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NEW DELHI: A new UN report highlights the vulnerabilities faced by the elderly across states with many struggling to independently do even basic daily living activities, others grappling with multiple chronic ailments. It also draws attention to how the lack of income and poverty affects many seniors in their twilight years.
With nearly one-fifth of the elderly having at least one limitation in performing activities of daily life (ADL) to two-fifth of the elderly figuring in the poorest wealth quintile, the United Nations Population Fund analysis is based on the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India wave – 1 (LASI – 2017/18) data.
As part of an analysis of various dimensions of old age vulnerability in India, the UNFPA’s ‘India Ageing Report 2023’ released on Wednesday shows that the prevalence of multi-morbidity (two or more chronic conditions) among elderly was at 23%. It ranges from 7.3% in Nagaland to 52.2% percent in Kerala reflecting extreme interstate variations.
Multi-morbidity is generally defined as the occurrence of two or more chronic conditions. It is stated that older persons with multi-morbidity are at higher risk due to poor health, advanced age, cognitive impairment, limited health literacy along with co-morbidities such as depression or anxiety.
It comes through that 22% of elderly were facing poverty going by the LASI data. Elderly in the poorest wealth quintile range from 4% in Jammu and Kashmir to 47% in Chhattisgarh.
The report highlights that financial dependency of the elderly becomes more relevant in developing countries, where social pensions are insufficient to support them. “Poverty among the elderly has been a consistent phenomenon in the developing world where much of the older population is deprived in terms of basic needs.Only a fraction of the elderly who were employed in the organized sector gets the benefits of a mandatory pension,” it is stated.
Further analysis of work, pension and income indicates that 18.7% elderly did not have any income. This proportion was above the national level among 17 states, which ranged from 19.3% in Uttarakhand to 42.4% in Lakshadweep.
Ease of performing ADL is a key determinant of the degree of dependency that an elderly experiences. The vulnerability assessment also shows that 24% of the elderly face restrictions to perform ADL. The highest incidence of ADL-restricted was seen in West Bengal (38%) followed by Goa (37%) and Maharashtra (36%). Eleven (of 30) states and all union territories have a higher incidence of ADL-restricted elderly than the national average. The northeastern states, Rajasthan and Haryana have the lowest levels of functionally disabled elderly.
The report asserts that if vulnerabilities in critical aspects are not addressed adequately, quality of life suffers. “Understanding the spectrum of factors and determinants underlying vulnerability in old age is crucial to measuring the extent of disadvantages suffered by the elderly and creating a useful tool for policy formulators and programme implementers,” it is further stated.
Among the many recommendations made in the report, UNFPA suggests that ‘Elderly Self Help Groups’ (ESHGs) should be actively promoted and supported. The ESHGs should also be linked with the livelihood mission, wherein senior citizens may be provided with raw materials to make finished products for sale in the market.
It is also recommended in the report that steps may be taken to ensure ageing in situ (at home) should be a priority. “If senior citizens are admitted to an old age home owing to short-term absence of supervision and companionship at home, they lose out on spending time with their families. Hence, facilities like an equipped day-care centre may be developed for them where they may stay for the duration that their family members are away. This will allow the senior citizens to spend time with their families once they return home,” it is emphasised.
With nearly one-fifth of the elderly having at least one limitation in performing activities of daily life (ADL) to two-fifth of the elderly figuring in the poorest wealth quintile, the United Nations Population Fund analysis is based on the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India wave – 1 (LASI – 2017/18) data.
As part of an analysis of various dimensions of old age vulnerability in India, the UNFPA’s ‘India Ageing Report 2023’ released on Wednesday shows that the prevalence of multi-morbidity (two or more chronic conditions) among elderly was at 23%. It ranges from 7.3% in Nagaland to 52.2% percent in Kerala reflecting extreme interstate variations.
Multi-morbidity is generally defined as the occurrence of two or more chronic conditions. It is stated that older persons with multi-morbidity are at higher risk due to poor health, advanced age, cognitive impairment, limited health literacy along with co-morbidities such as depression or anxiety.
It comes through that 22% of elderly were facing poverty going by the LASI data. Elderly in the poorest wealth quintile range from 4% in Jammu and Kashmir to 47% in Chhattisgarh.
The report highlights that financial dependency of the elderly becomes more relevant in developing countries, where social pensions are insufficient to support them. “Poverty among the elderly has been a consistent phenomenon in the developing world where much of the older population is deprived in terms of basic needs.Only a fraction of the elderly who were employed in the organized sector gets the benefits of a mandatory pension,” it is stated.
Further analysis of work, pension and income indicates that 18.7% elderly did not have any income. This proportion was above the national level among 17 states, which ranged from 19.3% in Uttarakhand to 42.4% in Lakshadweep.
Ease of performing ADL is a key determinant of the degree of dependency that an elderly experiences. The vulnerability assessment also shows that 24% of the elderly face restrictions to perform ADL. The highest incidence of ADL-restricted was seen in West Bengal (38%) followed by Goa (37%) and Maharashtra (36%). Eleven (of 30) states and all union territories have a higher incidence of ADL-restricted elderly than the national average. The northeastern states, Rajasthan and Haryana have the lowest levels of functionally disabled elderly.
The report asserts that if vulnerabilities in critical aspects are not addressed adequately, quality of life suffers. “Understanding the spectrum of factors and determinants underlying vulnerability in old age is crucial to measuring the extent of disadvantages suffered by the elderly and creating a useful tool for policy formulators and programme implementers,” it is further stated.
Among the many recommendations made in the report, UNFPA suggests that ‘Elderly Self Help Groups’ (ESHGs) should be actively promoted and supported. The ESHGs should also be linked with the livelihood mission, wherein senior citizens may be provided with raw materials to make finished products for sale in the market.
It is also recommended in the report that steps may be taken to ensure ageing in situ (at home) should be a priority. “If senior citizens are admitted to an old age home owing to short-term absence of supervision and companionship at home, they lose out on spending time with their families. Hence, facilities like an equipped day-care centre may be developed for them where they may stay for the duration that their family members are away. This will allow the senior citizens to spend time with their families once they return home,” it is emphasised.
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