Counseling for the Elderly 

Times of India 

February 22, 2004

Health care and psychiatric counseling will soon be available to the elderly under one roof. 

The Delhi government plans to set up six such centers as part of a pilot project. The plan came up after it was felt that the elderly often do not have adequate access to health care - especially if the problem is of a psychiatric nature. 

"Families do not understand the need for such support for the elderly. Relatives do not realize that the person has a problem because there is little or no communication," said a social welfare department official. 
The health professionals will be sourced from the health department, while NGOs will be roped in to provide counseling. 

"The idea is to involve the community in taking care of the elderly and minimize government involvement," the official said. 

The project will especially help those who cannot afford to go to a psychologist or counselor for help. 

"When the old complain of aches and pains, they are not taken seriously, and serious problems like depression are dismissed as senility," said psychiatrist Achal Bhagat. 

The counselors will also help in practical nitty-gritties. The centers are proposed to come up at Bapu Dham, Charak Hospital, Chanakyapuri; Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Kalyanpuri; Ambedkar Nagar; Ashok Vihar phase-1; Basti Vikas Kendra, Sultanpuri; and Community Centre Raghubir Nagar.