Abuse and harassment of the elderly increasing in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Instances of aged parents being cast away by their children are increasing in the city.

"We get nearly 230 distress calls in a month. Sometimes they go up to 300. Thirty percent of the calls are related to harassment and abuse. Nearly 10% of them are abandonment calls," said Mohammed Raza, state head, HelpAge India, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Take the case of Shivamma

(65), a dementia patient. Last month she was abandoned by her two daughters at Adikmet bus stand. She couldn't walk. Nor was she in a condition to take care of herself. "After rescuing her, Greater Hyderabad Municipality Corporation workers approached us. Now she is better. Her family did not respond to our calls. We are taking her for checkups at Erragadda Mental Hospital. Seeing the increasing cases of abandonment of the elderly, especially those who suffering from mental illness, we recently held a mental health camp in the city in association with Solenis Company," said George Rakesh, founder of Good Samaritans India, an NGO which provides shelter to the abandoned elderly in Hyderabad.

Rakesh said children of such abandoned people do not even come for the last rites.

Two months ago, a 75-yearold man was abandoned in front of Gandhi Hospital after he fractured his legs. He was rescued by the NGO but died recently. The family did not come for the last rites.

"We contacted his son when his condition went from bad to worse. He kept saying they will come soon but never turned up. We kept his body for two days waiting for the son to come. He kept delaying it, finally, we carried out the rites. It is sad that the children refuse to come for the last rites of their parents. We have had nearly 60 such last rites this year," said Rakesh.

Raza said parents were abandoned more in cities than in villages. Awareness about Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act and police helplines is very low in Hyderabad, he said.

"Property is one of the key reasons for the abuse and harassment of the elderly. Abandonments mostly happen when health condition deteriorates. Nearly 27% of the elderly are harassed by their daughters-in-law and sons, 24%. In old age, parents become a burden and face abuse and harassment from their children," said Raza.