Senior Citizens Burden or Asset

Blog:  December 16, 2024

Source: http://www.aginghealthforum.com/

SENIOR CITIZENS NOT A BURDEN BUT AN ASSET: Suggestions for their Engagement Policy

(Based on talk on 14th December, 2024 at an International Conference held at NIHFW, Delhi)

Many views exist about engaging the country’s millions of senior citizens including those who perceive themselves as directionless and without purpose after retirement. Health and financial issues apart, senior citizens are a treasure of many assets such as sharing wisdom, contributing to family income and care, community development, mentoring, providing consultations, cleaning up the environment etc. Empowering them with dignity and building them as a work force is a great idea not only for themselves but is a crucial initiative for the State also since the working age population (18-59) is already going to shrink as the years go by. Both National Policy of Older Persons of 1999 and National Policy for Senior Citizens of 2011 acknowledge that senior citizens are not just a burden, but they are also an asset for the country and their families, capable of many roles in nation building. Broadly, they can be categorized into three segments from their engaging perspectives.

1. Cognitively skilled, productive and already engaged senior citizens like doctors, academicians, lawyers, chartered accountants, architects, politicians, spiritual and thought leaders etc. A small segment, most Programs do not worry about them.
2. Middle segment who either retire from the organized sector or stop working from unorganized sector due to a variety of reasons. Often, they are directionless, have nothing to do and fall victim to boredom, isolation and fear of the future.
3. Largest group, relatively uninformed, less educated, often rural and poor. At times fatalistic in attitude, they require maximum hand holding through new policies and programs to usher them into the fold of active engagement and dignity in their lives.

Six initiatives (3 existing programs, 3 way forward suggestions) for engaging senior citizens underscore the bidirectional significance between decision makers and senior citizens.

1. Action Groups Aimed at Social Reconstruction Program (AGRASR) from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) encourages formation of thousands of Elderly Self Help Groups (ESHGs) of elderly individuals notably in villages but also in urban areas across the country. These groups and their diverse activities for income generation, tutoring school children, maintaining creches, adopting social assets, guiding patients to health care facilities etc. are financed, supervised and implemented through National Livelihood Rural or Urban Missions who on behalf of ESHGs enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the respective state governments. This initiative infuses dignity and financial, social and health empowerment among senior citizens who come to enjoy better respect from the society and families and also become better counsellors, health-conscious citizens and able to fight ageism of discrimination and neglect. Unknowingly or knowingly, ESHG members join the mainstream in doing greater good for the country as well. Some NGOs like HelpAge India also create ESHGs primarily for income generating activities of senior citizens.
2. Senior Abled Citizens Reemployment with Dignity Scheme (SACRED) is also from MoSJE and has a portal dedicated for senior citizens who are looking for employment. They can register and the Scheme helps them pairing with the prospective employers depending on the skill and expertise of candidates. Some of the NGOs are also embarking upon such kind of Mini Employment Bureaus on the surmise that Senior citizens have qualities of sincerity, loyalty, flexibility and excellent language skills. They even specify kind of jobs where senior citizens fit well.
3. Skill Training and re-skilling of senior citizens through training to the target group (15-30 days training) is a project for elderly with specialised knowledge to be identified and utilised for Skill building, Specialised knowledge transfer, General     

             Knowledge building, Values education, Story-telling especially for younger children. 

             Conducting workshops for skill building, like carpentry, plumbing, etc and Coaching  

             classes for the youth. Geron technology has also come in a big way for elderly people.  

             Examples are mobile apps, anti-wandering devices, smart watches, activity trackers,        

             fall prevention devices etc. and the big area of digitalization. Many senior citizens  

             are not in comfort zone with technology and need awareness and engagement.

1. Volunteering and Socializing. These are primarily the initiatives by elderly themselves. Volunteering for any organization, clubs, RWAs, schools, hospitals, communities and there are endless possibilities for engaging senior citizens. Pilgrimaging, fun travelling, music and dance are no bars to senior citizens.
2. Brain Challenging

This is applicable to all but particularly for the third group of senior citizens. Assigned to destiny of fate, unfortunately, they relate anything negative they experience to their old age and thus fail to access any type of care. It appears plausible to begin engaging such persons in cognitive tasks which give them a sense of joy as well. Befriending younger generation including their own grandchildren and networking with them through caring, playing indoor games, story-telling, sharing wisdom, knowledge, cultural values, historical interests and past experiences have multiple benefits. Realizing that intergenerational relationships are a source of happiness to both the parties, many programs advocate periodic mingling of the two generations by having old age homes close to schools and orphanages. New reading, learning a musical instrument or imbibing a new language, having fun with puzzles and chess or exploring the internet-all facilitated if needed at an institutionalized setting like Day Care or Recreation Centre are examples of brain stimulation which can bring about a ripple effect for active engagement with happiness and health. Setting and planning a garden can be equally exciting cognitive exercise as an outdoor activity.

1. Healthy Ageing Interventions like eating proper, exercising well, sleeping sound, busting stress, and engaging socially, mentally and spiritually are taken for granted strategies for good physical and mental health but only the well informed and health savvy seniors pursue them passionately with prudence, persistence and perfection. There is science behind each of these strategies but as we begin entering the limitations of ripe old age, pursing these healthy ageing strategies becomes a full-time engagement often requiring time consuming counsel from a host of multidisciplinary care providers. If our senior citizens especially the super senior citizens are to remain fit and fine, a health promotion policy and infrastructure needs to be established for keeping them engaged in this crucial aspect of life.