Theoretical overview
According to the National Commission on Population, the share of the elderly in India’s population, close to 9% in 2011, is growing fast and may reach 18% by 2036. If India is to ensure a decent quality of life for the elderly in the near future, planning and providing for it must begin today.
Life expectancy in India has more than doubled since Independence from around 32 years in the late 1940s to 70 years or so today. Many countries have done even better, but this is still a historical achievement. Over the same period, the fertility rate has declined from about six children per woman to just two, liberating women from the shackles of repeated child-bearing and child care. All this is good news, but it also creates a new challenge —the ageing of the population.
the Problems Associated with the Ageing Population
Social:
Indian society is undergoing rapid transformation under the impact of industrialization, urbanization, technical & technological change, education and globalization.
Consequently, the traditional values and institutions are in the process of erosion and adaptation, resulting in the weakening of intergenerational ties that were the hallmark of the traditional family.
Industrialization has replaced the simple family production units by the mass production and the factory.
Other Problems:
Negligence by kids towards their old parents.
Disillusionment due to retirement.
Feeling of powerlessness, loneliness, uselessness and isolation in elderly.
Generational gap.
Financial: Retirement and dependence of elderly on their child for basic necessity. o Sudden increase in out of pocket expenses on treatment.
Migration of young working-age persons from rural areas has negative impacts on the elderly, living alone or with only the spouse, usually poverty and distress.
Insufficient housing facility. A national survey carried out by the NGO HelpAge India has shown that as many as 47% of elderly people are economically dependent on their families for income and 34% are relied on pensions and cash transfers, while 40% of the surveyed people have expressed the desire to work “as long as possible”.
Health:
Health issues like blindness, locomotor disabilities and deafness are most prevalent
Mental illness arising from senility (showing poor mental ability because of old age) and neurosis. Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations.
Absence of geriatric care facilities at hospitals in rural areas According to a recent survey, 30% to 50% of elderly people had symptoms that make them depressed. A large majority of elderly persons living alone are women, especially widows. Depression is strongly correlated with poverty, poor health, and loneliness.
India’s Social Assistance Scheme
Under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) scheme, India has important schemes of non-contributory pensions for the elderly, widowed women and disabled persons. It is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY): It is a Pension Scheme announced by the Government of India exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above. The scheme is now extended up to 2023 for a further period of three years beyond 2020.
Integrated Program for Older Persons (IPOP): The main goal of this policy is to improve the quality of life of senior citizens. o This is done by providing them with various basic amenities such as food, shelter, medical care, and even entertainment opportunities.
Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojana: It is a central sector scheme funded from the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund. The fund was notified in the year 2016. All unclaimed amounts from small savings accounts, PPF and EPF are transferred to this fund. o It aims to provide aids and assistive living devices to senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) category who suffer from age-related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and locomotor disabilities.
