Bhubaneswar is harsh to its’ elders. The city lags behind national average and most other cities on several considerations relating to elders. Set to be India’s first child friendly Smart City, this is a paradox. The assumption that if urban spaces are friendly for children, needs of elders and even differently-abled are taken care of, seems fallacious.
How India treats its’ Elders, a survey by Helpage India in 2017 brings forth alarming levels of elder abuse in Bhubaneswar. Amongst the surveyed 19 cities, Bhubaneswar ranked the lowest with 90% of senior citizens feeling that one could get away with being rude to elders.
According to experts, since jobs are few in Odisha, migration for work amongst the youth is high. This has resulted in many elders living alone in the city. Services for seniors are sparse compared to other cities, most prominent of which is a dedicated helpline. Specialized services and facilities for seniors is yet to take off in Odisha.
There hasn’t been a single project in the real-estate sector, so far, for neither senior living nor are any enrichment or activity centres operational. There are more than 50 Senior Citizen Associations in various localities, some of which are registered and others informally organised.
In such a scenario, The City Express interacted with experts fighting for the rights of elderly people in Bhubaneswar to look for viable solutions to end the malaise. There is an urgent need for coalition between various arms of society to tackle the malaise and remove barriers for reporting elder abuse. Government role and initiatives focus on destitute care for senior citizens mostly focusing on old age homes, shelters and provision of meager pensions.
Beyond income tax benefits, railway ticket concessions and an occasional meeting or ‘mela’, India as a country has not been able to offer much to senior citizens, experts opined. The larger problemOne in ten elders are abused or neglected in some form or the other. While scientific studies have been undertaken in developed countries to assess, localised studies in India indicate the figure can be anywhere between 10 to 17 per cent.
Sadly, the menace seems to be ever growing owing to a mix of sociological, economic and familial reasons, rather than receding. This scenario led to United Nations designation of June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It spurs the recognition of elder abuse as an important public health and human rights problem – both at the societal and household levels.
Senior citizens above the age of 60 comprise roughly 10 per cent of India’s population. Between 2006 and 2050, India’s overall population will grow by 40% while population of 60 and above will increase by 270% during the same period. Largely considered to be a private matter that can disgrace the family, elderly abuse is rarely reported and even when reported, weakly responded.
What's elderly abuse? Elder Abuse is '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 a senior citizen.' It assumes physical, sexual, emotional, and financial forms as well as neglect and self-neglect. Exclusion from participation in social and cultural activities is now accepted as a form of abuse. Measurement of the extent of abuse or neglect is complex, yet it is essential to understand and prevent elder abuse. Most occurrences of elder abuse are within the family.
The fear of retribution from the perpetrator in the aftermath of reporting is a deterrent for reporting. Awareness about rights and entitlements of elders and what constitutes abuse or neglect impedes the reporting of instances. Even when recognized, it is silently accepted though at the very basic, Elder Abuse is a violation of Human Rights. It is an act of criminality that must be addressed as per law.
Where lies the problem? Dealing with elder abuse often slips between the gaps. It affects public health showing up as demented behavior or caregiver stress. This is accentuated by the fact that with increasing longevity cases where it is commonplace to see senior care givers of senior citizens.
Many take the shelter of morality or upbringing as the root cause of elder abuse. Control of wealth or financial wellbeing and education levels are the two most significant factors that influence elder abuse. Ironically, family members are the biggest perpetrators.
Around a quarter of elder abuse instances is inflicted by others that include hired caregivers, domestic help, institutional service providers and outsiders.
