Poverty Among Elderly
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Poverty is deprivation in social care, and includes many dimensions. It includes
low-income countries, and the impossibility of access to basic goods and services
necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty also covers the lower levels of health
and education, and lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation,
inadequate physical security, lack of voice, and the ability and the opportunity to
improve one's life. Hence poverty can be defined as a state or condition in which a
person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials to enjoy a
minimum standard of life and well-being that's considered acceptable in society. It
affects nations, communities and individuals in all corners of the world.
Irrespective of where in the world lives in poverty lived a great impact on the
health of a person who makes educational and employment opportunities in
society and the welfare. The Population Division monitors global trends, regional
and national in aging and its major socio-economic importance. As in the Madrid
International Plan of Action on Ageing, in most regions and countries of the world,
the population of 60 years or older is growing faster than the young adults and
children, and this has significant consequences for the family, labor market and
public programs of different ages. This lack of attention to the elderly is important
because aging (the vast majority in many countries) is accompanied by an increase
in poverty. Worldwide, there are currently 197 million seniors living in poverty,
while about 80 per cent of older people in developing countries have no regular
income. More people aged over 60 die each year from malnutrition, respiratory
diseases and tuberculosis than any other age group, including children aged 0-
14.However,the poor remain largely marginalized and unmatched development
assistance most of their governments margin.
Older generation have been sidelined. Initiatives such as the Millennium
Development Goals focus on women and children, while the global response to
HIV and AIDS is the younger generations. The elderly are nowhere. While this
does not change, the situation will continue to elderly people living in poverty to
deteriorate. However, the irony is that the old a vital link in the development is
the backbone of society in many developing countries, and play a crucial role in
supporting families and communities. The elderly, which facilitates economic
growth driven by the migration of younger generations to urban areas - stay
behind family and child care. They are, in the time that care for the sick and
orphans, in the front lines in HIV and AIDS. It is that the elderly, who do not
receive pensions, only work after the age of aging to feed large families.
With long life reduces mortality and birth rates, aging to have become a global
phenomenon in the 21century. Elderly or old age consists of ages nearing or
surpassing the average life span of human beings. Government of India adopted
‘National Policy on Older Persons’ in January, 1999. The policy defines ‘senior
citizen’ or ‘elderly’ as a person who is of age 60 years or above. The aging
population is a major concern for policy makers in the world, both developed and
developing countries over the past two decades.
This is the century of ageing. In 1980, shortly before the first World Assembly on
Ageing, there were 378 million people around the world at the age of 60 years
and older. But it has risen to 759 million over the past three decades and is
expected to jump to 2 billion by 2050 as shown in figure.
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects: The 2008 Revision -
Population Database
Hence, the aging of the population has the potential to affect profoundly human
development as climate change; there is little debate on the economic and social
impact of this phenomenon unlike the now ubiquitous and growing debate on
global warming. The rapid aging of the world population is an important global
population growth, driven by the reduction in fertility and mortality results.
UNITED KINGDOM
In United Kingdom 10 million are over 65 years and the latest forecast are that
there will be more 5 ½ million elderly in 20 years times, and number will be
doubled to around19 million by 2050. Within this number the very old people is
growing even faster. There are currently 3 million people who are aged more than
80 years and this is expected to be doubled by year 2030 and would reach to 8
million by the year 2050. The current scenario of UK is one-in-six population is
aged of 65 years and above. The size of the population of the UK is growing in size
and becoming increasingly older. Ageing refers both to the ageing of the
population and the increasing number of people reaching older age. However,
national statistician UK population is ageing is slow as compare to other countries.
The 11 percent of elderly people describe as their quality of life is poor 24 percent
have complained that their life has been become worst over the years while 4
percent reported that their life have improved. The 35 percent of elderly said that
they are very satisfied with standard of life while 55percent of elderly are fairly
satisfied.
The various benefits are provided to the elderly in UK. The elderly are provided
with three types of state retirement pension one is based on their own
contribution of national insurance and other one is based on their partner’s
national insurance and lastly, is retirement pension. Other benefit is attendance
allowance that is benefit is meant for people who are disabled or have some sort
of illness and needs help in bathing or Washing, Getting dressed or undressed,
Moving around indoors, Taking medication, Getting in or out of bed Getting to or
using the toilet, Seeing, speaking or hearing or want someone nearby them. The
people can claim this benefit if he is of 65 years or above and have had care needs
for six months and expect to have these care needs for next six months. Winter
fuel payment is a non means tested annual amount paid for people who are aged
60 years or over. The amount paid will depend on one’s circumstances either 100
or 200 pounds with an addition of either 50 or 100 pounds if the person is age of
80 years or above.
The various benchmarks used by the government of UK to identify the conditions of elderly &
the results of their schemes in a summary
In low-income households
The proportion of pensioners who are in low-income households has halved
over the last decade, with smaller falls for pensioner couples.
Pensioners are now less likely to be living in low-income households than non-
pensioners.
Single female pensioners are more likely to be in low income than either single
male pensioners or pensioner couples.
Unlike working-age adults, relatively few low-income pensioners have
a very low income.
Inner London has a much higher proportion of pensioners who are in low-
income than any other region.
After deducting housing costs, pensioners are less likely to be in low income
than non-pensioners. Before deducting housing costs, however, pensioners
are more likely to be in low income than non-pensioners.
No private income
1.2 million pensioners have no income other than the state retirement
pension and state benefits. This is a similar number to a decade ago.
The proportion of workers without a current pension increases as household
income decreases. Two-thirds of those in the poorest fifth do not have a
current pension.
For all ages from 40 to 60, around a third of workers do not have a current
pension.
Excess winter deaths
Each year around 20,000 more people aged 65 or over die in winter months
than in other months.
The rate of excess winter deaths amongst those aged 65 and over is similar in
all regions.
Long-standing illness/disability
A third of adults aged 65-74, and half of adults aged 75 and over, report a
limiting longstanding sickness or disability. Both proportions are similar to a
decade ago.
For those aged 65-74, the proportion with a limiting longstanding illness or
disability increases as income decreases. The differences by income are less
for those aged 75 and over.
Those aged 65 and over who had routine or manual jobs are somewhat more
likely to suffer a long-standing illness or disability than those with non-manual
work histories.
The proportion of adults aged 65 to 74 who have a limiting long-standing
illness is higher in Wales, the North of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland
than elsewhere.
Help from social services to live at home»
The proportion of older people receiving home care has halved since 1994 as
available resources are increasingly focussed on those deemed most in need.
A smaller proportion of older people are helped to live at home in the South
(outside London) than elsewhere in England.
On average, English county councils support a smaller proportion of older
people to live at home than urban authorities.
Anxiety»
Among those aged 60 or over, around a quarter of women feel very unsafe out
at night, four times the proportion for men, but lower than a decade ago.
Among women aged 60 and over, those from lower-income households are
one and a half times as likely to feel very unsafe out at night as those from
higher-income households.
Rural access to services»
While four fifths of the rural population have a shop in their parish, half of the
people in parishes of less than 1,000 people do not.
More than half of single pensioners in rural areas do not have a car compared
to one in seven pensioner couples
INDIA
In India 40 percent of elderly live below the poverty line and 90 percent of elderly
are not recognized by any state pension and also they do not family to take care of
them. In 1947, when India became independent from British rule, recorded in the
first half of the twentieth century to 32 years - 9 years of life expectancy.
Improvements in public health and medical services in significant control of some
infectious diseases and to eradicate some diseases, which translates mortality in
all age groups listed in significant decreases. Sponsored sanitation and
immunization of the mother-child government programs have improved maternal
health and reduced child mortality. The infant mortality rate in 2002 for India is 62
to 63 for men and 65 for women. 30 Years rose in the second half of the twentieth
century - expectancy at birth increased life, up to 61 years for men and 63 years
for women.
India aged population is second largest in world after china. At the beginning of
twenty first century India was referring as “aging India” .Hence, the twenty first
century is the century of old. In India most of the elderly are in state of
deprivation and negligence and there is no proper social system. Most of the
older people work in the informal economy with low wages and working
conditions is not enough, and so they are in a situation of deprivation,
vulnerability and distress in old age from the point of view of health and economic
security. The economic uncertainty and hardship looking down on the fact that if
the elderly are maligned in the location, a minimum standard of living in terms of
access to economic resources, measured against poverty subsistence poverty in
regard to the basic need that capacity, either as income poverty, poverty in terms
of dependency and economic uncertainty under the old is also used by members
of the deprivation of basic needs, which is to maintain a minimum standard of
living. Economic deprivation is common phenomenon among elderly in
developing countries.
In India Old age dependency ratio is defined as the number of persons in the age-
group 60 or more per 100 persons in the age-group 15-59 years. There is a strong
dependency of the elderly and that is a sign of deprivation between the old and it
will be higher among the elderly in poor countries since age outside the formal
social protection. Economic dependency is also component of economic
deprivation. In India there is high ratio of dependency where the system of social
protection is premature. There are two categories of dependency that is full and
partial dependency and it was found that 80 percent of the elderly women are
dependant in both urban and rural area as compared to men in India. More than
70 percent of the elderly are fully dependent on both female categories in two
urban areas nationwide get tired while just over 30 in the case of Kerala men
drinker rural male section with more than 43% are totally dependent, while over
81% of women in rural areas are completely dependent on Assam. Bihar recorded
higher rates of completely depending on urban men and J & K in the case of urban
women. States like Haryana and Kerala stands higher in the partial dependency
section.
OLD-AGE DEPENDENCY RATIO IN INDIA, 1961-2001
The figure indicates the ratio of an ever-increasing trend. This ratio shows there is
climbed from 10.9% in 1961 to 13.1% in 2001 for the country as a whole. The
female old-age dependency ratio as well as the gap between female and male
old-age dependency ratio are increasing over time and two assumed the values
13.8% and 12.5% respectively in 2001, which is a matter of very much concern.
The economic independence reveals the problem of day- to-day maintenance of
livelihood of elderly. Most of the elderly are not financially secure. It is found that
large proportions of elderly are dependent on other for their livelihood.
Source: Estimated from NSS 60th round unit level data
Above table shows the percentage of elderly people in India who have no species
of financial support through the next to relatives. More than 52per cent of males
for rural and urban 56per percent of men have their financial needs (without
stand) while its share 15:18 per cent in the case of women. This lack of adequate
financial support varies differently in different states with specific factors of the
state. The lack of adequate support provides the majority of older people in a
state of stress of work at his age, which results in greater labor force participation
in age.
Older people in India are generally the insecurities of social, health and economic
hardship is that most seniors report in a bad state of foreclosure. In most of the
Indian states women are disadvantage as compared to men in terms of
deprivation in old age. Components are the relativity between economic and
health-related poverty and economic and social aspects of poverty. The difficulty
levels are generally of elderly depends on social and demographic characteristics
of the elderly and home. The system of financial support for the elderly is one of
the most important determinants of health. Indian society considers close
relatives as the most reliable source of financial support. Studies have shown that
older people depend on their son or daughter as a reliable source of support in
old age. It is believed that older people are a burden on the family and the nation,
since it does not contribute to the national income. This is not always true. In
India, 40 percent of seniors who are 60 years and working before. But with this
they lose their economic independence with increase in age. As a result of this is
their working hours with the increasing age.
Percentage of elderly person by state of economic independence
The National sample survey has shown there has been some improvement in the
economic condition of the elderly as compare previous NSSO survey of 1995-
1996. In urban Himachal Pradesh highest proportions of elderly men and women
are economically independent. In urban parts proportion were least in Bihar for
males and in Orissa for females On the other hand in rural part of the country the
economically dependent male were least in Kerala and the highest in the Jammu
and Kashmir while proportion of economically independent women were least in
West Bengal and highest in Tamil Nadu.
Source:
According to this figure there is decline in work participation rate among female
and males beyond 5o years. However, in the age of 80-84 years one fourth and
one sixth of elderly male and female respectively continue to be economically
active. The latest data of NMS states that 63% of men and 58% of women over 60
years of age continue to work. As they get older their job-share may be reduced,
but at the age of 80 and over 22 Percent of men and 17% of women continue to
work. Most of the elderly work because there is absence or limited coverage of
social security schemes.
POLICIES AND SCHEMES
The Ministry of Social justice and empowerment focused on policies and programs
for seniors’ citizen, in close collaboration with the state Governments, Non-
governmental organization and civil society. The objective is to promote
maintenance and welfare of senior citizen and especially the needy ones, with the
support of old homes, day care centers, mobile medical care units, etc...
National council of older people was formed in 1999 under the chairpersonship of
the ministry of social justice and empowerment in order to implement the policy.
It is the highest body to advise the Government in the formulation of policies and
programmes for aged. In 2005 council was reconstituted with the members
comprised of state governments, representatives of non-governmental
organization, retired person association and the experts of laws, social welfare
and medicine.
The various schemes and policies are available for the elderly in India:-
National Policy for older schemes- This scheme came in 1999 in order to promote
health, safety, security and well being of senior citizen. The aim of this scheme is
to make older people fully independent. This policy led to launch of various new
schemes like Strengthening of primary health care system to enable it to meet the
health care needs of older persons, Extended coverage under the Antyodaya
Scheme with emphasis on provision of food at subsidized rates for the benefit of
older persons especially the destitute and marginalized sections, Provision of
separate queues and reservation of beds for elderly patients in hospitals, etc.
National Old age pension scheme –This scheme is implemented in states and
union territories through municipalities and panchayats .This scheme is applicable
for people who are of 65 years and above and applicant must be a destitute in a
sense that he or she should not have other means of source of income or any
other financial support from family members or from any other sources. The
amount of pension is different in different states.
Maintenance and welfare of senior citizens act 2007- This act ensures obligatory
maintenance and welfare of the senior citizen or parents by their children or by
their relative. The acts provides transfer of property in case of negligence by
relative ,penal provision for abandonment of senior citizen, establishment of old
age home and also to provide adequate medical facilities and security.
Central sector scheme of integrated programme for older person- This
programme was implemented in 1992 with objective to improve the life of elderly
by providing basic needs like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment
opportunities and to encourage productive and active ageing. The Scheme has
been made flexible in order to meet the needs of older persons which also include
reinforcement and strengthening of the family, awareness generation on issues
pertaining to older persons, popularization of the concept of lifelong preparation
for old age, facilitating productive ageing, etc.
OLD AGE HOME
A Non-Plan Scheme of Assistance to Panchayati Raj Institutions, Non-
governmental Organisations, and Self Help Groups for Construction of Old Age
Homes or Multi Service Centers for Older Persons was started in 1996-97. Most
of the elderly are staying in the old age home in order to get shelter. India is
developing country in the world and is witnessing the rapid aging of its
population. The various changes are taking place in its economy and social status
but within this change there is also change in the ideology of younger generation
and social roles has been redefined. The traditional sense of duty and obligation
of the younger generation towards their older generation is being eroded. Most
of the elderly people start living old age home because they feel they burden on
their family and other possible reason can be coming up urbanization,
industrialization the people don’t have time to take care of elderly. This is mainly
found in the case of women. Non -governmental organizations which have played
a key role in bringing to the forefront the problems of the older people to the
society at large and through its various services it has sown the seeds for a forum
whereby the voice and the concerns of the elderly can be addressed. T one-third
of these people are defined as “capability poor” which means that they do not
have access to minimum levels of health care and education for earning a decent
living.
CONCLUSION
The process of ageing is always accompanied by a decline in the wellbeing of the
human beings that results in the rising economic, health and social insecurity
among the aged. The aged generally suffer from economic dependency, physical
immobility and insecurity in order to access health care and also suffer from social
isolation. The elderly in India are suffering from economic, health and social
insecurity. Majority of the elderly are reported to be in a bad condition in terms of
deprivation measured as generalized deprivation varies from state and sex. In the
West, most of these insecurities are looked after by the state in the form of social
and institutional arrangements. The elderly in western countries do face the
problem but they are less deprived as compare to India. In India family system
plays crucial role in the protection of old. Here deprivation are seen in terms of
Changing intergenarional balance with a rapid growth of the aged. It is clear that
the levels of deprivations of the elderly are mostly conditioned by the social and
demographic characteristics of the elderly and the household. Old age means
reduced physical ability, declining mental ability, the gradual giving up of role
playing in socio-economic activities, and a shift in economic status moving from
economic independence to economic dependence upon other’s for support.