The Elder Story: Ground Reality during Covid 19
Transcript of The Elder Story: Ground Reality during Covid 19
A HelpAge India report (2020)
The Elder Story: Ground Reality during Covid 19
Impact & Challenges
BACKGROUND
COVID 19 cases were first reported in India in January 2020, by March a nationwidelockdown was imposed. WHO declared it as a pandemic. According to Governmentof India, 1,45,779 active cases 1,54,329 cured/discharged, 8,884 deaths till 13thJune 2020.
Senior citizens are amongst the most vulnerable facing higher risk of infection andsuccumbing to COVID 19. This is due to decreased immunity and associated co-morbidities, and further amplified by challenges due to their socio-economicprofile.
SOME FACTS:
• Elders constituted 8.6% of India’s population (104 million) in 2011. (Source:Census 2011)
• Currently, there are an estimated 160 million elders in India, that isapproximately 12% of the population. (Source: MSJE)
• 90% of India’s elders belong to the unorganized sector.
• 52% of elders in rural India live below the poverty line. (Source: SECC Data)
A HelpAge India report (2020)
AIM OF SURVEY
• Most elderly in India work to make ends meet, as there is no universal social securitysystem. Most of them are in the unskilled, casual workers category mostly from theunorganized sector, who earn a meagre daily wage to survive. These people were hithard by the lockdown for more than 2 months. Many of them did not have enoughsavings to sail them through and most of them were not credit worthy. The COVID 19lockdown situation further impacted the economic condition of these vulnerableelders. Besides health and income, the other related aspects of lives of older personslikely to get impacted are social inclusion and mental wellbeing.
• To know how COVID 19 impacted the lives of older persons in India, a dip stick surveywas undertaken by HelpAge India in June 2020.
• The survey covered 17 states and 4 UTs. It was designed to assess the aspects of lifethat were impacted by COVD 19 including, health care, livelihood, access to goodsand services and assistance provided by various stakeholders.
A HelpAge India report (2020)
BASIC PARAMETERS
• Sample Size: 5099 Elder respondents Urban: 2639
Rural: 2460
• Age Groups: 60 - 69 years – Young Old
70 – 79 years – Old Old
80 and above – Oldest Old
• Gender:57% Males respondents
43% Female respondents
A HelpAge India report (2020)
SURVEY SPREAD
No. STATES & UTs
1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Bihar
3 Chhattisgarh
4. Delhi
5. Goa
6. Gujarat
7. Himachal Pradesh
8. Jammu and Kashmir
9. Karnataka
10. Kerala
11. Madhya Pradesh
12. Maharashtra
13. Odisha
14. Puducherry
15. Punjab
16. Rajasthan
17. Tamil Nadu
18. Telangana
19. Uttar Pradesh
20. Uttarakhand
21. West Bengal
MAIN FINDINGSHighlights
AWARENESS LEVELSInformation on Signs and Symptoms of Covid-19
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
Yes No
4656 (91.3%)
443 (8.7%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
A HelpAge India report (2020)
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD AMONGST ELDERLYDURING THE LOCKDOWN
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Yes No
3294 (65%)
1805 (35%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
A HelpAge India report (2020)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Rural Urban
1969 (75%)
1325 (54%)
670 (25%)
1135 (46%)
Yes No
AREA WISE : Rural vs Urban
A HelpAge India report (2020)
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD AMONGST ELDERLY DURING THE LOCKDOWN
NOTE:• Of the total Rural
Sample Size – 75%Elders stated thatthey suffered a ‘Lossin their Livelihood’during thelockdown.
• Of the total UrbanSample Size – 54%Elders stated thatthey suffered a ‘Lossin their Livelihood’during thelockdown.
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD OF THE BREADWINNER IN THE FAMILY DURING THE LOCKDOWN
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Yes No
3631 (71%)
1468 (29%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
A HelpAge India report (2020)
LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD OF THE BREADWINNER IN THE FAMILY DURING THE LOCKDOWN
AREA WISE: Rural vs Urban
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Rural Urban
2200 (83%)
1431 (58%)
439 (17%)
1029 (42%)
Yes No
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NOTE:• Of the total Rural Sample
Size – 83% Elders statedthat there was a ‘Loss intheir Livelihood of theBreadwinner in theirfamily’ during thelockdown.
• Of the total UrbanSample Size – 58% Eldersstated that there was a‘Loss in their Livelihoodof the Breadwinner intheir family’ during thelockdown.
DIFFICULTY IN ACCESSING GOODS & SERVICES DURING THE LOCKDOWN
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
Yes No
3973 (78%)
1126 (22%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NOTE:• The Top 3 Goods &
Services elders haddifficulty in accessingduring the Lockdownwere:
1. Access to Food/ Groceries / Medicines.
2. Domestic Help/ Household Maid.
3. Access to Banking / ATM services.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
25002215 (84%)
1758 (71%)
424 (16%)
702 (29%)
Rural Urban
Yes No
DIFFICULTY IN ACCESSING GOODS & SERVICES DURING THE LOCKDOWNAREA WISE: Rural vs Urban
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NOTE:• Of the total Rural
Sample Size – 84%Elders stated thatthey faced ‘Difficultyin Accessing EssentialGoods & Servicesduring the Lockdown’.
• Of the total UrbanSample Size – 71%Elders stated thatthey faced ‘Difficultyin Accessing EssentialGoods & Servicesduring the Lockdown’.
ELDERS FEELING CONFINED AT HOME & SOCIALLY ISOLATEDDURING THE LOCKDOWN
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Yes No
3087 (61%)
2012 (39%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
A HelpAge India report (2020)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Rural Urban
1545 (59%) 1542 (63%)
1094 (41%)
918 (37%)
Yes No
ELDERS FEELING CONFINED AT HOME & SOCIALLY ISOLATEDDURING THE LOCKDOWN
AREA WISE: Rural vs Urban
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NOTE:• Of the total Rural
Sample Size – 59%Elders stated thatthey felt ‘Confinedat home & SociallyIsolated during theLockdown’.
• Of the total UrbanSample Size – 63%Elders stated thatthey felt ‘Confinedat home & SociallyIsolated during theLockdown’.
ELDER HEALTH: SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC DISEASES
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Yes No
3181 (62%)
1918 (38%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
ELDER HEALTH: SUFFERING FROM CHRONIC DISEASES
AREA WISE: Rural vs Urban
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Rural Urban
1679 (64%)
1502 (61%)
960 (36%) 958 (39%)
Yes No
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NOTE:• Of the total Rural
Sample Size – 64% Elders ‘Suffering from Chronic diseases’ such as Arthritis, Hypertension, Cancer, Diabetes, Asthma etc.
• Of the total Urban Sample Size – 61% Elders were ‘Suffering from Chronic diseases’ such as Arthritis, Hypertension, Cancer, Diabetes, Asthma etc.
ELDER HEALTH: WORSENING OF CHRONIC CONDITION DURING THE LOCKDOWN
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Yes No
1302 (42%)
1784 (58%)
A HelpAge India report (2020)
NATIONAL TOTAL
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
Rural Urban
831 (51%)
471 (33%)
814 (49%)
970 (67%)
Yes No
AREA WISE: Rural vs Urban
ELDER HEALTH: WORSENING OF CHRONIC CONDITION DURING THE LOCKDOWN
NOTE:• Of the total Rural
Sample Size – 51% Elders stated that their chronic condition ‘Worsened during the lockdown’.
• Of the total Urban Sample Size – 33% Elders stated that their chronic condition ‘Worsened during the lockdown’.
MAJOR FEARS OF ELDERLY DURING THE LOCKDOWN
1916 (38%)1749 (34%)
447 (9%)
626 (12%)
360 (7%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
NOTE:The findings here arebased on a clusterapproach of the top 4common responses.
MAJOR SUGGESTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT BY THE ELDERLY
FinancialHelp,
Medicinesand Pension
HealthCheckups,
Screening forCOVID 19
Masks,Sanitizers for
everyone
Ration,Medicines,
Pension
SocialPension,
door-to-doorDelivery of
Goods
Others
1176 (23%)
559 (11%)
194 (4%)
681 (13%)
1510 (30%)
979 (19%)
NATIONAL TOTAL
NOTE:• The findings here are based on a cluster approach of the top 5 common responses.• It is interesting to note, that more than 60% elder respondents mentioned Pension as their top need
while 50% wanted Medicines & Healthcare needs to be addressed.
THANK YOU!
HelpAge India works for the cause & care of
disadvantaged older persons to improve their
quality of life