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. Individual jobs and earnings give rise to income differentials within the family. Push factors such as population pressure and pull factors such as wider economic opportunities and modern communication cause young people to migrate especially from rural to urban areas.
Providing care for the aged has never been a problem in India where a value based joint family system was dominant. However, with a growing trend towards nuclear family set-up, and increasing education, urbanization and industrialization, the vulnerability of elderly is rapidly increasing. The coping capacities of the younger and elder family members are now being challenged under various circumstances resulting in neglect and abuse of elderly in many ways, both within the family and outside.

In an agriculture based traditional society, where children followed their parent’s occupation, it was natural that the expertise and knowledge of each generation were passed on to the next, thus affording older persons a useful role in society. However, this is no longer true in modern society, in which improved education, rapid technical change and new forms of organization have often rendered obsolete the knowledge, experience and wisdom of older persons. Once they retire, elderly people find that their children are not seeking advice from them anymore, and society has not much use for them. This realization often results in feeling of loss of status, worthlessness and loneliness.

Disabilities in old age

On one hand, getting old provides opportunity to relax, enjoy and do things they always wanted to do, but never had the time for when they were young. On the other hand, old age also implies increasing physical, mental and psychological disabilities.

Economic Problems

Economic dependence is one of the major factors that very often affects the wellbeing of older persons. Economic dependence is manifested in two ways. First, the status of economic dependence may be caused by retirement for a person employed in the formal sector. Secondly, for a person in the rural or urban informal sectors, it may result from their declining ability to work because of decreased physical and mental abilities.

Psychological Problems

Feeling of powerlessness, feeling of inferiority, depression, uselessness, isolation and reduced competence. These problems along with social disabilities like widowhood, societal prejudice and segregation aggravate the frustration of elderly people. Studies report that conditions of poverty, childlessness, disability, in-law conflicts and changing values were some of the major causes for elder abuse.

Health Problems

• Besides physical illness, the aged are more likely to be victims of poor mental health, which arises from senility, neurosis and extent of life satisfaction. Thus, health status of aged should occupy a central place in any study of the elderly population. Almost eight out of ten older people in India live in rural areas. According to 2001 census, 78 per cent of elderly people in India resided in rural areas. Women comprise a slightly higher proportion than men, basically due to higher female expectancy at birth.

• Ageing is predominantly a women’s problem. Not only do women live longer but most of them are widows. They face serious discrimination with respect to their rights and are over burdened with familial responsibilities.

• A women explanation for distress among elderly female is the ‘empty nest syndrome’. The empty nest’ period may indeed bring in depression in the course of their diminishing role in the family. Extra provisions of care and support are required to redeem them from their miserable plight.

Government’s Role in the Rehabilitation of Aged

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 provides legal sanctions to the rights of the elderly. In addition constitutional provisions for old age security, old age pension, establishing old age homes, expanding geriatric services, liberalizing housing policy for elders have also been undertaken.

Social security benefits

• Unfortunately, at present, there is very little in terms of social security from the state in India. Only those who work in the public sector or for large private companies have benefits such as pensions and provident funds.

• However, for the most of the 90 per cent of elderly persons who work in the informal sector, there are scarcely any benefits. The only available benefits for the poor are:
  1. The National Old age Pension of 200 rupees per month, which is universal but available only to destitute people over the age of 65 years.
  2. Various state schemes, with benefits ranging between Rs.60 to Rs. 250 per month, meant generally for people aged 65+ and below the poverty line, and
  3. Benefits for widows, with benefits below Rs. 150 per month.

• The right of parents without any means of their own to be supported by their children has been recognized by section 125(I) (d) of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, and section 20 (3) of the Hindu Adaptation and Maintenance Act, 1956.

• The right of parents without any means of their own to be supported by their children has been recognized by section 125(I) (d) of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, and section 20 (3) of the Hindu Adaptation and Maintenance Act, 1956.

Role of Old Age Homes as care givers

According to Help Age India estimates, there are 728 institutions at present, perhaps a majority of them in urban areas. Kerala has the largest number of old age homes. More than 60 per cent of the old age homes in India are of the charitable type, meant for destitute or very poor persons. About 20 per cent of them are of the ‘pay and stay’ type and another 20 per cent are mixed. There is a strong feeling that proliferation of old-age homes would make it easier for children to shirk their responsibility for taking care of their aging parents by placing them in institutions. Increasing institutionalization of elderly people would lead to erosion of the desirable traditional family values and may even lead to the breakup of the institution of family itself.

Following suggestions may go a long way in changing the life of elderly in India:

• Efforts should be made to strengthen the family care, because the preferred source of support for the aged is still the family

• Traditional values of filial obligations can also be reinforced in school curricula and through the media.

• Institutional care must be able to enhance relationships within families that incorporate both young and old persons. There is a need for effective legislation for parents’ right to be cared for by the children.

• The existing health care systems are not sufficient to meet the physical and health needs of the ageing population such as old age security, establishing old age homes, expanding geriatric services and liberalizing the welfare policy for older persons.

There is also need for the elderly to remain active, to know that they still have a part to play in the family or community to which they belong and can make a useful co contribution to nation and society as a whole.