 38: Private Trusts, Charitable Institutes & Private Hospitals given subsidy and/or land at cheaper rates do not provide free/subsidized health care facilities.
vii) Para 39: Separate ques to avoid long waits & visits to different counters are not provided in most of the places like Hospitals/Dispensaries, Post Offices, Banks, Payment Counters for Public Utility Services etc. Even copies of instructions issued are not available with most the offices! Such instructions need reiteration & monitoring.
vii) Para 40: Medical Personnel are not given any training & orientation in health care of elderly, as envisaged! Even educated Doctors do not behave properly & with respect to elderly!
viii) Para 45: Health Education Programme, if at all introduced, has not reached to elders through mass media & communication channels.
ix) Para 48: 10% of houses & house sites are not given to Senior Citizens anywhere so far.
x) Para 49: 50: Elder friendly colonies & Group Housing with multi purpose Centres and common facilities for meals, laundry, rest rooms, security, medical are not provided.
xi) Para 55: Education, training & information needs of Senior Citizens relevant to their lives do not appear to have been disseminated using mass media etc. Training for carrier development & creative use of leisure, art, culture, social heritage, community work & social welfare activities is not given to Senior Citizens.
xii) Para 58: Individuals of all ages, families & communities have not been provided with any information about age process and managing various roles and responsibilities & relationships at different stages of life cycles. For such ongoing education, some magazine should be published by Government.
xiii) Para 60: 61: Old age houses by private parties are not given proper subsidies nor their staff is given any training to treat inhabitants well.
xiv) Para 62: No encouragement comes from any Government source for forming Associations of Senior Citizens. No accommodation, no recognition, no representation!! Maharashtra Government has recently issued a directive to give one room to Associations of Senior Citizens on Sunday & holidays. Central Government can issue such directive to all States for accommodation, recognition, subsidy, day care centers etc.
xv) Para 63: Existence of Welfare Fund for Senior Citizens is not felt!
xvi) Para 67: Although Police Department has started providing Help Line etc, security of Senior Citizens is still a major problem.
xvii) Para 68: Still some States do not issue Identity Cards. No concessions are given in entertainment fees of cinema/drama/cultural houses, Tourist hotels, Travel & Tour organizations. Number of seats in Public Transport is very much less and that too are not vacated by others. No separate coach like handicaps or ladies is given to Senior Citizens in Suburban Trains. Crossing by Senior Citizens at zebra crossings is not at all ensured by Traffic Police or other members of public & drivers!
xviii) Para 69: No machinery is laid down to attend to grievances of Senior Citizens or ensuring prompt replies to their representations.
xix) Para 70: Either sufficient action is not taken by Government to highlight the issues of Senior Citizens on 1st October every year and if taken is not visible nor any media takes note of it.
xx) Para 71: Facilities, concessions etc are required to be updated periodically and given to associations of Senior Citizens. No association is given such information.
xxi) Para 79: No efforts are made to highlight the Role of Senior Citizens through special programmes and mass media. Annual recognition awards on par with other Awards should be provided.
xxii) Para 85: Services of Senior Citizens for Resource Centers, Research Centers etc should be utilized and establishment of such centers highlighted through mass media.
xxiii) Para 88: Media has completely boycotted the NPOP,99 from the beginning!! Government must use its good offices to make Media realize their important role of highlighting the changing situation of Senior Citizens and identify issues and areas of action. Without Medias` cooperation, neither Government nor Senior Citizens can achieve much!
xxiv) Para 93:94: Five Year Plans and Annual Action Plans are not made known to the Senior Citizens. Annual reports of every Ministry is also not published in media or distributed to associations of Senior Citizens. Discussions in National Convention every 3 years are also not made known to Senior Citizens.
xxv) Para 96: No action is taken to form National association of Older Persons(NAOP) even after 8 years! Without such a National Associations of Senior Citizens, Government can not achieve anything!!

Expectations of Senior Citizens from other segments of the Society:

Media:

As a Torch Bearer for the entire Society, it is necessary for the media to foresee the social situation and highlight to all segments of the Society, the necessity of thinking & taking appropriate & adequate steps before the situation worsens & becomes insurmountable. It is only the Media, which can highlight the situation which is likely to be created in near future due to increasing number of elders and change the present indifferent attitude of Society & Government towards the problems & needs of Elders.

One of the major problems of Elders is how to pass time usefully. They are the Think-Tank of the Society. They have done a lot for Society during their prime time. Media has to give them space to express. After having regular routine for 30-40 years, there is a vacuum in Elders` life. Few are able to do useful work of their choice. Rest remains in the house idling & just passing/killing time. Media can create various avenues for them to express & feel useful. Each Newspaper can give one/half page every day and T.V. Channels can give half hour slot daily/2-3 days in a week exclusively for Elders highlighting needs, problems, health-care, safety, mobility, second careers etc. Such a space in Media will create lot of material for Elders and the Society. Thinkers, Experts, Sociologist also will write & guide Elders in such space. Senior Citizens writing or acting in T.V. may be given recognition & monetary rewards, which will enthuse them & bring them out of routine & hopelessness, if any in some. Media may also appoint some elders as ``Correspondents`` or`` Representatives`` for some areas for bringing material about activities of Elders & their Associations and pay them honorarium. This will have not only financial support but also a feeling of usefulness.

Individuals & Groups/Organizations:

All must look after their parents well and ignoring/ maltreatment etc should be a social stigma as well as punishable offence. Where children do not exist or are not able to look after due to very bad financial position, other individuals, groups, organizations can serve the needy Senior Citizens as per few examples given below:-

a) Let Young Couples adopt “God Parent.”
Many young couples go for service and there is nobody to look after their children. Adoption of Parent or a single Elder of their choice will go a long way to make such Elders happy and will be beneficial to the couple also in many respects including good care and `sanskar`of their children.
b) Let each Doctor adopt a “God Parent.”
Most of the Medical Associations are arranging Check-ups and Lectures for Senior Citizens, keeping in view extreme need of looking after the deteriorating health of elders. They can advise all their Members to adopt 1 elderly couple or 1 or 2 single elders for free check-ups & advice, as and when necessary/ once a month and if possible, to give medicines, nourishments, dietary supplements etc, as necessary free. Let each Specialist/ Consultant keep 2 hours in a week for free examination of Senior Citizens. Each Hospital, especially Eye Hospitals, Investigating Laboratories including Pathology may also keep 2-3 hours in a week for free treatment of Senior Citizens.
c) Let Good Educational Institute adopt one Association of Senior Citizens.
Passing time usefully & peacefully is a major need of Senior Citizens. Most of their Associations do not have accommodation to meet regularly. They hardly meet 2-3 times in a year. Royal College, Mira Road has shown the way by giving spacious accommodation for daily meeting for 3 hours from 16 to 19 hrs and free use of their Library & Indoor Games.30-40 Senior Citizens gather every day and exchange views on useful topics, do social service to all citizens of their areas and do almost all activities on par with Activity Centers of Dignity Foundation & Harmony, Mumbai without any fees. Let Good Institutes open their doors and give as many facilities as possible for meeting together and passing time usefully in their crucial phase of life. When they are enabled to come together, they, being Think-Tank, will be useful to the Institute & the Society with their varied experience in various fields. Let Trusts, Builders, Government Departments, Public Sector Undertakings, Rotary & Lion’s Clubs, Gymkhanas etc also come up and open Activity Centers, Separate Colonies, Convalescent Homes, Holiday Homes, and Nana-Nani Parks etc for their Elders in various Areas. Let all States follow Maharashtra and offer one room in Municipal Schools on Sundays & Holidays to nearby Associations of Senior Citizens.
d) Let Corporate World adopt needy Senior Citizens of an Area and help other Senior Citizens through P.P.P.
There are many Senior Citizens, who are facing financial problems and some are not able to meet two ends meet. Big Corporate Houses can adopt an area of their choice after surveying the number & need of such Senior Citizens. Such elders can be given their monthly requirements of food, clothes and very essential necessities. Their services can be utilized in some way, as possible. They should also look after their retired employees and provide them proper facilities, as a welfare measure. They should help other Senior Citizens by adopting P.P.P. as their policy.
e) Let Shopping Malls etc adopt 5-10Needy Elders.
Shopping Malls, Big Bazaars, Big Merchant Firms, Trusts etc can adopt 5-10 Elders for giving groceries & other essential requirements, clothing, medicines etc. Let each limb of Society come up to look after their needy elders.