Elderly feel 'not entitled to good things': Survey

  • | Monday | 19th November, 2018

Instead, one laddoo is shared by the parents while the grandson get one all to himself.Unfortunately, majority of the elderly in India feel they are not entitled to their laddoos. So far they have approached about 200 employers and more than 50 have been open to hiring seniors. But when two laddoos are served as dessert, the grandparents give up the sweet they love, simply because they feel they are “past their age” to enjoy such treats. As a result, many of them suffer a loss of independence and self-dignity.That’s why HUM Communities is working to help more seniors find second careers. And single men (widowers or bachelors) who are keen on dating felt that familial and societal disapproval prevented them from dating or enjoying life as a single,” says Malhotra.

CHENNAI: A family of five dines at the table. But when two laddoos are served as dessert, the grandparents give up the sweet they love, simply because they feel they are “past their age” to enjoy such treats. Instead, one laddoo is shared by the parents while the grandson get one all to himself.Unfortunately, majority of the elderly in India feel they are not entitled to their laddoos. According to the AIHSS 2.0 (All India HUM Senior Survey 2.0) recently released by HUM Communities, a social enterprise working to improve the lives of the retired, 93% of the people surveyed said younger people frequently make the seniors feel that limited resources – be it laddoos or money — should be spent on youngsters rather than on elders.“When I saw my own grandmother giving up the laddoos she loved, I found it very ironic that the startup I run with my 78-year-old partner R K Vij is working to change such notions but I find the self-inflicted bias in my own home,” says Kritarth Malhotra, founding partner, HUM Communities. The AIHSS 2.0, which surveyed 6,178 elders — retired/senior citizens over 50 years — in tier 1 and tier 2 cities across India, including Chennai, has shown that ageism is one of the biggest problems facing the greying Indian population. And India is a fast greying country. By 2050, the country will have more than 30 crore people over 60 (about the same as the present population of the USA).According to the survey, 96% of seniors surveyed said at the workplace they were made to feel that they have ‘had their turn’ and should make way for the younger generations.“It’s unfair when someone who is willing to work and has the capability to excel is not offered a suitable opportunity on the basis of his/her age,” says Malhotra.Sixty two percent were also told in the past one year that they should ‘act their age’ and felt uncomfortable dressing like younger people or eating at places where they used to as youngsters. “Though many seniors love travelling, their families were not supportive of it. And single men (widowers or bachelors) who are keen on dating felt that familial and societal disapproval prevented them from dating or enjoying life as a single,” says Malhotra. The consequences of such stereotyping push these elderly either into places where only seniors are present or towards loneliness.Other findings of the survey reveal that 40% men and 10% women over 60 are working for their survival. Amongst people aged 58 to 70, 80% men and 55% women (who had worked at some point in their lives) were willing to take on new challenges. Income insecurity is one of the major causes of vulnerability among them as elderly people in India not only work to support themselves but also make economic contributions to their households.About 40% elders feel that their income post retirement doesn’t cover basic services like food, water, electricity, and decent housing and almost 70% of them said they have trouble accessing ‘quality healthcare’. More than 80% of people aged 55 and above are also not covered under any adequate social security schemes, making them dependent on their meagre savings or on their children for sustenance. As a result, many of them suffer a loss of independence and self-dignity.That’s why HUM Communities is working to help more seniors find second careers. So far they have approached about 200 employers and more than 50 have been open to hiring seniors. “With people living longer, we have a good chance of balancing the U curve of happiness so that their last 20 years are as happy and carefree as the first 20,” says Vij.

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