Senior citizens deserve a safety net

Senior citizens deserve a safety net
by Punam Khaira Sidhu

The world is going white. A demographic restructuring of the world populace is underway. United Nations estimates put the number of those aged 60 plus at 600 million, i.e. 10 per cent of the world population. The number is expected to approximate two billion by 2050. But a large proportion of senior citizens would now live in the developing economies.

Care of an ageing population is no longer a G-7 issue; it is a critical problem for the developing countries. The Economic Survey 2004-04, states that the elderly population (65 plus) is expected to “rise sharply by 2.6 per cent per annum from 45 million in 2000 to 76 million in 2020.

In this scenario, are we ready to handle the special problems of care, medicine and social security of our rapidly ageing population?

In India, the absence of a safety net for the aged has exacerbated the problem. Traditionally, the joint family took care of the aged. Rapid urbanisation and the exodus of persons from rural to urban areas have created a vicious situation. Slums are areas without housing or healthcare. In the absence of the ability to earn, and without community support, in the form of kinsmen or the extended family, the aged are rendered destitute.

The World Health Organisation’s document, Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (2002) emphasises that equal access of older persons to health care and services are the cornerstone of healthy ageing.

The Government of India’s policy (May 1999) postulated that the states take affirmative action to improve the quality of life of senior citizens and ensure that the existing public services are user-friendly and sensitive to them. The states, however, have responded with piecemeal plans.

The Vajpayee government envisaged exclusive fast track courts for senior citizens. Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has introduced a new savings scheme, through post offices, and senior citizens with gross income below Rs 50,000, are allowed an income-tax rebate of 10 per cent.

The private sector and NGOs have, however, taken a head start in catering to this growing market. The Singapore-based Corporate Physicians International has launched a senior citizens’ package, including house calls and door delivery of medicines. Palms Life Care, has projects for senior citizens in Mumbai, Gurgaon and Bangalore. Dignity Homes of the Dignity Foundation, Mumbai, are planned to be self-financing, and have income generating programmes. Reliance Senior Citizen’s Home has psychological workshops, and geriatric nurses.

There are special holiday packages and camps designed for 50 plus senior citizens like www.campsingoa.com. Most banks have introduced special loan schemes with low interest rates for ‘pensioners’, free collective and remittance of retirement dues etc. Welcome though these initiatives are, their reach remains limited.

What do our senior citizens need? Their target population is diverse and needs vary considerably. Policies need to be fine-tuned to ensure targeted delivery. Senior citizens need to be classified or categorised correctly - rural or urban, and then within the rural and urban categories further sub-categories for destitute and old, solvent and old and infirm.

For destitute and old, food, shelter, and medicines are essential. For the solvent and old, the need to feel useful, productive, more and significant. For the old and infirm, professional care for personal tasks such as bathing, eating etc and assistance to perform even daily chores could be required. The problems of old women, single, widowed, or divorced are quite different from those of old men.

There is need for a compulsory community-based insurance policy for all to help the poor. It can fund an old age pension on the lines of the Universal Health Insurance Scheme launched in July, 2003. The present scheme of old age pensions needs to be strengthened and its coverage enhanced. Incentives for private developers investing in housing for the aged should receive precedence.

Re-employment of ex-servicemen (most retire at 52) and other active elders needs priority. Special vocational courses should be formulated to provide professional care for elders with debilitating diseases such as epilepsy, cancer and diabetes. Above all, the administration and police machinery needs to be sensitised to senior citizen issues.

There is need for a directory of senior citizens on the basis of area of residence. The data from voter identity cards can be used to identify the target audience of 60 plus citizens in every district. Also needed are senior citizens help groups, liaison with the police for their security based on the Delhi Government Model, compilation of yellow pages for elders listing home delivery facilities for groceries and ration, doctors and chemists, dentists and labs, services for bill payment, cheque collection, banks etc.

A 12-hour Helpline (9 am to 9 pm) for senior citizens coordinated and manned by Red Cross, Rotary, Lions etc for assistance and mobile medical vans (government and private) to visit each residential area by rotation each fortnight are also needed.

More important, schools and colleges should organise adult education programmes and evening classes for elders on computer awareness and volunteer work in offering help to senior citizens.

Senior citizens’ groups should be involved in managing stationary shops and canteens on cooperative basis in schools and colleges, organising day-care centres and crèches for working women, in monitoring of schemes such as PDS and mid-day meal, providing emotional support and care to patients in hospitals suffering from cancer, AIDS and TB, forming support groups for disabled elders and access to fair price shops for them through priority issuance of ration cards and organising community and environment action groups.

— The writer is presently Director, Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Chandigarh