Elders are ailing, alone and without the means to support themselves, finds Helpage India study
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Among those surveyed, one in every three elderly respondents, irrespective of the city they lived in, reported no income in the past year
A study by HelpAge India of a cross-section of elders across the country found that only 15% of them had a source of income. Among them, 24% were men and 7% were women. Around 29% were supported by their children financially. At least 79% of the elders surveyed used government hospitals, and only 31% had health insurance. Very few among those surveyed (15%) knew of the existence of exclusive geriatric facilities.
The study was released in Chennai on June 15, which is observed as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
The non-government organisation conducted a survey among 5,169 elders in 10 States and 20 cities. The organisation selected one tier 1 and one tier 2 city in each State. As many as 1,333 caregivers, aged 18 to 49 years, providing general, social, and emotional care to these elderly respondents were also surveyed.
“To ensure adequate representation of both genders and older age groups, the entire sample was equally distributed among males and females, and an effort was made to cover at least a 5% sample size in the age group of 80 years and above and 20–25% in the age group of 70–79 years,” the report said.
Only 29% of those surveyed reported having access to social security schemes such as an old age pension, a contributory pension or a provident fund. Among those surveyed, one in every three , irrespective of the city they lived in, reported no income in the past year, and 31% of the respondents in the 60-69 year age group, 36% in the 71-79 year age group, and 37% in the 80 year age group reported no income in the past year.
Nearly two-thirds of the respondents (65%) felt financially insecure with their current income and access to savings and investment. Only around 29% of the respondents said their family supported them financially. The survey found that one in every four elderly men and one in every three elderly women was supported financially by their family.
Although the elderly had many health issues, only 31% had active health insurance schemes. As many as 54% of all elderly studied had two or more non-communicable diseases, while 20% had no NCD. Around 26% had at least one NCD.. . Most respondents over 80 years old had two or more NCDs. Around 48% of the respondents had high blood pressure, and 43% were diabetic. Over a third of the respondents had arthritis, osteoporosis, or other bone and joint diseases. As many as 19% of respondents had high cholesterol.
On average, an outpatient visit costs an elderly person ₹1,973. The study found that there was a difference in the amount spent with ₹2,110 spent on males ₹1,913 on female respondents.
As people grow older, they face difficulty in doing their daily activities. More women than men reported facing at least one difficulty in their daily activities, the surveyors said.
Caregivers for the elderly also face challenges. Around 29% said there were physical challenges while providing care. They also faced financial challenges. Only 7% of those who were surveyed were part of any social organisation. Men more than women were part of such organisations, and it varied with their place of residence and socio-economic categories.
Among those surveyed 7% said they had been abused while 5% refused to respond to the question.
Only 9% of the respondents were aware of the Awareness of Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, 2007. Among the elderly aged over 80 awareness fell further to 5%.
As with every other issue, while 59% of the elderly had no access to digital devices, 39% did have access to a smartphone. Smartphone access was higher for males (47%) and the youngest age group of 60-69 years (43%). Just around 12% used digital medium for paying utility bills or for internet banking and 8% used it for any health-related uses, the survey found.
V. Rama Rao, an 83-year-old, who participated in the release of the survey in the city, called for a policy for elders in each State. In Tamil Nadu, elder associations had given their suggestions, he added.
“The State government could establish daycare centres for us. We want representation in district welfare committees. The National Centre of Ageing should be expanded to district headquarters such as Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Madurai,” he suggested.
Facilities such as Makkal Marundhagam and Makkalai Thedi helped immensely, he said. “At the end of our life we want only your affection. When youngsters spend time with us, the personal bond that you develop makes us feel needed,” he said.
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