50% elderly in country face abuse, study says

NAGPUR: The numerous ‘family shows’ churned out by the Indian TV industry may make one believe that India is the country for old people. However, a peep into the lives beyond the silver screen gives way to a gory picture rather than a rosy one. Half the elderly population in the country faces abuse of various kinds, as per a recent study conducted by HelpAge India.
This was the tenth year that the study was undertaken by the NGO, whose results were released days before the World Elderly Abuse Day observed on Sunday.Conducted in six tier I and six tier II cities of the country, including Nagpur, the survey aims to bring forth the reasons and incidences of abuse faced by the senior citizens.
“A decade ago, we saw that even those elderly people who are living with their families are very lonely and sad. This was mainly because of the changes in the family unit concurring with the many social changes that were happening in the country. We started the study on elderly abuse 10 years ago but the results are being made public only since last three years,” said Sunil Thakur, a senior manager in the NGO. He added that highlighting this abuse in numbers may result in some concrete action for the protection of the elderly.
Taking such steps is especially required now considering the sheer number of senior citizens in the country. While there are around 100 million elderly in India currently, their number is expected to increase to 324 million by 2050 when they would constitute 20% of the total population.

According to a survey conducted by HelpAge India, an NGO, the rate of abuse faced by senior citizens has risen from 23% last year to 50% this year. The difference isn't much in tier I and tier II cities.
However, consultant geriatrician and secretary of Vidarbha chapter of Geriatric Society of India, Dr Sanjay Bajaj feels that the figures quoted as the result of the study are a little too high. "According to my observations and experience, the incidences of elderly abuse should be between 25% and 30%," he said. He attributed this to the difference of perception. "Many times, children and caregivers need to be strict with the elderly people for their own good, especially if they are suffering from diseases like dementia or alzheimer. This may be seen as abuse by the senior citizens," he explained.

Dr Bajaj also believes that along with other social changes, the elderly have become a relatively independent lot with more interdependence among spouses than on other family members. "That said, doctors can identify older people suffering abuse from their peculiar behaviour like constant efforts to meet the doctor alone and desire to get hospitalized. Doctors must ensure that no health certificate is issued without the consent and knowledge of the victims," he said.
He also said that instead of reporting to police, such matters must be solved through discussions with trusted family members, friends, and, if required, lawyers.
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