Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India, the national organization dedicated for the care of people with dementia and their families, with great pleasure and privilege, announce National Essay Competition on Dementia for the medical, Nursing and Social Work Students, on the eve of National Dementia Awareness programme, in association with Chapters of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India across India . The theme of the competition is Caring for People with Dementia. We heartily welcome the youth to participate and share their ideas in this National competition meant for the promotion of Dementia Care in India.
About Dementia:
Dementia is a term used to describe different brain disorders that affect memory, thinking, behavour and emotion. The disease knows no social, economic, or ethnic boundaries. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia. Other causes include vascular disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and fronto-temporal dementia. More than 3 million people in India are estimated to have dementia. The Number of people affected is set to rise to over 6 million by 2025. Dementia is surrounded by myth and stigma and in many parts of the country, it is thought to be a normal part of aging. Many people believe that if you have dementia, nothing can be done about it. While there is no cure for most causes of dementia at present, there is great deal of advice, support and information available from Alzheimer’s associations like Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India.
This competition is an opportunity for you all to show your concern for those who are suffering from this mind crippling illness and an opportunity to be part of a global dementia movement to improve the lives of people with dementia and their families. The focus of the competition is highlighting the caring aspects of dementia which includes in various aspects like social, medical, financial legal aspects of caring. The winners of the competition shall receive Monetary Prize Awards for each categories along with the certificate of merits in the presence of Many National and International luminaries at inaugural session of the 15th Annual National Conference of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India in Hyatt Regency Kolkata on 4th December 2009.
The Monetary Prize Awards for the National Essay competition is as follows:
For Medical Students:First place Receives Rs. 10,000/- ;Second Place receives Rs. 5,000/-.
For Nursing Students: First place Receives Rs. 6,000/- ; Second Place receives Rs 4,000/-
For Social Work :First place Receives Rs. 6,000/- ; Second Place receives Rs 4,000/-
Terms and Conditions :
The competition is open from 1st September 2009 to 31st October 2009No registration fee is applicable
Any Medical student who is doing the course can make their entry on “Caring of Person with dementia” focused on Medical Aspects.
Any Nursing Student who is doing either GNM, Bsc. Or Msc. On “Caring of Person with dementia” focused on Nursing Aspects.
Social Work students( MSW &BSW) who are doing regular course “Caring of Person with dementia” focused on the Social Aspects.
Every entries must be submitted in English as a Hard Copy to the address below on or before Oct. 31st , 2009.
Entries must be 1000 to 1500 words in length and double spaced.
Entries must be attested by your college principal for the proof of age and confirmation of the student status.
All entries must applied in a prescribed forms attached with it, those entries without completed forms will be disqualified.
Essays will be graded by a jury appointed by the ARDSI, based on their structure and coherence, originality and creativity and the use of thoughtful and newer ideas on the topic.
There will be two prizes awarded in each category. The prizes will be awarded to the students and may collected in person at the 15th Annual National Conference of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India going to be held at Kolkata on Dec. 4th to 6th ,2009. The winners shall be provided up and down - train fare to receive the Prize.
The competition will be judged by the panel of professionals appointed by the ARDSI. Result will be published on 10 November 2009. The Result will be intimated to the winners by email or over telephone and will be published in our website.
The Monetary Prize Awards for the National Essay competition is On Medical Students category the first prize shall receive Rs. 10000/-, and Second prize shall receive Rs. 5000/- along with the certificate of appreciation.
The Monetary Prize Awards for the National Essay competition is On Nursing Students category the first prize shall receive Rs. 6000/-, and Second prize shall receive Rs. 4000/- along with the certificate of appreciation.
The Monetary Prize Awards for the National Essay competition is On Social Work Students category the first prize shall receive Rs. 6000/-,and Second prize shall receive Rs. 4000/- along with the certificate of appreciation.
The Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India reserves the right to amend or terminate all or any portion of this Contest at any time for any reason without prior notice. Decision of the National Office of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India will be final.
Entries may be sent to: The Project Officer, ARDSI, Madavana Temple Road, Vennala P.O, Palarivattom – 682 028, Kochi, Kerala, India.
Email: ardsicochin@gmail.com
Ph: +91 484 2808088
Helplines: +91 9846198473/ 98461 98786/ 98461 98471
Thursday, September 3, 2009
World Elder's Day 2009 :UMANG ,A Senior Citizens Stage Talent Show
"Ageing is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength"
Silver Inning Foundation ,an dedicated organisation for Elders, celebrates its 2nd World Elders Day ' 2009 by presenting UMANG ,A Senior Citizens Stage Talent Show.
On the occasion of World Elders Day on 1st October 2009, Silver Inning Foundation once again organizes UMANG - A Stage Talent Show program for Senior Citizens.As there are not enough opportunity for elderly to show their talent ,the main purpose of this program is to provide a platform for Elderly to display their talents. This is not a competition between Elderly but a forum to encourage them to demonstrate their hidden talent. After success of UMANG in 2008 we are happy to once again organise and promote stage talent of our Elderly.
Over the time our changing tradition has dampened the spirits of senior citizens by suggesting that they can no longer contribute to society and benefit from being active.But we don’t have to accept this reasoning for our elderly parents, friends, or neighbours. We can help them maximize their health and vitality by keeping them active and involved in the world around them.
So we request all those Talented Seniors who are above 50 yrs to enrol for the Talent Show. This is not an competition but a Show to reveal your talent. All the Participation will get Certificate of Appreciation. There are No Prizes.
All selected Artist/performer will be reimbursed with actual To and Fro Travel expense within city of Mumbai MMRDA region only.
Programme:
Talent Show by Elderly
A Street Play: Akhari Mausam (Last Season) by IDEA Group
Age limit: 50 +
Types of Performance eligible for Entries:One act Play
Singing
Music performance – Solo or in group of Maximum 4 people
Dance - Solo or in group of Maximum 4 people
Mimicry
Drama - maximum with 4 people
Street Play - maximum with 4 people
Original Poetry reciting
Any special talent
Max entry allowed:
A person or a group can have only one act.
Total 15 entries will be accepted. That means there will be total of 15 act only.
Duration for each act:
Maximum 8 Minutes
Last Date for Entries/Registration: 25th Sep 2009
Venue: SNDT Women’s University Mini Auditorium, Juhu Campus, Santacruz –West,Mumbai – 400049.
Event Date : Sat 3rd Oct 2009
Entry fees:
Rs.10/-only as token fees for each act for solo or group
Time of Event:
3pm to 6 pm
Total Seating capacity:
Approx 150
Contact here to Participate and Inquiry:Mona - 09324715639
Email: info@silverinnings.com and sailesh2000@gmail.com
So Hurry and enrol to show your talent.
Note:
Pls note in case of more then 15 entries, the selection committee of Silver Inning Foundation will have all the rights to select Best 15 for performance. The selection committee will have final say on selection.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Generational differences raise productivity at workplace, says study
Issues such as communication style and monetary awards can be the source of marked difference in attitude among the three main workplace generations — Gen Y (aged 18-29), Gen X (aged 30-47), and baby boomers (aged 48-65).
However, a new survey by global workforce solutions leader Kelly Services reveals that these differences in attitude may improve productivity at one’s workplace.
Around 42 per cent of respondents to the survey said differences between Gen Y, Gen X and baby boomers could actually improve workplace productivity, while 24 per cent say they interfere with productivity, and 23 per cent say they make no difference. More than a third (42 per cent) of all employees say, they have experienced inter-generational conflict in the workplace, while almost three quarters admit to adapting the way they communicate with colleagues from a different generation in order to avoid problems.
The findings are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 100,000 people in 34 countries covering North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
The survey finds that Gen Y is increasingly using instant messaging, yet all age groups overwhelmingly prefer face-to-face communication. In regard to rewards and bonuses, older workers prefer non-cash items such as time off work and training opportunities. While, Gen Y have a clear preference for monetary rewards.
Kelly Services Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, George Corona said, by addressing issues such as internal communications and compensation, it is possible to reap the benefits of managing a diverse group of people, and generate conditions that can help organisations to flourish.
Across the generational divide, there is recognition of the role of management in addressing critical issues. Baby boomers are overwhelmingly concerned at the failure of management to reward and manage their generation in a way that meets their needs and expectations.
Kelly Services also point out that baby boomers are the most tolerant of generational differences and the most positive about the productivity benefits.
Gen X are more likely to have experienced intergenerational conflict than either Gen Y or baby boomers, while Gen Y are more likely to go out of their way to adapt their communication style in dealing with colleagues from a different generation.
“It is important that issues such as management style, communication technique and remuneration structure are not allowed to become the focus for dissent among different generational groups.
By recognising the varying needs of people at different stages of their life and career, managers can address issues and actually enhance performance,” Corona concludes.
Source:
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/generational-differences-raise-productivity-at-workplace-says-study/368515/
However, a new survey by global workforce solutions leader Kelly Services reveals that these differences in attitude may improve productivity at one’s workplace.
Around 42 per cent of respondents to the survey said differences between Gen Y, Gen X and baby boomers could actually improve workplace productivity, while 24 per cent say they interfere with productivity, and 23 per cent say they make no difference. More than a third (42 per cent) of all employees say, they have experienced inter-generational conflict in the workplace, while almost three quarters admit to adapting the way they communicate with colleagues from a different generation in order to avoid problems.
The findings are part of the Kelly Global Workforce Index, which obtained the views of approximately 100,000 people in 34 countries covering North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
The survey finds that Gen Y is increasingly using instant messaging, yet all age groups overwhelmingly prefer face-to-face communication. In regard to rewards and bonuses, older workers prefer non-cash items such as time off work and training opportunities. While, Gen Y have a clear preference for monetary rewards.
Kelly Services Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, George Corona said, by addressing issues such as internal communications and compensation, it is possible to reap the benefits of managing a diverse group of people, and generate conditions that can help organisations to flourish.
Across the generational divide, there is recognition of the role of management in addressing critical issues. Baby boomers are overwhelmingly concerned at the failure of management to reward and manage their generation in a way that meets their needs and expectations.
Kelly Services also point out that baby boomers are the most tolerant of generational differences and the most positive about the productivity benefits.
Gen X are more likely to have experienced intergenerational conflict than either Gen Y or baby boomers, while Gen Y are more likely to go out of their way to adapt their communication style in dealing with colleagues from a different generation.
“It is important that issues such as management style, communication technique and remuneration structure are not allowed to become the focus for dissent among different generational groups.
By recognising the varying needs of people at different stages of their life and career, managers can address issues and actually enhance performance,” Corona concludes.
Source:
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/generational-differences-raise-productivity-at-workplace-says-study/368515/
Monday, August 31, 2009
Old Age,New Job
When we call to fix an interview with her, Shobha Mathur, 64, is predictably online. You can tell by the tone of her voice that she is busy and seldom brooks interruptions. Yet, if you persist, you will, in time, hear her chuckle and call herself a "computer potato".
Shobha Mathur is a homemaker. She is also an educator, an Internet geek and a woman with very little patience for the word `cannot'. Keen on "getting some work done" she became a volunteer with Karmayog, a non-profit organisation, to create content for e-books. And has helped create a Standard V English textbook for disadvantaged school children and several online modules for senior citizens (both available on the Karmayog website (www.karmayog.org/hobbies). She also regularly contribute to Silver Innings (http://www.silverinnings.com/ )
Mathur's commitment to spreading knowledge -- she recently did a piece on how senior citizens can surf the Net safely -- has helped many. But she'd sooner direct you to her 83-year-old neighbour, Suhasini Khosla, who volunteers at a school for slum children, than accept any praise for her own work.
Khosla, who has known Mathur for over 13 years, brushes away such comparison. "She writes the books, I teach them," she says with a disarming smile.
Frail yet remarkably active, Khosla has taught Maths, English and Hindi for the Asha Kiran charitable trust since 1999. Every morning at 7.30, before the nearby shops open, children aged 4 to 14 gather on a pavement for lessons and breakfast. Four other teachers, including an 84-year old freedom fighter who only goes by her first name, Sukanya, assist Khosla.
Mansukhlal Ruparelia may have a relatively tame past, but the 76-yearold is well known among his peers for his crusade against the apathy of the BMC and the state government. Since his retirement from the Indian Railways Personnel Services in 1992 Ruparelia has fought to get more buses added on certain routes in Mira Road and Thane for the benefit of senior citizens in the locality. He has taken up the issue of separate queues, again for senior citizens, with Maharashtra's chief postmaster general, and goaded the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation to carry out repair work on roads and streetlights. At present, Ruparelia is fighting for the implementation of the National Policy on Older Persons issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 1999. But his one effort that perhaps spreads the most cheer is his Laughter Club for the elderly, in Mira Road.He is also active with local Senior Citizens Association in Mira Road and with Silver Inning Foundation.
For Mathur, Khosla, Sukanya and Ruparelia, a retired life means more than marking the day by meal timings and TV programmes--there is a lot of work still left to be done, and they are more than willing to do it. Some volunteers, like Sheela Chitnis (67), currently the national secretary of the notfor-profit Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, are driven by their own circumstances and want to ensure others don't face what they did.
Others, like Yashwant Govind Deshpande (70), an honorary social worker associated with Sushrushra Hospital, Dadar, simply see this work as part of their daily schedule, like the early morning cup of tea and hour of yoga. Deshpande is involved in the hospital's community outreach programme and helps organise blood donation camps in various city colleges.
"I wanted to make sure other caregivers didn't go through what I did,"
says Chitnis, whose husband was a multiple sclerosis patient. Problems of money, expensive medication and free physiotherapy sessions were overcome with ideas that still have Chitnis shaking her head in disbelief.
Whether it was approaching pharmaceutical companies and "telling them to have a heart" or creating a certificate of merit for students of physiotherapy who would treat multiple sclerosis patients for free, Chitnis and her team figured it out.
"If you have to," she says, "you do it."
By Dhamini Ratnam
Courtsey: Hindustan Times dt 30th August 2009 ,Mumbai Edition http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=30_08_2009_002_003&kword=&mode=1
Shobha Mathur is a homemaker. She is also an educator, an Internet geek and a woman with very little patience for the word `cannot'. Keen on "getting some work done" she became a volunteer with Karmayog, a non-profit organisation, to create content for e-books. And has helped create a Standard V English textbook for disadvantaged school children and several online modules for senior citizens (both available on the Karmayog website (www.karmayog.org/hobbies). She also regularly contribute to Silver Innings (http://www.silverinnings.com/ )
Mathur's commitment to spreading knowledge -- she recently did a piece on how senior citizens can surf the Net safely -- has helped many. But she'd sooner direct you to her 83-year-old neighbour, Suhasini Khosla, who volunteers at a school for slum children, than accept any praise for her own work.
Khosla, who has known Mathur for over 13 years, brushes away such comparison. "She writes the books, I teach them," she says with a disarming smile.
Frail yet remarkably active, Khosla has taught Maths, English and Hindi for the Asha Kiran charitable trust since 1999. Every morning at 7.30, before the nearby shops open, children aged 4 to 14 gather on a pavement for lessons and breakfast. Four other teachers, including an 84-year old freedom fighter who only goes by her first name, Sukanya, assist Khosla.
Mansukhlal Ruparelia may have a relatively tame past, but the 76-yearold is well known among his peers for his crusade against the apathy of the BMC and the state government. Since his retirement from the Indian Railways Personnel Services in 1992 Ruparelia has fought to get more buses added on certain routes in Mira Road and Thane for the benefit of senior citizens in the locality. He has taken up the issue of separate queues, again for senior citizens, with Maharashtra's chief postmaster general, and goaded the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation to carry out repair work on roads and streetlights. At present, Ruparelia is fighting for the implementation of the National Policy on Older Persons issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 1999. But his one effort that perhaps spreads the most cheer is his Laughter Club for the elderly, in Mira Road.He is also active with local Senior Citizens Association in Mira Road and with Silver Inning Foundation.
For Mathur, Khosla, Sukanya and Ruparelia, a retired life means more than marking the day by meal timings and TV programmes--there is a lot of work still left to be done, and they are more than willing to do it. Some volunteers, like Sheela Chitnis (67), currently the national secretary of the notfor-profit Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, are driven by their own circumstances and want to ensure others don't face what they did.
Others, like Yashwant Govind Deshpande (70), an honorary social worker associated with Sushrushra Hospital, Dadar, simply see this work as part of their daily schedule, like the early morning cup of tea and hour of yoga. Deshpande is involved in the hospital's community outreach programme and helps organise blood donation camps in various city colleges.
"I wanted to make sure other caregivers didn't go through what I did,"
says Chitnis, whose husband was a multiple sclerosis patient. Problems of money, expensive medication and free physiotherapy sessions were overcome with ideas that still have Chitnis shaking her head in disbelief.
Whether it was approaching pharmaceutical companies and "telling them to have a heart" or creating a certificate of merit for students of physiotherapy who would treat multiple sclerosis patients for free, Chitnis and her team figured it out.
"If you have to," she says, "you do it."
By Dhamini Ratnam
Courtsey: Hindustan Times dt 30th August 2009 ,Mumbai Edition http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleImage.aspx?article=30_08_2009_002_003&kword=&mode=1
Silver Inning Foundation is proud to have two of its important volunteers Mansukhlal Ruparelia and Shobha Mathur featured in this article and this is one of the Advocacy ways to highlight the issue of Elderly.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Seniors at Home in Co-Housing
Annie Russell lives alone but not in solitude.
While she was laid up for almost nine months by an injured knee, neighbors checked in on her regularly. They brought her ice packs, fetched water and did her grocery shopping.
Twice a week year-round, everyone in Russell's community is assured dinner with friends in the large common house of Silver Sage Village in Boulder, Colo. It's a potluck of sorts. Residents can cook the meal together in a communal gourmet kitchen.
"If somebody just wants a place to live and doesn't want to commune with their neighbors, this is not for them," says Russell, 68.
Projects such as Silver Sage are called co-housing. European-inspired housing built around a common area and a social compact that all residents agree to, co-housing has existed on a small scale in the USA for years. Now, the concept is coming to senior housing, a trend supported by advocates who favor independent living for the old.
The oldest of 79 million Baby Boomers turn 63 this year, and they are "not interested in what their parents had in terms of assisted care, wasting away in a private house or nursing home," says California architect Charles Durrett, author of The Senior Cohousing Handbook.
Pioneered in Denmark
There are only three senior co-housing developments in the USA — compared with 250 built since 1985 in Denmark, a country that has fewer people than the Atlanta metropolitan area.
The first U.S. project opened in Davis, Calif., in 2004. At another in Abingdon, Va., members of The ElderSpirit Community at Trailview believe that spiritual growth is vital in the later stages of life. They vow to help each other and adopt a simple lifestyle. "We better come up with new ideas on how to better accommodate ourselves," says Durrett, who has designed about 50 co-housing developments for all ages.
He hopes it will be soon. More than 20 people from as far as North Carolina attended a senior co-housing workshop he conducted in Boulder last month. A dozen bookstores have invited Durrett to book signings.
"It's very interesting niche housing," says Elinor Ginzler, senior vice president for livable communities at AARP. "It's absolutely an option that should be out there and available. We need as many different kinds of choices as the imagination can bring."
Independent living for the elderly reduces dependence on social services and is a primary goal of most organizations for the aged. "The Danes proved it," says Jim Leach, president of Wonderland Hill Development, the company behind Silver Sage, where he lives. "If you house people that way and let them age together, they not only live longer, they live healthier and cost a lot less."
'Like an extended family'
Think '60s communes meet retirement villages, a description possibly off-putting to some but appealing to others. The key: Residents help design their community and decide what they want it to be. "We do all the management ourselves for the community, and everybody is involved in some way," Leach says. "It becomes a little more like an extended family."
He has built co-housing projects for 20 years. Until recently, they have targeted mostly families.
"There was some resistance in the past to having an exclusive senior community," Leach says. They're gaining in popularity now because they allow residents to shape how they want to live when they're old. Homeowners can hire a caregiver who lives in the common house and tends to all the residents.
"You can come up with a lot of agreements from a social point of view," Durrett says. "What I'll do if you get sick. You can give each other permission to care for each other."
Residents at Silver Sage have their own units — 16 duplexes and attached homes on 1 acre. The homes are somewhat smaller to allow more space for the common house, guest rooms for visitors and gardens.
"Three plagues of aging are isolation, boredom and helplessness," says resident Arthur Okner, 66.
He has no fear of that at Silver Sage. When he had a health issue that took him to the emergency room, "immediately people were checking on me."
Okner says senior co-housing is an alternative to institutional care. "Graceful aging belongs to people who say to themselves: 'I'm going to age, I'm not going to stay the way I am now and I'm prepared for it,' " he says. "We keep each other out of the old-age nursing home as long as is humanly possible."
Source:
http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/us/2009/co-housing.htm
Who Cares About Elder Abuse In India?
Prema's name translates as 'loved one'. But in Prema's case, her name is a misnomer. Far from being loved, at her advanced age she finds herself working endlessly for the young woman her husband brought into their home as his new 'wife'.
Prema, a homemaker who lives near Chandigarh, is in her late-60s. She was around 53 when her husband got inclined towards another younger woman. At first, her husband was indifferent towards her and but this has turned to total neglect now.
Her situation is unusual, but it does fall in the category of "elder abuse", a situation in which older people are subjected to abuse and neglect within their families and communities. On June 15, the world observes Elder Abuse Awareness Day, yet people like Prema continue to suffer neglect and abuse.
It was in the mid-1980s that gerontological research, especially in the UK and US, began to focus on elder abuse. But more than three decades later, it remains an unaddressed concern in India, characterised by a lack of conceptual and definitional clarity. Since this crime is greatly under-reported, there is also a conspicuous absence of relevant data on it. The situation is compounded by the fact that not all situations of elder abuse fit neatly into the existing legal categories. Consequently, elder abuse as a social issue or as one that is relevant to public health figures very inadequately in the public sphere. This has resulted in the underlying causes of abuse - which could in turn have helped in developing appropriate interventions to address it - remaining unidentified.
Yet, there is empirical evidence to suggest that in India incidents of abuse and neglect of older people are increasing by the day, both within families and institutions, and that it prevails across classes, castes and religions. Reports of such abuse have come in from every state in the country and it takes place in both rural and urban settings.
What is a particularly disquieting trend is the vulnerability of ageing women to oppression in various forms. Given existing structures of gender discrimination, women run a greater risk than men of becoming victims of material exploitation, financial deprivation, property grabbing, abandonment, verbal humiliation, emotional and psychological torment. When they fall seriously ill, it is more likely than not, that it is the elderly women in the family who will be denied proper health care. There is also a greater tendency to dismiss the gendered aspects of elder abuse. They rarely come to light. This is because such attacks are made invisible by the belief that they are "internal" or "domestic" matters that need to be sorted out by the concerned individuals and not one that can be addressed publicly. There is also a widespread understanding that the neglect, deprivation and marginalisation of older women are the normal consequences of ageing.
The plight of young widows has been well-documented and commented upon in the country, but what has been overlooked are the traumas they undergo as a result of ageing. Already marginalised, the hardships they undergo due to age are never adequately realised and their need for more resources to meet their deteriorating health is invariably overlooked. It is unfortunate that even organisations involved in women's activism have paid insufficient attention to this helpless and hapless section of the population. In fact, women's organisations have so far tended to focus more on the dilemmas of middle-aged women who have to balance their own personal and career needs with the demands of looking after both the young and older generations within their families.
The research that I have personally conducted as a gerontologist has been revealing. I have come across women who have been hit, or more specifically slapped, by their sons, daughters-in-law, daughters and husbands. Some older women have told me that they have had things thrown at them when they have not done something according to the desires of family members. They have been pushed around or restrained from doing something they had wanted to do, whether it is cooking, housekeeping, or participating in activities outside the home. Many have reported being spat upon while some have been falsely framed for dowry harassment. But the most common abuse these women face is being denied independent social and economic resources. Most of them carry on doing the back breaking domestic chores that they have done all their lives. The luxury of a little leisure, a little care, is something that has always eluded them.
While it is difficult to accurately measure the extent of the problem on a national scale, given the fact that most families deny that such abuse takes place within the four walls of their homes, we do know that the number of older people in our midst is growing. Current estimates put the 60-plus population at around 90 million and India is projected to have a population of 142 million older people by 2020. Given this demographic reality, what kind of action can the country take at the individual and societal level to alleviate abuse and neglect? How can we generate thought and action from the health, welfare and criminal justice perspectives, which could contribute to a life free of violence, mistreatment and neglect for our elderly? How can we ensure greater acknowledgement and awareness of the need for older men and women to live a life of dignity and respect?
Some argue that a good legal regime will help victims of abuse and neglect among the elderly. India, like many other countries in the world, has adult protection provisions similar to those in Europe, the UK, Canada, South Africa and USA. But will an act like The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 prove a deterrent to abuse? The problem here is that senior citizens, especially women, do not actively seek justice on issues like these. There is a need to raise public awareness on the issue and set up fast-track systems that will enable older persons to access justice more easily.
For me, an important intervention strategy is for everyone, particularly women, to start preparing for old age even when they are relatively young. It is essentially that each individual understands the legal, social and financial factors that shape their lives throughout their life span, and build the necessary support networks. This will go a long way in helping them take the necessary practical steps to secure their future and protect their rights, even as they advance in years.
By Dr.Mala Shankardass,Chair for India and Asia of the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse
Source:http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2009/india.htm
and newsblaze.com
Prema, a homemaker who lives near Chandigarh, is in her late-60s. She was around 53 when her husband got inclined towards another younger woman. At first, her husband was indifferent towards her and but this has turned to total neglect now.
Her situation is unusual, but it does fall in the category of "elder abuse", a situation in which older people are subjected to abuse and neglect within their families and communities. On June 15, the world observes Elder Abuse Awareness Day, yet people like Prema continue to suffer neglect and abuse.
It was in the mid-1980s that gerontological research, especially in the UK and US, began to focus on elder abuse. But more than three decades later, it remains an unaddressed concern in India, characterised by a lack of conceptual and definitional clarity. Since this crime is greatly under-reported, there is also a conspicuous absence of relevant data on it. The situation is compounded by the fact that not all situations of elder abuse fit neatly into the existing legal categories. Consequently, elder abuse as a social issue or as one that is relevant to public health figures very inadequately in the public sphere. This has resulted in the underlying causes of abuse - which could in turn have helped in developing appropriate interventions to address it - remaining unidentified.
Yet, there is empirical evidence to suggest that in India incidents of abuse and neglect of older people are increasing by the day, both within families and institutions, and that it prevails across classes, castes and religions. Reports of such abuse have come in from every state in the country and it takes place in both rural and urban settings.
What is a particularly disquieting trend is the vulnerability of ageing women to oppression in various forms. Given existing structures of gender discrimination, women run a greater risk than men of becoming victims of material exploitation, financial deprivation, property grabbing, abandonment, verbal humiliation, emotional and psychological torment. When they fall seriously ill, it is more likely than not, that it is the elderly women in the family who will be denied proper health care. There is also a greater tendency to dismiss the gendered aspects of elder abuse. They rarely come to light. This is because such attacks are made invisible by the belief that they are "internal" or "domestic" matters that need to be sorted out by the concerned individuals and not one that can be addressed publicly. There is also a widespread understanding that the neglect, deprivation and marginalisation of older women are the normal consequences of ageing.
The plight of young widows has been well-documented and commented upon in the country, but what has been overlooked are the traumas they undergo as a result of ageing. Already marginalised, the hardships they undergo due to age are never adequately realised and their need for more resources to meet their deteriorating health is invariably overlooked. It is unfortunate that even organisations involved in women's activism have paid insufficient attention to this helpless and hapless section of the population. In fact, women's organisations have so far tended to focus more on the dilemmas of middle-aged women who have to balance their own personal and career needs with the demands of looking after both the young and older generations within their families.
The research that I have personally conducted as a gerontologist has been revealing. I have come across women who have been hit, or more specifically slapped, by their sons, daughters-in-law, daughters and husbands. Some older women have told me that they have had things thrown at them when they have not done something according to the desires of family members. They have been pushed around or restrained from doing something they had wanted to do, whether it is cooking, housekeeping, or participating in activities outside the home. Many have reported being spat upon while some have been falsely framed for dowry harassment. But the most common abuse these women face is being denied independent social and economic resources. Most of them carry on doing the back breaking domestic chores that they have done all their lives. The luxury of a little leisure, a little care, is something that has always eluded them.
While it is difficult to accurately measure the extent of the problem on a national scale, given the fact that most families deny that such abuse takes place within the four walls of their homes, we do know that the number of older people in our midst is growing. Current estimates put the 60-plus population at around 90 million and India is projected to have a population of 142 million older people by 2020. Given this demographic reality, what kind of action can the country take at the individual and societal level to alleviate abuse and neglect? How can we generate thought and action from the health, welfare and criminal justice perspectives, which could contribute to a life free of violence, mistreatment and neglect for our elderly? How can we ensure greater acknowledgement and awareness of the need for older men and women to live a life of dignity and respect?
Some argue that a good legal regime will help victims of abuse and neglect among the elderly. India, like many other countries in the world, has adult protection provisions similar to those in Europe, the UK, Canada, South Africa and USA. But will an act like The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 prove a deterrent to abuse? The problem here is that senior citizens, especially women, do not actively seek justice on issues like these. There is a need to raise public awareness on the issue and set up fast-track systems that will enable older persons to access justice more easily.
For me, an important intervention strategy is for everyone, particularly women, to start preparing for old age even when they are relatively young. It is essentially that each individual understands the legal, social and financial factors that shape their lives throughout their life span, and build the necessary support networks. This will go a long way in helping them take the necessary practical steps to secure their future and protect their rights, even as they advance in years.
By Dr.Mala Shankardass,Chair for India and Asia of the International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse
Source:http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/world/2009/india.htm
and newsblaze.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Join Short term training course in Social Work for Senior Citizens
The College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan has been involved in training graduates and post-graduates in the field of Social Work since 1955.
In the course of its work the College has realised that it is necessary to provide similar inputs to many more people in the community. There is a need to train local leaders and volunteers to assume responsibility for the development of their communities/milieu, to be aware of and protect their own human rights and those of other vulnerable groups.
In 1996, the College of Social Work started a six-month Weekend Training Course in Social Work for Grass root Workers. In response to a growing need for similar training expressed by Senior Citizens, The College of Social Work has initiated a sixteenth short-term three-month training course in Social Work commencing on September 7th 2009.
Deatils
CERTIFICATE COURSE IN SOCIAL WORK FOR SENIIOR CITIZENS: 16TH BATCH.
COURSE BEGINS : 7TH SEPTEMBER 2009.
FEES : RS. 3, 000/-(RUPEES THREE THOUSAND Only)
DURATION OF COURSE : 3 MONTH(SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2009)
TIMINGS : 2.00 – 5.00 p.m.
(Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays)
ELIGIBILITY : PASSED 12TH STD & ABOVE
AGE : 50 YEARS & ABOVE
VENUE : COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK-
EXTENSION CENTRE,
NIRMALA NIKETAN,
ST. PIUS COLLEGE, VIRWANI
ROAD ,GOREGAON (E),
MUMBAI – 400 063.
Tel: 28742284
OFFICE TIMINGS : MONDAY – SATURDAY
11.00 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
(LUNCH BREAK: 1.00 – 2.00 P.M.)
Kindly Note: This course has been approved by the University of Mumbai.
Contact:
Ms. Philomena Vaz
Program Co-ordinator.
College of Social Work-Extension centre,
St. Pius College Campus,
Virwani Road,
Goregaon (E),
Mumbai-400 063
Tel.No. (022) 28742284.
Email: nnextension.centre@gmail.com
In the course of its work the College has realised that it is necessary to provide similar inputs to many more people in the community. There is a need to train local leaders and volunteers to assume responsibility for the development of their communities/milieu, to be aware of and protect their own human rights and those of other vulnerable groups.
In 1996, the College of Social Work started a six-month Weekend Training Course in Social Work for Grass root Workers. In response to a growing need for similar training expressed by Senior Citizens, The College of Social Work has initiated a sixteenth short-term three-month training course in Social Work commencing on September 7th 2009.
Deatils
CERTIFICATE COURSE IN SOCIAL WORK FOR SENIIOR CITIZENS: 16TH BATCH.
COURSE BEGINS : 7TH SEPTEMBER 2009.
FEES : RS. 3, 000/-(RUPEES THREE THOUSAND Only)
DURATION OF COURSE : 3 MONTH(SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2009)
TIMINGS : 2.00 – 5.00 p.m.
(Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays)
ELIGIBILITY : PASSED 12TH STD & ABOVE
AGE : 50 YEARS & ABOVE
VENUE : COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK-
EXTENSION CENTRE,
NIRMALA NIKETAN,
ST. PIUS COLLEGE, VIRWANI
ROAD ,GOREGAON (E),
MUMBAI – 400 063.
Tel: 28742284
OFFICE TIMINGS : MONDAY – SATURDAY
11.00 A.M. – 5.00 P.M.
(LUNCH BREAK: 1.00 – 2.00 P.M.)
Kindly Note: This course has been approved by the University of Mumbai.
Contact:
Ms. Philomena Vaz
Program Co-ordinator.
College of Social Work-Extension centre,
St. Pius College Campus,
Virwani Road,
Goregaon (E),
Mumbai-400 063
Tel.No. (022) 28742284.
Email: nnextension.centre@gmail.com
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