There are now 75 million old people in India, roughly 6 per cent of the total population. By 2025, the figure will be 14 per cent.
In Chandigarh, 40 per cent of the population is 60 plus.
Are we adequately prepared to take care of these people
who gave the best years of their lives to us, asks Reenu Narula.

The nowhere people

THE year 1999 has been declared "The International Year for Older Persons" by the United Nations. The declaration could not have come sooner as the world population is getting greyer by the day. About 70 per cent of the people over 60 years of age in the world are in developing countries. Of these, 60 per cent are in Asia. In India, over 6 per cent of the population is over 60 years of age. Old people are likely to constitute 10 per cent of the total population by the year 2016, and a staggering 14 per cent by 2025. India would then have the maximum number of senior citizens in the world. The population of those who are over 80 years of age is expected to grow from 5 million in 1996 to 14 million in 2020. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Goa will witness the most rapid aging of population in the next few decades.

In Chandigarh, according to the 1991 Census, nearly 40 per cent of the 6.42 lakh population is over 60 years of age. Out of this, 615 couples/ persons live alone.

Though these figures stress the need for rapid expansion of public support systems for the elderly, little has been done so far to tackle this emerging "problem". The aged are, unfortunately, considered nothing more than a useless, redundant segment of society.

They, therefore, hardly find a place in the international development agenda and there is no national policy for the aged. The Ministry of Welfare’s budget for them was as low Rs 1.75 crore in 1997-98, which means that unlike most western counterparts, our elderly population has absolutely no government support. This is great cause for worry, moreso as nuclear families are becoming the norm.

So, can India adequately take care of its greying population, which is expected to cross the 75-million mark by the start of the millennium? Yes, but only if we are ready to take some urgent legislative and financial measures. Moreover, we need to revert to our Indian social beliefs of joint families.

Till about two decades ago, the average Indian was not expected to live beyond 60. However, the life span has been increasing due to better medicare but, sadly, those who should look after the aged prefer to live separately. A recent report prepared by the UN notes that young need to be educated on the long-term impact of the breakdown of traditional systems of support and social security, especially in developing countries.

As of now, the youth are migrating to greener pastures leaving their old parents to fend for themselves. "I have been living alone since the death of my husband. My family stays in Delhi. It is extremely difficult for me to do household chores, shopping, etc. I am totally dependent on my two servants and I don’t step out of the house for months together. My family has often asked me to come and live them but I just can’t leave my anscetral home and my memories. On the other hand, nobody from my family is prepared to leave their life. They hardly visit me, " says Mrs Gill, an elderly resident of Chandigarh. According to the 1191 Census, 10 per cent of the elderly population in India lives alone. Incidentially, the females outlive their male counterparts.

The elderly are often targeted by criminals. Delhi has had a spate of robberies-cum-murders in the recent past. Chandigarh , however,has been comparatively safer than most other Indian cities.

As most of the elderly are retired civil and defence service officers, they draw a reasonable pension and do not have to depend on anyone. "My family, including my wife, lives in America. I could not adjust to the lifestyle there, so I decided to stay in Chandigarh," says K.D. Bhola, a retired Research Officer, Punjab.

In view of the large number of aged in the city and the problems faced by them in their day-to-day life, residents, voluntary organisations, and the administration have started a few schemes. The city police have adopted senior citizens living alone or without help under a unique scheme, Help the Aged Police Scheme (HAPS). Inspired by a similar scheme in place in America, it offers a sense of security and service to the aged. A police officer is required to visit the ‘adopted’ elderly once a month. HAPS can also provide help in depositing bills, ensuring timely medical help etc., to those who may need it. The Servants of the People Society has a Senior Citizen’s Centre comprising 1,200 members. It holds regular medical programmes, seminars, picnics, etc. for the elderly. It also offers free medical tests of all varieties.

The Chandigarh chapter of Help Age provides monetary and technical help to the day care centre in Lajpat Rai Bhawan. The elderly meet here once a week. Similarly, the Sector 34 gurdwara runs a Legal Aid Cell, and a small clinic for the aged.

The UT government-run Home for Old and Destitute People, Sector 15, has 19 members aged above 65 years. "We offer free accommodation and food to these people," says an official of the Home. "Every few months we take them out for excursions or picnics, but, otherwise, the Rotary Club organises kirtans for them regularly." However, the centre is far from being a ‘model’ old age home.

The elderly in Chandigarh also look after their own and devote their free time to charities. An 80-plus Avtar Singh runs various makeshift schools for the children of construction labourers. He is also the founder-director of the World Peace Mission.

The Adarsh Club of 20-odd aged members meets regularly. The Sector 8 gurdwara has a clinic for the aged run by the aged. Amity, founded by Justice Surinder Singh (retd.), is a marriage and family counselling outfit. Amity counsellors are retired citizens who often deal with problems between aged parents and children -- a problem which is sadly very common.

There are approximately 185 old age homes managed by NGOs, besides 230 day-care centres in India-- mere drops in the ocean. There are not enough oldage homes and the few that exist, have long waiting lists and high rents. Most of the residents depend on their children to send the monthly rentals. They are sad and lonely and spend their last few years being looked after by strangers with little or no love.

"The government-run old age homes are in a pathetic state. The donated articles like blankets do not even reach the aged. Those run by NGO’s and private groups are a little better. There are only a few old age homes in and around Chandigarh, which is just not enough," says Sodhi. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation, 36.7 per cent of the 70-million elderly people want to shift to old age homes.

The elderly of the lower segments of society, even if ill treated at home, do not want to stay in a home and neither do the children want a slur on their name by sending them there. Unfortunately, the destitute aged are completely forgotten.

The concept of old age homes, in fact, is more for the middle and upper middle class. "The middle class elderly have huge bungalows in Chandigarh which requires a lot of maintenance and are very lonely to live in. These are the people who consider shifting to homes," avers Sodhi. "I did consider shifting to a home but that would mean changing my lifestyle which I cannot do at this stage of my life. Besides, I am used to clean bedsheets, etc. which, I may not get there," says Major Singh.

Old age is accompanied with expensive illnesses and diseases like the notorious Alzheimer’s disease. The problem is that we have no money, nor an institutional alternative to the fast-disappearing joint family system to cope with such expensive diseases. The UN Report suggests that research should also be conducted on appropriate care for the frail, older persons, encircling the family, community, and institutional care systems. Ironically, the same health care system, which pushed up the age count, is unable and unequipped to cope with the spiralling chronic age-related diseases.

According to the National Sample Survey Organisation, 45 per cent suffer from some kind of a chronic disease, and over 5 per cent are physically immobile. The government and the society should, therefore, ensure that geriatric wards are set up in all hospitals. But prior to that, geriatric medicine needs be made mandatory in the curriculum of all medical colleges. The PGI, Chandigarh, has no geriatric ward and neither does the General Hospital.

The UN Programme on Aging is exploring the concept of lifelong individual development. It is based on the idea that both individual behaviour and national policy will help improve the situation of older people.

Advantage should be taken of this year to increase awareness of the challenge of the socio-economic needs and values of older persons and, more importantly, the need for a change in attitudes towards older persons. "HelpAge tries to create awareness amongst the children by regularly holding seminars and competitions in schools," says Sodhi.

However, above all this is the need for each one of us to stop and think. The problem of the elderly is not just financial but emotional and social. These people are the foundation of our society.

Their experience, wisdom, and values make us what we are. Our parents looked after us, nurtured us, cared for us and loved us. The least we can do is return some of that love and affection. Otherwise, what are we teaching our children? Remember, someday we too will be old.