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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