Experts urge for sesitisation on elderly care

The two-day International conference on "Services to the Elderly: Challenges and Trends being hosted by Heritage Foundation in association with The Global Ageing Network, at the ITC Hotel Grand Kakatiya, concluded recently.

Speaking on the occasion M Jagadeeshwar, Secretary, Women & Child Development said, “India, in fact did not realise the need for a conscious policy on elderly care, because the joint family system in India has been very strong and off late it got disintegrated and the families have become very nuclear and also there is migration of families, which is a new phenomenon in our country, posing a tremendous problem both in rural and urban areas.”

“We need to sensitise and evolve a common networking platform, where all the stake holders, the healthcare professionals, social activists, NGOs, civil society organisations and members of all the society should network and find some solutions for this kind of issue,” he said.

“From the Government side we have been trying to do some kind of promotional activities so far as network is concerned, in each district we have formed senior citizens associations, at periodic intervals we are asking district administrations to hold meetings with the various stake holders particularly the NGOs and departments like the health department, transport department, police department etc. In fact the care giving in old age homes and home based care giving requires further more understanding,” said Jagadeeshwar.

“Not many professionals are in this sector now, particularly at the district and rural level, not much knowledge is available on the types of problems that the senior citizens encounter, not many skilled persons are available. So there is a need to develop the back force also in this sector,” he said.

“We have been thinking of creating a platform where care givers are given adequate training in management of old age homes. We are also thinking of involving the school students, as intergenerational bonding is very important in this sector,” said the Secretary.

Anand Katoch, Director, National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment; Marcus Riley, Chairman, Global Ageing Network, USA; Dr K R Gangadharan, Founder, Heritage Foundation; Mathew Cherian, Chief Executive HelpAge India and Prof. S Siva Raju, Dy. Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, were present on the occasion.