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Problems of Elderly Population

By Nirakar Poudel, Nepal news.com

Nepal

July 8, 2005

 

Ageing is a natural phenomenon and an inevitable process. Every living being born, develops, grows old and dies. Ageing population means an increase in the share of the elderly in the total population. It is closely related with the dynamic process of demographic and socio-economic transformation. Whether a population is young or old, or getting older or getting younger, it depends on the proportion of people at different age groups. In general, a population with more than 35 percent under age of 15 years is considered young and population with more than 10 percent aged 65 years and above is considered old. The population of Nepal is considered young as 39 percent of its total population is under 15 years of age and only 4.20 percent are above 65 years of age.

In our country, age 60 and above are demarcated as elderly population. Ageing is a process of gradual change in physical appearance and mental situation that cause a person to grow old. The life expectancies are 59.7 and 59.1 years for male and female respectively in Nepal. Ageing and life expectancy are closely related. With the rise of life expectancy, the problem of ageing amplifies. Although the population is growing younger, elderly people are also facing many troubles.

There are various factors that make a person old. Decrease in physical strength, increase in mental tension, decrease in immunity power and getting sick to a large extent are the major features that make a person aged. Elderly people also experience many physical changes. There is gradual drying and wrinkling of skin, decrease in touch feeling and taste sensation, extensive food indigestion, decrease in range of color and intensity of vision, failure of ability to distinguish color, loss of hearing power and weakening immune system. With the increase in age, people lose their creativity level, problem solving ability and learning skills as well as short-term memory.

Elderly people also have to face economic and social difficulties. Nepalese society is in a phase of modernization. The traditional joint family is slowly being replaced by nuclear family in urban areas. The caring of elderly population is a major problem. Because of this trend of nuclear family, the older members of family are being isolated. Old people long for love, proper nourishment, happiness and relaxing conversations from other family members. This system of nuclear family and busy lifestyle of people have secluded them from other family associates. There is modification in the cultural norms and traditional family support systems for elderly in Nepal have been placed under substantial strain.

There are many concerns and problems of elderly population. They are concerned for their health, diminished social status and insecurities about their importance among other people, difficulty in adjusting to their retirement and change of daily routine, insecurity brought about by feelings of inadequacy in meeting daily life situations, loss of ability to socialize and be of service to others in order to get self satisfaction and joy and strong desire to be useful to others in any way. The living standard of elderly people of our country needs enhancement.

Ageing is considered a problem in our society. Old people are even considered as burden for family. Ageing is not a problem if the caring of old people is developed as a social tradition. Caring of elderly people is a welfare scheme that provides meaningful support for the elderly people with a view to make their health physically and mentally sound and to continue the emotional aspects of their life. Family members must take proper care of the old people. Elderly people should be encouraged to do any activity like moving around house or garden that provides glee and light exercise. Old people need regular interval of rest throughout the day between varied activities, which prevents tiredness. Old people must be provided nutritious food and their cleanliness should be properly taken care of. There should be safe and adaptable environments for old people.

Old people need to live in dignity and pride with no exploitation, physical and mental torture and fair treatment. There are a few institutions run by the government and non-governmental sectors to take care of elderly people and providing them support and rehabilitation. As there still lacks social welfare system, no one is there to guarantee the security of old people. For the government employees, they receive a certain amount of pension but a large number of old people are without it.

There are many old peoples - who are living in the shelter homes - sharing their contented and gloomy moments with each other. Though the elderly people long for the love from their family members, these institutions are putting their best effort to ensure comfort to the old peoples and provide them with love and affection.

 

Senior Citizens

ekantipur.com

Nepal

January 2004

 

A perfect picture speaks more than a housand words. The main picture of The Kathmandu Post on Tuesday was a specimen.

The innocent and wrinkle faced elderly women cane-walked all the way from a remote village to the district development committee office at Fungling, Taplejung’s headquarters, to get senior citizen allowance, which simply explains the pathetic situation of our seniors. The elders, over 75 years of age, get mere Rs 150 per month, and yet they take the arduous walk because the village development committee secretary has been holed up in the district headquarters because of the Maoist threat. One can only imagine how many people of over 75 years can take pains to walk up to the district headquarters.

The long walk up to the district headquarters, by the senior citizens, not only portrays the state of poverty, but also stresses the dire need to review our social security network. So far, in the name of social security, the government provides Rs 150 per month as old age allowance to the people over 75 years. Similarly, widows or helpless above 60 years get Rs 100 per month, and the disabled Rs 100 a month. However, a district can provide the support to only 50 disabled people a month. The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare through its district line agencies provides health support of less than Rs 4000 a year for the people above 65 years in 28 districts only. These are certainly right moves. But most of the people in real need are deprived of such facilities, and a few smart people rip off all the benefits.

Besides the archaic distribution system, the more pertinent question here is: Are we doing enough for our elders? There are only 147,000 males and 153,000 females of over 75 years. It means the state spends only Rs 540 million a year, if it provides support to each and everyone. It is less than four percent of the total spending on social sector. In real terms, the government spent only Rs 429,000 on the senior citizens, disabled, helpless and widows in 2001/02. The expenditure is just far less than one percent of the total revenue. Given such statistics, anyone can easily say that the old age allowance is nothing but peanuts, and it has to be doubled immediately. 

The government has to spend on old-homes, and provide better health facilities for the old people. The financially well off people should refrain from taking the state allowance in order to assist the government to provide more resources to those in need. Traditionally, Nepal has been a country paying highest respect to elders. However, recently we seem to have lost our respect for them. Maybe, the economic pressure and increasing poverty has wiped out our human values. But we should not forget that if we ignore our elders, we would also be treated by our younger generation in a similar manner.

 

Status of the elderly

By Prem Lal Chitrakar, The Kathmandu Post

Nepal

 November 14, 2001

 

The existing and increasing population of aged people is becoming one of the problems that Nepal has been facing in recent years. Due to these increasing aged people, various countries have also started building Old Aged Homes to promote the well being of aged people. But efforts made so far in this country are not adequate as well as lack support from local institutions.

The status of aged people, according to recently taken census 2001, is still not available. However, the 1991 census states that more that 4.7 percent of the total population of Nepal belong to the age group between 60 to 74 years.

The aged people above 75 years have been 184 thousand and it has reached 234 thousand people this year. This group of people and their number would be 310 thousand people by the year 2011.

Under these situations, it is difficult to estimate that how many people in this category have been taken care by their own family members. How many of them have been aspiring to live in old aged homes built so far ? What types of old aged homes are to be built in accommodating them and how to develop an old aged home without adequate resources in rehabilitating these elderly people ? These have been some of the problems that resource poor Nepal has been facing in recent years.

Aging has, in fact, been a cyclical process. All the people of the world - be they rich or poor and learned or uneducated - have to pass through this cyclical process in their lives, irrespective of their present state of strength or merit or weakness.

It is indeed a human nature that aged people everywhere in the world, have also been aspiring to live in a suitable or congenial environment where they are taken care of, well nourished, and have adequate, latitude in their development or to undertake in some creative exercises even in their old age.

Of the 234 thousand elderly people (aged more than 75 years) which Nepal is having at present, how many of them have been well taken care of by their own family members ? How many of them have been sheltering in old aged homes ? How many of them have been leading a hopeless life and how many have been aspiring to engage in some creative works for the benefit of this country or society or to the Nepalese people ? The statistics on these areas have awfully been limited owing to the lack of studies undertaken by the concerned agencies in this country. But all aged people have not been well taken care of by the members of the family because of the variety of reasons.

Several old aged homes have been developed in Nepal in recent years to rehabilitate the elderly people for their welfare, their development and promotion.

The following have been some of old aged homes operating, developed and developing in Nepal. They include Pasupati Briddhaashram at Pasupati, Swastha Sewa Tatha Shanti Ashram at Shankhamul, Bhuddha Briddhaashram in Banepa, Bishanti Mandir in Dhankuta, Deughat Briddaashram in Deughat, Nishahaya Shewa Shadan in New Baneswar, Dhamma Bash Briddhaashram in Khushibu, Tapasthali Briddaashram in Chapali, Briddha Mahila Niwash in Pokhara, Janaki Briddhaashram in Janakpur, Shanti Ashram in Khokana, Matatirtha Briddhaashram in Matatirtha, Joti Briddha Mahila Ashram in Thankot, Nepal Bhasha Misha Puchha Ashram in Swayambhu, Ananda Ashram Cooperative in Kathmandu and an Elderly Citizens’ Home in Godawari to name a few.

Of the above mentioned old aged homes developed in this country, almost 50 percent of them have not been operating. Those old aged homes operating are not free from management problems.

Recently, however, the government has adopted a new comprehensive policy on senior citizens with an objective of tapping their skills, knowledge and experience in different areas and ensuring their social and economic development so that they can live a life with dignity and honour in society. The new policy on senior citizens adopted by the government is similar to the United Nations principles on aging adopted by UN in 1992. But how it is going to be implemented remains clearly understated.

Nepal not only failed to participate in the First-World Assembly held in Vienna in 1982, but has also failed to implement the Vienna International Plan of Action on Aging, discussed and adopted in Vienna in 1982.

Under this situation, Nepal should focus on five specific issues as new strategy options in promoting as well as in tapping the skills, knowledge and experiences of the senior citizens of this country. They are:

1. Undertake a quick bench mark study on older persons living in all the agro-ecological regions to prepare a report on senior citizens.

2. Develop a new programme to promote the welfare of elder persons in line with both Vienna International Plan of Action and new policy on Senior Citizens for presentation in Madrid durning World Assembly on aging .

3. Develop a new mechanism in providing financial support to local old aged homes built by local institutions.

4. Participate in by any means the Second World Assembly on aging which is going to be held in Spain in April,

2002 and

5. Try to receive the Trust Fund generated by the UN in implementing the Vienna International Plan of Action on aging.


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