Lives Of The Elderly in INDIA

Contents Introduction What is an old age? What is an old age? Lifestyle of elderly Lifestyle of elderly Condition of elderly people Condition of elderly people Problems of elderly people Problems of elderly people Steps taken by government Steps taken by government Do policies really help elderly? Do policies really help elderly? How can we make them happy? How can we make them happy? Conclusion

Introduction Surveys have found that one out of every six older persons living in urban areas in India aren't obtaining proper nutrition, one out of every three older persons does not obtain sufficient health care or medicine, and one out of every two older persons does not receive due respect or good conduct from family members or people in general. The 2011 census demonstrated that aged people in INDIA crossover 100 million.

Old Age Old age comprises "the later part of life; the period of life after youth and middle age..., usually with reference to deterioration". When old age begins, cannot be universally defined because it shifts according to the context. The United Nations has given acceptance that 65+ years may be usually denoted as old age, and this is the first attempt at international level to define old age.

Lifestyle of elderly

Condition of Elderly people In INDIA Every other day, we hear news of parents being beaten up by their children,being forced to do the house hold chores, being made to live in small dungeon like rooms, their property being forcefully taken over by over ambitious children. There are 81million older people in India-11 lakh in Delhi itself. According to an estimate nearly 40% of senior citizens living with their families are reportedly facing abuse of one kind or another, but only 1 in 6 cases actually comes to light.

Problems of elderly people Physical and mental health care availability and community and social care aspects of life for the elderly are key concerns. Nutritional problems are also a concern. Access to employment opportunities, transportation, housing and income are key concerns. Inhumane living conditions are also a concern. Poor social interaction with family and friends, poor social networks, and those without families are some difficulties faced by some senior citizens.

Steps taken by the Govt. The government of India provides various concessions and facilities to its senior citizens. Many government and private hospitals provide concessions to the older persons in the treatment of the diseases like cardiac problems, diabetes, kidney problems, blood pressure, joint problems and eye problems. The Indian government gives high rates of interest to its senior citizens on certain savings plans which are run by the post offices and other private banks.

Do policies really help elderly? Yes, these policies help the elderly, but upto a limited extent. Although the elderly are enjoying such policies but their human rights are being exploited. They are being just ignored by the society. That's why many of the elderly have to leave their home and made to live in places like old age homes. One needs to understand that elderly just need love and care. They want to live within the society.

How can we make them HAPPY? We all can make our elders happy by respecting and by not neglecting them.We should be polite to them and should help them in every possible way. As far as this problem is concerned, we can visit places like old age homes often and can share our joys with them. we can also donate as much as we can to help the elderly.And in this way we can make them happy.

Conclusion To sum up,one needs to realize that old age is the reality of life and everyone has to face this ultimate reality.so we need to be compassionate and concerned towards our elderly to teach future generation. The elderly are the reservoir of experience and we cannot be complete without their enriching legacy. Their contribution towards the society can not be denied and we must respect them to help lead a dignified life.

A Presentation By Sanchit Pillai X-B