PATNA: Patna has been ranked seventh in the country in terms of abuse of elderly persons as per a 23-city survey conducted by HelpAge India, a non-governmental organisation which fights isolation, poverty and neglect of the elderly.
Releasing the nationwide report on elder abuse on the eve of
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on Thursday, Girish Chandra Mishra, head, HelpAge India, Bihar and Jharkhand, said 69% of the elderly respondents in Patna admitted being abused, while the national average for the same is 60%.
“Altogether 218 people were covered under the survey in Patna. More than 35% of the respondents complained of experiencing different forms of abuse, such as
verbal abuse,
disrespect, physical abuse and neglect. At least 30% of the respondents said they faced such abuses either daily or once a week,” Mishra said, adding only 13% of victims register complaints with police stations.
“Nearly 38% of elderly persons in city are unaware of what to do in such cases,” Mishra said.
According to the report, 73% of elderly people have attributed the abuses to computers and cellphones, on which the whole family, including children, remain busy throughout the whole day.
B N Singh, chairman of Senior Citizen Association of Bihar, said, “I have urged the chancellor of
Patna University to introduce a chapter on
elderly abuse so that students could know the subject.”
“I have been trying to form an organization where elderly people and young generation can work together. There is a need to bridge the gap between them,” Singh added.
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