Hyderabad: Grandparents not being allowed to bond with their grandchildren is a form of abuse of the elderly, and such incidents are increasing, the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment has stated.
With most grandparents staying by themselves, the bonding with the rest of the family is limited to occasional visits or talking on the phone. With children occupied by their their studies and extra-curricular activities, the bonding reduces as they grow or move into high school.
Mr Anand Katoch, director of National Institute of Social Defence, said, “We have an Act on elder abuse but that alone will not work as we don’t have the tradition of elders complaining against their near and dear ones. There are young relatives who trouble them, Most of the time they suffer from isolation. A medical emergency hits their psyche the most.”
There are six million senior citizens living separately, with their spouses. There are a total of 103 million elderly; of these 51 per cent are below the poverty line and are the most neglected.
In rural India, some families abandon senior citizens who develop diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s or other mental and physical illness.
A senior social worker working with senior citizens said, “We have had 27 cases in the state last year in which senior citizens were found abandoned on highways. Three of them could not remember their home. They had no belongings.” Mr Mathew Cherian, chief executive officer of HelpAge India, said, “In rural areas, the problems multiply we get complaints that the elderly have left the house. Whether it is due to constant pressure from within the family or there is abuse by other family members has to be established.”
He said the village level officers should be made aware and should be able to help the elderly. “We come across senior citizens who are not willing to go back to their homes and they need government support,” he said.
