Right to Dignified Aging.
Everyone
in the neighbourhood knows the gentleman living upstairs. He is an
octogenarian , living all by himself. His spouse expired , few years ago
due to a sudden stroke. His children - two sons and one daughter are
spread across through out the country. They are married and living as
dual career families. Fighting ageing ailments and a non-friendly
physical environment (remember that he lives upstairs and uses the
stairs while stepping out), he’s been living alone with his
grandchildren visiting him once in a year...
India
is home to more than 70 million elderly people at present. According to
WHO, 2 billion people will be aged 60 and above by 2050 (WHO, April
2012). What does this mean? The world is ageing and so is India with it.
So, does this burgeoning population of the elderly pose as a challenge
or an opportunity? That would depend on how their needs are catered to
and their security and status as contributing members to society is
enhanced.
A
quick look at the issues faced by elderly would bring to light the kind
of government and social entrepreneurial interventions would be
required to address them. Non-communicable physical/ mental ailments
such as osteoporosis and arthritis, accidental falls, Alzheimer, are
some of the major concerns amidst the elderly citizens (Source: WHO,
1998a). This coupled with inadequate social protection with traditional
family systems breaking down to nuclear families, less purchasing power
owing to retirement may make them susceptible to ill-health, social
insecurity, and isolation. Rising crimes against elderly is another
concern requiring regulated action. (statistics on elders murdered).
In the social service sector, NGOs like Help Age India, Nightingales
Trust work towards providing comprehensive health care to the silver
haired community on one hand. Dignity foundation provides opportunities
for active and healthy ageing by programs such as dignity second
careers. On the other hand, Social organizations like Nani ka ghar - a
entrepreneurial initiative by an IIM student, Chandresh Maithil,
attempts in bringing the elderly and the children together on a platform
where the latter could learn and grow from the former.
On
the government front, laws are in force to legally bind the children to
take care of their aged parents, namely, the Maintenance of Parents
Act. According to The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, an aged
parent may demand maintenance from his/her children just as a wife may
demand it from her husband. The Central and State governments has been
launching policies such as the National Policy on Older Persons,
National Old Age Pension Program, Annapurna Program, etc. However, the
benefits of these programs have been questioned several times in terms
of the meager budget, improper identification of beneficiaries, lengthy
procedures, and irregular payment.
The
challenges for meeting the needs of the burgeoning aging population
could be changed into opportunity by expanding the field of geriatric
care and geriatric social work in India. World Health Organization has
given inputs such as training for health professionals on old-age care;
preventing and managing age-associated chronic diseases; designing
sustainable policies on long-term and palliative care; and developing
age-friendly services and settings in addressing the elderly issues.
World Health Organization’s on Active Aging: Good Health adds life to years.
7th
April, 2012, marked the day for the World Health Day, the theme being
that of Aging and Health. From Active Aging to Global age-friendly
cities network are the various diverse subjects that have been covered
by the worldly renowned organization. Some of the guideline given by the
WHO on Aging and Health are as follows:
-
Elderly are an invaluable asset to the society both at community and
family level. The society must be age inclusive and look upon the
elderly as vital social resource.
- Primary Health Cares must be age-friendly. WHO has developed a tool kit to help the PHCs be more age-friendly.
- Developing age friendly environments, both physical and social.
- Developing age - friendly technologies for the elderly. Monique
Tsang, reported on the innovative technologies that can help the
elderly maintain their independence and their physical health. (http://www.who.int/bulletin/
- Global network of age-friendly cities.
Older
people make important contributions to society as family members,
volunteers and as active participants in the workforce. The wisdom they
have gained through life experience makes them a vital social resource.
-
Active ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health,
participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people
age. It applies to both individuals and population groups.
Ageing
takes place within the context of friends, work associates, neighbors
and family members. This is why interdependence as well as inter generational solidarity are important tenets of active ageing.
Wir
Pflegen (which means ‘We Care’ in German) in 2009, the picture was
different. The nationwide association had recently been set up to
support people who look after their dependent relatives. Hammerling is
now their representative in the federal state of Berlin: “We are working
so that people who care for their dependent relatives are valued more
and receive more recognition,” he says.
Searching for next best practices for managing growing elderly population? Look no further..
-
Dignity foundation: Throughout India, Sheilu Srinivasan is mobilizing
"dignitarians" (men and women over 50) in a movement to provide
opportunities and life-enrichment services that enable senior citizens
to lead productive and rewarding lives. Sheilu created the Dignity
Foundation, a membership organization with chapters in cities like
Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune, Chennai, and Jamshedpur, to organize senior
citizens to address the social needs of all seniors within their
communities. By allowing senior citizens for the first time to be
involved as people in charge of their own lives and able to share their
wealth of experience with fellow citizens, Sheilu is carving out a place
for retirees as significant contributors to Indian society.
- Eng Age: Transforming aging and the way people think about aging by
turning affordable senior apartment communities into vibrant centers of
learning, wellness and creativity.
By
providing life-enhancing programs to low and moderate-income seniors
living in affordable apartment communities, Tim is transforming aging
into a new beginning. He founded EngAGE: The Art of Active Aging to
provide older adults with opportunities for community engagement through
programs that nourish mind, body, and spirit.
Tim
views housing for senior adults as more than shelter, but as
communities of people with the potential to grow, thrive, and contribute
their talents and experience to society. He imagined a new system of
senior housing built first and foremost on respect and appreciation for
the interests and preferences of each individual tenant. Based on this
vision, he created a new model of affordable housing that fosters
successful aging and promotes physical and mental health. Beyond that,
EngAGE offers the support and encouragement older individuals need to
pursue their dreams, express their views, expand their intellectual and
creative abilities, and live full, rich lives. Tim aims to set a new
standard in the field through programs that promote wellness, lifelong
learning, artistic exploration and expression, and civic “EngAGEment.” (www.engagedaging.org).
-
Albeiro Vargas is improving societal treatment of the elderly and
creating a model for strong inter generational relations in Colombia
through a program that brings children more closely and more regularly
into the lives of older people.
-
Sonia is helping Ecuador understand, articulate, and address the needs
of senior citizens. Sonia creatively applies the proven tactics of human
rights advocacy – grassroots organizing, publicity campaigns, legal
reform, overhaul of social welfare, and international law–to this
integral but previously ignored segment of society. Sonia rejects
standard charity work, in which the elderly are mere beneficiaries of
individual or collective largesse, and embraces instead, a
participatory, activist style in which elderly people themselves lead a
public campaign to establish and protect basic human rights.
Sonia
organizes young and old people to challenge conventional attitudes
about senior citizens' needs, abilities, and overall role in society.
Her goal is to narrow the generation gap by helping start joint business
ventures, addressing some of each group's basic needs, and exposing
young Ecuadorians to issues they will face later in life.
to be continued
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