World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 15 th June, 2012.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 15 th June, 2012.

UNO has now recognized World Elder Abuse Awareness Day as International Day on December 19, 2011. United Nations General Assembly has officially recognized Elder Abuse as an a global social issue which affects the Health and Human Rights of millions of older persons around the world, and an issue which deserves the attention of the international community.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, (WEAAD), was first instituted by The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) on June 15, 2006 to create awareness and sensitize the Government and the Civil Society to eliminate/prevent elder abuse at both micro and macro level. Elder abuse, perhaps the last taboo, is widely unrecognized and grossly under reported around the Globe, according to the studies undertaken by many INPEA members from numerous countries.

Established in 1997, INPEA has lead the way in raising awareness and urging NGOs, grassroots organizations and governments to action. Today, INPEA, together with the Global Coalition on the Rights of Older Persons is working towards a new U.N. Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. It has defined Elder Abuse as a single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship, where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person. It can be of various forms-physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, and financial or simply reflect intentional or unintentional neglect. Elder Abuse is a violation of Human Rights and a significant cause of injury, illness, loss of productivity, isolation & despair. Confronting & reducing Elder Abuse requires a multispectral & multidisciplinary approach. Governments and Most Powerful Fourth Estate viz Media are two main sources on which depend the well being of Elders and strengthening of their legitimate place in Society & helping them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity & Peace.

In India, Government had laid down comprehensive and Well-thought National Policy of Older Persons, 1999, (NPOP,99) covering all aspects of life of Elders with clear directives to implement it by preparing Annual & Five Year Action Plans by each Stake Holder. Policy envisaged that Senior Citizens are a valuable resource for the Country and to create an environment that provides them with equal opportunities, to protect their rights and to enable their full participation in Society. This Policy is not implemented fully and sincerely even after 13 years by Central & State Governments and other stake holders, resulting in  Deplorable Abuse of Elders in India  in light of INPEA`s above definition! A list of Provisions not implemented by various Ministries was given to the concerned Minister by name but no action is taken to implement these provisions. There is no negotiating machinery with registered Associations of Senior Citizens, though Policy Makers had laid down formation of an autonomous registered National Association of Older Persons at National, State and District levels. They do not recognize even the All India Senior Citizens Confederation working at grass root levels for last for more than 10 years, having affiliated Federations/Associations in 28 States/UTs having more than 12 lakh members. Neither Nodal Ministry nor any other Ministries or States are endorsing copies of circulars affecting Senior Citizens to any registered Associations!! Even Revised Policy submitted by Government appointed Review Committee consisting majority of Members from various Ministries/States to Minister of Social Justice on 30-3-11 is lying pending with the Ministry of Social Justice even after more than 14 months!! Most progressive State like Maharashtra has not even adopted Policy, 99 so far even after 14 years!!

Policy had expected that Media will play a very important role by highlighting the changing situations of Elders and identify emerging issues and areas of action. Media was expected to promote the concept of active ageing and dispel stereo types & negative images about this last spell of life cycle. Media was expected to provide individuals, families & various groups with information and educational material, which will give better understanding of the ageing process and of ways to handle problems of old age, as they arise.

The position of Senior Citizens even after 13 years of laid down Policy is that they are abused in Family, Society and their own Country for whose freedom and present Prosperity, they had worked very hard during their working life.

Help Age India felt the need to understand the issue of elder abuse, its nature and extent of prevalence across cities, perceptions of the elderly and other stakeholders and carried out a deep study of the problem. This study having both quantitative and qualitative components was carried out by Sigma Research, based on which the report has been prepared. The fieldwork for the study was carried out during May 19-26, 2011. The study has identified the nature and extent of elder abuse and its existence and reasons for the same.

According to some of its Findings,

1.      More than two third (72%) of the elderly stay with son, while more than one tenth (13%) are living with daughter.

2.      Three fifth (60%) of the elderly consider verbal abuse as elder abuse while more

than two fifth (48%) feel physical abuse constitutes elder abuse.

3.       More than one third each of the elderly feel that elder abuse constitutes emotional abuse (37%), showing disrespect (36%) and economic abuse (35%).

4.      Nearly one fifth (19%) of the elderly feel neglected with 20% of the elderly in the age group of 60-69 years feeling so.

5.      More than two third (72%) of the elderly feel neglected sometimes while 17% feel

neglected everyday.

6.       Feeling of being neglected stems from the family related factors such as family

members not interacting and being busy in their own lives/ work. 

7.       More than one fifth (22%) of the elderly have experienced any type of abuse.

8.       Verbal abuse is the most commonly reported abuse faced by the elderly from lower socio economic strata while it was neglect reported by the elderly from higher socio economic strata.   

9.       It is observed that higher cases of elder abuse occur among elderly after 70 years. This trend was also observed among the higher socio economic strata.

10.   In case of emotional abuse, mental torture was reported the most with Mumbai

recording the highest (84%). ‘Speaking in loud voice’ is the highest percentage of

abuse in case of verbal abuse

11.   Abuse is reported more from the family members, with daughter in law and son

emerging as the major abusers.

12.   Half of the elderly from the lower socio economic strata reported facing abuse

because of lack of emotional support. Last year among the elderly from higher

socio economic strata, property issues emerged as the most common context for

abuse

13.   More than two third (68%) of the elderly from the lower socio economic strata did not take any action when they faced abuse.

14.  Most (98%) of the elderly reported not filing a complaint against abuse faced.

15.  One fourth of the elderly who took action (25%) reported discussing about the abuse faced with others in the family or in the neighbourhood or community.

16.  Among the elderly who registered complaint, two fifth (40%) reported that nothing concrete came out of it. One fifth of the elderly reported that as a result of the complaint, the police carried out home visit.

17.   More than one fourth  (29%) of the elderly in the lower socio economic strata as

compared to nearly half of the elderly (48%) last year (from the higher socio

economic strata) expressed willingness to take concrete action.

18.   Unwillingness to take any action against abuse stems from the perception among the elderly that - ‘it would lead to further abuse’ and ‘sense of shame in the community’.

19.   Awareness about laws, policies and programmes against elder abuse is low

among the elderly from lower socio economic strata.

It would be observed from above that many of Senior Citizens in our Country are abused by governments and family members, resulting in Increased depression, timidity, anxiety, longing for death, confusion, self-neglect, vague health problems, mounting resentment, unusual fatigue, withholding of food or medicines, hostility, unresponsiveness etc and need the help and sincere efforts by Government and Media to get them proper treatment and facilities to create an environment that provides them with equal opportunities, to protect their rights and to enable their full participation in Society and helping them to live their last phase of life with Purpose, Dignity & Peace.

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