Mumbai: '78% of locked-in elders faced difficulty getting grocery, meds'

THANE/NEW DELHI: With their kitchen shelves bare of food and no help from neighbours or relatives, an elderly couple from Vile Parle faced near starvation last month. Finally they managed to get help from a local NGO that supplied them ration and groceries.
This couple represented a major chunk of senior citizens from across the country that was badly impacted by the Covid-19 enforced lockdown.
A dipstick survey by NGO HelpAge India, whose report was released on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, showed that 78% of senior citizens, or eight of every 10 Indian elders living alone or with their family, faced problems in securing groceries, medical attention or making financial transactions during the lockdown.
Also, 65% of the 5,099 elderly respondents- 57% male and 43% female-who participated in the survey blamed the lockdown for causing them loss of work or drastic loss in wages. Of the 65% elderly persons who faced livelihood concerns 60% were from rural areas and 40% from urban areas.
The survey also showed that while 91% of the respondents were aware of the symptoms of Covid, a significant 62% of the respondents reported suffering from chronic diseases like asthma, hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Around 42% elders reported worsening of health condition during the lockdown.
A cancer survivor from Andheri, 70-year-old Prakash Nayak found that no doctor was ready to examine him, except online which was "useless". "Only I know how I have endured the last few weeks. I managed to survive only by willpower," he said.
Rohit Prasad, chief operating officer, HelpAge India, said: "The elderly are facing a triple struggle - along with high health risk, many are battling survival due to loss in income, and further coping with challenges of social isolation. Most of them are unskilled casual workers who earn a meagre daily wage to survive... There is a need for a coordinated action plan for the elderly by the government, supported by community and family."
Prakash Borgaonkar, head-Maharashtra and Goa, HelpAge India, concurred: "The lockdown underlines the need for a robust social and government mechanism for senior citizens."