Well-being Of Older Persons Mandated In The Constitution Of India

USPA NEWS - The Vice President, Mr. Mohammad Hamid Ansari presents shawls on the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, organized by the Helpage India, in New Delhi on October 01, 2015. (P D Photo by Naveen Katyal)

International Day Of Older Persons

The Vice President of India, Mr. Mohd. Hamid Ansari said that the well-being of older persons has been mandated in the Constitution of India. He was addressing the International Day of Older Persons organized by the Helpage India on October 1.

The Vice President said that Census statistics show that India has a youthful population, with over half the Indians being below the age of 35 but the fact often overlooked is that with increasing life expectancy, India is fast graying and that we have a large number of elderly- a growing and vulnerable segment which the society seem woefully ill equipped to manage.

The Vice President stated that the Indian society is undergoing rapid transformation under the impact of industrialization, urbanization and globalization and the traditional values and institutions are changing. As nuclear families become the norm, the family based social safety nets are no longer adequate and the transition from rural, agrarian set-up to urban, industrial way of life, migration from villages to cities and increasingly, abroad, forces the younger generation to leave their elders alone back home, he added. He opined that the finances are stretched as healthcare becomes expensive. The Vice President said that efforts should also be made for enhancing the productivity span of the elderly.

Mr. Hamid Ansari said that we need a transformation in how we visualize and treat the elderly in our society. Health care services should be based on the felt needs of the elderly, which would involve a comprehensive baseline morbidity survey and functional assessment in health areas that are perceived to be important to them, he added. He further added that education, training and information needs of older persons will also have to be met. The thrust should be to identify the more vulnerable among the older persons ““ the poor, the disabled, the infirm, the chronically sick and those without family support, and provide welfare services to them on a priority basis, he opined.

The Vice President said that the non-governmental agencies need to be encouraged and assisted to organize services such as day care, multi-service citizen´s centers, outreach services, supply of disability related aids and appliances, short term stay services and friendly home visits by social workers.

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