Concerns over an aging India

By 2050, India will be home to one out of every six of the world’s older persons, and only China will have a larger number of elderly people, according to estimates released by the United Nations Population Fund.

Thirty years ago, there were no “aged economies,” in which consumption by older people surpassed that of youth. In 2010, there were 23 aged economies. By 2040, there will be 89.

Japan is today the only country with more than 30 per cent of its population aged 60 or above. By 2050, there will be 64 countries where older people make up more than 30 per cent of the population.  In simple terms, within a decade there will be one billion older persons worldwide. And by 2050, nearly 80 per cent of the world’s older persons will live in developing countries — with China and India contributing to over one-third that number. 

A report released by the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge India to mark the International Day of Older Persons — observed on October 1 — suggests that India had 90 million elderly persons in 2011, with the number expected to grow to 173 million by 2026. Of the 90 million seniors, 30 million are living alone and 90 per cent work for livelihood.

The report says the number of elderly women is more than that of elderly men. Nearly three out of five single older women are very poor, and two out of three rural elderly women are fully dependants. There is also an increasing proportion of elderly at 80-plus ages, and this pattern is more pronounced among women.

The study, undertaken in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh by HelpAge, suggests that one-fifth of the elderly live alone. This proportion has registered a sharp increase in the past two decades and is more evident in the case of elderly women.

The housing data from Census 2011 also point out that the number of households has increased substantially in the last decade, and the number of persons per household has come down substantially. Declining fertility, migration and nuclearisation of families are three possible reasons for such reduction in household size.

Across the States, there is a substantial variation in the type of living arrangement, particularly in the proportion of elderly persons living alone. The percentage of those living alone or with spouse is as high as 45 per cent in Tamil Nadu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala. This indicates that with a demographic transition under way and youth migrating out for economic reasons, there will be a drastic change in the living arrangements of the elderly in rural and urban areas. The large segment of the elderly, those living alone or with spouse only, and the widowed who are illiterate, poor and particularly those from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, low wealth quintiles will definitely require various kinds of support: economic, social and psychological. These, at present, are woefully lacking.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment put in place the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 with a view to addressing issues relating to aging in a comprehensive manner. But the programme failed at the implementation level. The Ministry is now formulating a new policy that is expected to address the concerns of the elderly. The idea is to help them live a productive and dignified life. There is a scheme of grant-in-aid of the Integrated Programme for Older Persons, under which financial assistance is provided to voluntary organisations for running and maintaining projects. These include old-age homes, day-care centres and physiotherapy clinics. While the scheme, indeed the concept, is still alien to India, the Ministry is considering the revision of cost norms for these projects, keeping in view the rising cost of living.

The most recent intervention has been the introduction of the National Programme for Health Care for Elderly in 2010, with the basic aim to provide separate and specialised comprehensive health care to senior citizens. The major components of this programme are establishing geriatric departments in eight regional geriatric centres and strengthening health care facilities for the elderly at various levels in 100 districts. Though the scheme is proposed to be expanded during the Twelfth Five Year Plan, the regional geriatric centres are yet to take off because of lack of space in the identified institutions.

The enactment of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, was a legislative milestone. However, its implementation has been poor.

With poor social security arrangements for the elderly, it is not surprising that around 37 million elderly in India are engaged in productive work, according to NSSO data for 2004-05. A majority of these workers are illiterate or have limited levels of education. Half the women elderly workers are from the two poorest consumption quintiles. This indicates that illiteracy and poverty push them to undertake work outside as a survival strategy, or out of compulsion.   

Keywords: The Sunday Story, India population, India elderly population, senior citizens, elderly persons, health care for elderly, social security, old age homes, elderly care

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First robot rollout to 'assist' the elderly

It can be a difficult decision as to what step to take next when our older loved ones begin needing assistance in their daily lives, but a recent study from the Georgia Institute of Technology may make the choice easier. The idea of adding a robot to someone's household might seem far-fetched or futuristic to some, but after this study, it's clear that robots could soon be computerized family members.

The Georgia Institute of Technology asked about two dozen adults aged 65-93 to watch an eight-minute video about Willow Garage's Personal Robot 2. They followed the video by asking the participants about their preference of robot or human assistance in completing 48 unique tasks. The tasks ranged from such things as entertaining guests to setting the table.

The responses from the participants show that the older generation may not be as "behind-the-times" as some might think. Overall, they showed a preference to a robot's assistance in necessary activities in their daily lives, such as changing light bulbs, cleaning the house, washing dishes, making the bed, taking out the trash, and reminding them to take medications. Human assistance; however, was preferred for social and decision-making activities: cooking, entertaining guests, grocery shopping.

Additionally, activities of a personal, intimate nature remain in humans' hands. The participants were resistant to having robotic help with things like bathing, walking, shaving, getting dressed, eating, and brushing their teeth.

The researchers note that these results may be impacted by the lack of friendly interaction between person and robot. The Personal Robot 2 (PR2) is meant to perform specific tasks, and that's that. However, in the case of "social robots," such as MIT's Leonardo, people develop personal relationships with their assistant. They name their robot, dress it, and address it with greetings and farewells.

Another study called the Companion Able Project created Hector, a similar robot to PR2. Hector is guided by remote control and smart home compatibility, and he displays capabilities that are of great assistance to the elderly. He comes when he's called, reminds you of your daily schedules and routines, tells you when to take your medicine, and will even keep your glasses safe in his pocket. He is also a safety addition to the household with his fall detection capabilities. In emergencies - like a fall - he is connected to a remote control center, and he can assess the seriousness of the fall and evaluate what sort of help is needed.

It might be mind boggling for many to think of adding a metal member to their family, but the robotic technology is advancing rapidly and could prove essential to some households.

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Indians now live longer, but in poor health in old age: Study

First the good news: Indians are living much longer than they did 40 years ago.

The life expectancy (LE) at birth of an average Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010, while that of an Indian woman by 18 years.

An average Indian man can expect to live for as long as 63 years, while an Indian woman can live 4.5 years longer than her male counterpart.

However, the number of years they stay healthy is much lesser.

An Indian male can claim to be in good health till he reaches the age of 54.6 years, and is expected to spend the last nine years of his life suffering from various ailments.

On the other hand, when it comes to an average Indian woman, though she is expected to live till 67.5 years, she will remain healthy till 57.1 years - spending over a decade, or 10.4 years in poor health.

The Global Burden of Disease Study, 2010 — the largest ever study to describe the global distribution and causes of a wide array of major diseases, injuries and health risk factors — has found that even though there is reason to cheer over an Indian's increasing lifespan, it is still much shorter than an average Chinese or an American.

An average Chinese male is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a Chinese woman is living 11.5 years longer than her Indian counterpart. An average American lives nearly 13 years longer than an Indian.

Published in the most prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, the study was conducted over five years by 486 authors from over 300 institutes in 50 countries, including India.

A common practice in Indian households - mainly in rural settings of burning wood, coal and animal dung as fuel in chulhas — has proved to be the greatest enemy for Indians.

While globally, high blood pressure was the single biggest causative agent of disease, it was indoor air pollution (IAP) for Indians.

The WHO had earlier said that burning solid fuels to prepare their meals emit carbon monoxide, benzene and formaldehyde which can result in pneumonia, asthma, blindness, lung cancer, tuberculosis and low birth weight.

WHO estimates that pollution levels in rural Indian kitchens are 30 times higher than recommended levels and six times higher than air pollution levels found in the national Capital?

The other threats to normal Indians include diet low in fruits, high blood glucose levels, alcohol use, iron deficiency, sub optimal breast feeding, low physical activity and occupational injuries.

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Advantage(The wonder Card for Senior citizen)

HelpAge India presents Active Ageing – The AdvantAge Card

It's time to celebrate your age...

If you are fifty years or more, come enroll yourself as an AdvantAge Card member and enter a new world that offers you a range of products and services at prices specially discounted for you! Discover a community of like minded people to network with and pursue common interests...

Help age India is attempting to create an umbrella movement for retirees and those about to retire to address their emotional and physical assistance needs. This movement looks to provide the means to stretch the disposable income by making available a host of discounted product services and facilities. It would provide a social platform to allow the members to interact within the group and also access training, vocational, occupation and other opportunities.

For the first time in India, here’s a special age-friendly offering coming your way. It’s called the ‘AdvantAge’ Card and it enables you to discover a whole new world that offers you access to a range of products and services at prices specially discounted for you! What’s more it welcomes you into a community of like minded people with whom you can network and pursue common interests. So, if you had any worries about missing out on quality of life after retirement, put them to rest and start planning for good times! After all, a lifetime of work should be crowned with some rewards! Join the AdvantAge Card club and start counting them now!

How you will benefit from the ‘AdvantAge Card’:

 

Stay healthy	Avail attractive discounts at wellness centers on age care health related services
Stay Smart	Avail special discounts on select apparel goods, fitness products and services
Stay Mobile	Avail great rates on travel and holiday packages
Stay Networked	The AdvantAge website offers the opportunity to network with friends and blog with likeminded members
Stay Secure	The AdvantAge Card brings the Help age helpline to your service, then offering you person to person counseling on safety and age related legal issues.
Stay Sure	The AdvantAge Card programme is an initiative of Help age India, the pioneers of senior citizen policy advocacy and age care welfare services in the country with an all India presence. So you will always be in safe and trusted hands.

Join Us Now...

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Did you reinvent yourself today?

The only happy and relevant people are those who have learnt to walk with change

At a family wedding, I overheard two elderly gentlemen talking. “I am living on bonus time now,” said a grandfather, while another said equally morosely, “I have wasted my life!” It was sad to hear two men having led fairly decent lives, sound despondent in the evening of their lives. Why do they feel helpless, tired and unmotivated? Why don’t they take charge right here and now, and resolve to make the best of their years? One has so many choices today.

For life is, and should be, a constant process of reinvention. A child gradually increases his field of activities and fires his ambitions as his mental, physical and spiritual faculties build up. Similarly, with waning strength and faculties, we should learn to adapt our lives to activities that the present reality allows. The most successful people in the world are those who have learnt to walk with change and adapt themselves to circumstances. Keeping yourself abreast with the latest technology and relevant news is just as important as being flexible in your personal life — in your relationships as well as the demands you put on your body, mind and the people around you.

Constant reinvention at all stages of life is the only way to stay afloat professionally as well as personally. Being on a constant learning curve is also a great way to bring in some healthy excitement into life. Look around; movement attracts energy, happiness and prosperity, while stagnation brings in depression and a stalemate. Flowing water is clean and useful; stagnant water gets polluted and breeds diseases. Keep a house shut for a long time and it acquires negative vibes; open the windows and allow fresh breeze to swish through, and a new life force seems to take over the same environ.

Similarly, we all need to keep the life force alive and moving around us all the time, and the only way to do that is constant movement — onwards and upwards, no matter what your age. Reinvention is not just about learning new processes and techniques; it is also about changing one’s outlook and changing interests, hobbies, relationships and job profiles. It’s about shifting your goalposts, and even your goals and targets with time. Even if you do not seek change, change will find you. And when that happens, you had better be prepared!

Amitabh Bachchan is a good example of a man who has constantly reinvented himself — from a bank employee to angryyoung-man actor, to superstar, to TV anchor, grandfather and general patriarch. He has worked passionately on each reinvention and taken care to stay true to the image he has adopted. There have been times when life has thrown him googlies, but AB’s greatness lies in his being able to get up and climb new heights in yet another role.

Most of us postpone dreams to a later stage; we wait for the ‘right’ time in life. Women look forward to a time when their children are settled, and they finally get a chance to do what they have “always wanted to do”; men wait for retirement.

The only ‘right’ time is here and now. While it may not be the right time to fulfil certain dreams, that doesn’t mean we should not always be mentally prepared to receive that dream. Nor does it mean that in looking towards that dream, we forget the relevance of the present moment. Every present moment offers a chance to learn and reinvent. As beauty expert Shahnaz Husain said the other day, “Life forces us to make choices; but if we are alert and empowered, we can create our own choices and be in charge of our own lives. Isn’t it exciting that God gives you a chance to reinvent yourself every morning?”

As with the elderly men, why should life be waiting for anything at any stage? It should be a constant process of reinvention and relevance. We have to ensure a constant release of any stagnant energies, and learn to age gracefully and accept life. For life reveals its beauty at every stage. Life gives us indications that it is time for change. Learn to recognise them and focus on what you really want to do. Don’t just do things the way they have always been done, nor live life the way it is ‘meant’ to be lived.

Break the barriers, challenge yourself, innovate and constantly reinvent yourself. Be aware, stay focussed and ride the change in your life. As American writer and futurist Alvin Toffler said about what lies ahead, “illiteracy will not be defined by those who cannot read and write, but by those who cannot learn and relearn”.

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Recreation centres add a little sparkle to sunset years

The elderly in the city have a host of activities to keep them occupied and remain active, courtesy the recreation centres for senior citizens. A government initiative for the welfare of the elderly in the city, the number of such centres has gone up from 56 in 2009 to 79 in 2012.

 An Increasing number of senior citizens flock to such centres to be among friends, play indoor games, catch up on on the latest news and events and exchange notes.

"My children have a life of their own and I can't expect them to change their schedules for me. One of my friends told me about the recreation centre. This week we are going to celebrate one of our friend's birthday. I no longer feel bored or unwanted now. My children are also happy with it," said Ajay Kohli, 63, a regular at the recreation centre in Malviya Nagar.

There 18 such centres are in south Delhi and officials stress the importance of such centres by pointing out the rising number of the elderly.

"Senior citizens no longer want to stay locked up in their homes. They don't want to feel unwanted. These recreation centres provide them an avenue to indulge in various activities that might not be possible in their homes such as playing games, go out on excursions, etc," said a senior Delhi government official.

"One of the reasons behind growth of the recreation centres is the fact that a number of senior citizens feel lonely as their children get busy with their own lives," said JR Gupta, chairperson of Confederation of Senior Citizens Association of Delhi.

These centres are run by registered senior citizen associations and are provided grant by the Delhi government. "A one-time grant of R75,000 is provided to organisations that have space where they can put up chairs, tables, cupboards, television, indoor game, etc. Another R20,000 is provided for covering operational expenses, which includes salary of the attendants, rent and for organising tours, health camps/yoga camps," said Kiran Walia, minister for social welfare, Delhi government.

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Indian elders suffer abuse, neglect

That elder in India no longer receive care and respect within families and outside has been long established. But many of them silently suffer abuse at the hands of their sons comes as a huge shock. It undermines, if anything, the myth of ‘Shravan Kumar’.

According to a survey by HelpAge India, released on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, about 56 percent of India’s sons indulge in elderly abuse as compared to 23 percent of daughter-in-laws. At the national level, 31 percent of older persons reported facing abuse. Madhya Pradesh with 77.12 percent reported the highest incidences of elder abuse followed by Assam and Uttar Pradesh at 60.55 and at 52.00 percent respectively. The survey was carried out in 20 cities across India and interviewed 5600 persons of old age.

Among Indian cities, elders face maximum abuse in Bhopal (77.12 percent) followed by Guwahati (60.55 percent) and Lucknow (52 percent). The National Capital Region has reported 29.82 percent elderly abuse, a sharp increase in from last year’s 12 percent. Mumbai is not far behind with 29.46 percent. Jaipur with just 1.67 percent turned out to be the safest city for elders.

Most cases of abuse are never reported because of emotional considerations. Explaining the psychology of elders, a spokesperson at HelpAge India, said, “Elder abuse is a subjective thing. The problem lies in the family and the solution also lies in the family. The issue is actually very delicate. Even though the elders are getting abused by their own near and dear ones, they can’t afford the courage to go and report as they feel it would hurt their own near and dear ones and above all they have to finally live with that same person.”

Himanshu Rath, founder of Agewell Foundation, another NGO working for the elderly people, said, “The primary reason behind the elder abuse is unawareness and non-preparedness. Most of the present day old people have not seen their own parents living up to that age, therefore they do not have any idea as to how to live in that age.”

In fact, the most unfortunate part of the report is that even literate people couldn’t escape from abuse at the hands of their progenies. About 20 percent of those who had experienced abuse were graduates, 19 percent had education up to primary level and 16 percent were illiterates.

A fast-paced urban life has further enhanced their neglect and woes. “The individual is not prepared for that age so the family members and the peer group are also not prepared. Also due to growing fast life, people do not have time to care for others,” added Rath at Agewell Foundation.

Highlighting the need for psychological care and support, Dr. Samir Parikh, director mental health and behavioral sciences at Fortis Healthcare said , “Elderly population not only requires physical and financial support , they also require emotional support. Abuse of neglect generally happens from near and dear ones and it has a great impact on the mental health of the elderly population. It leads to depression among them.”

Disrespect, neglect and verbal abuse, are the most appropriate parameters that define elder abuse. Disrespect was shown as the most prevalent type of elder abuse in the society followed by neglect and verbal abuse. 44 percent respondents identified disrespect as the most common form of abuse, 30 percent identified neglect as the second most common form and 26 percent identified verbal abuse.

“Many people neglect the elderly without even realising it. Sometimes it so happens that the person does not deliberately means to hurt the elderly but somehow the situation so arises that they do get hurt and the elderly person feels that the person showed him disrespect,” added the resource person at Help Age India.

Highlighting the importance of sensitization, Dr. Parikh at Fortis Health Care, stressed, “It is extremely important for the younger generation to take care of the elderly population as it would help to increase the emotional distance between the young and the old.”

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