Income Tax benefit for looking after your sick Elderly parents/relative

Under Income Tax section India : 80DDB , Deduction in respect of medical treatment of dependent relative, etc. is allowed.

Where an assessee who is resident in India has, during the previous year, actually incurred any expenditure for the medical treatment of such disease or ailment as may be specified in the rules made in this behalf by the Board--

(a) for himself or a dependant relative, in case the assessee is an individual; or

(b) for any member of a Hindu undivided family, in case the assessee is a Hindu undivided family,

the assessee shall be allowed a deduction of a sum of forty thousand rupees in respect of that previous year in which such expenditure was incurred:

Provided that no such deduction shall be allowed unless the assessee furnishes a certificate in such form and from such authority as may be prescribed.

Provided further that the deduction under this section shall be reduced by the amount received, if any, under an insurance from an insurer for the medical treatment of the person referred to in clause (a) or clause (b):

Provided also that where the expenditure incurred is in respect of the assessee or his dependant relative or any member of a Hindu undivided family of the assesses and who is a senior citizen, the provisions of this section shall have effect as if for the words "forty thousand rupees", the words "sixty thousand rupees" had been substituted.

Explanation ---For the purposes of this section,---

(i) "dependant" means a person who is not dependent for his support or maintenance on any person other than the assesses;

(ii) "insurer" shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (9) of section 2 of the Insurance Act, 1938(4 of 1938);

(iii) "senior citizen" means an individual resident in India who is of the age of sixty-five years or more at any time during the relevant previous year.

What Are The Diseases Covered Under Section 80DDB?

As per Rule 11DD of the I T Act , following diseases or ailments are covered

(i) Neurological Diseases where the disability level has been certified to be of 40% and above,

(a) Dementia ;

(b) Dystonia Musculorum Deformans ;

(c) Motor Neuron Disease ;

(d) Ataxia ;

(e) Chorea ;

(f) Hemiballismus ;

(g) Aphasia ;

(h) Parkinsons Disease ;

(ii) Malignant Cancers ;

(iii) Full Blown Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) ;

(iv) Chronic Renal failure ;

(v) Hematological disorders :

(i) Hemophilia ;

(ii) Thalassaemia.

Who are prescribed authorities to issue certificate ?

1. Neurological Diseases , a Neurologist having a Doctorate of Medicine (D.M.) degree in Neurology or any equivalent degree, which is recognised by the Medical Council of India.
2. Malignant Cancers- an Oncologist having a Doctorate of Medicine (D.M.) degree in Oncology or any equivalent degree which is recognised by the Medical Council of India.
3. Chronic Renal failure- a Nephrologist having a Doctorate of Medicine (D.M.) degree in Nephrology or a Urologist having a Master of Chirurgiae (M.Ch.) degree in Urology or any equivalent degree, which is recognised by the Medical Council of India;
4. Hematological disorders- a specialist having a Doctorate of Medicine (D.M.) degree in Hematology or any equivalent degree, which is recognised by the Medical Council of India :
5. For diseases for which no authority prescribed or prescribed authority is not vailable/posted - In that case ,certificate, with prior approval of the Head of that Government hospital in which the patient is receiving the treatment, , may be issued by any other specialist working full-time in that hospital and having a post-graduate degree in General or Internal Medicine, which is recognised by the Medical Council of India.

Important Tips:

1) For Dementia / Alzheimer's, You can get certificate of any neurologist , however , he /she should be employed in a government hospital and the certificate should be signed by the Head of that Government Hospital.

2) Since, you have spent money on treatment of your father who is diagnosed "dementia”, you must keep all the proof of the disease and medical expenditure.

3) The Certificate in prescribed Form 10-I is must for claimingthe deducation u/s 80DDB

4) How much is deductible?

Any amount paid for the medical treatment is deductible from your income, subject to a cap of Rs. 40,000.

If the amount is spent for a senior citizen (age 65 years or more), the upper limit is higher - Rs. 60,000.

However, if you get the amount reimbursed by your employer or you get the amount from an insurer, you would not be able to claim deduction under section 80DDB.

If you get partial amount from an insurance company or get a partial amount reimbursed by your employer, the balance can be claimed as deduction from your income.

Courtesy:

http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/acts/Income%20Tax%20Act/80ddb.asp

What Are The Diseases Covered Under Section 80DDB? http://www.taxworry.com/2008/02/what-are-diseases-covered-under-section.html#ixzz0bbeqrlBA

http://www.taxworry.com/search/label/80DDB

Silver Innings Navnita Parmar at Social Impact Award Dec 2009.mp4

Navnita Parmar 65 yrs young of Silver Innings performing excellent solo Dance number at Social Impact Award, SPJIMR,Mumbai had organized Social Impact Award to recognize the best projects/work implemented by the NGOs/Ind. working in diverse fields which have substantially impacted the society. This year 2009, the theme of the event is Honouring the Elderly and the award ceremony will be held on 16th December, at SPJIMR Auditorium, Bhavans Campus, at Andheri. The programme was supported by Harmony and Silver Inning Foundation.This theme was selected due to Advocacy of Silver Inning Foundation. This is also part of our UMANG - Talent show for Senior Citizens.

Elderly womens group performing dance at Social Impact award Dec 2009.mp4

Elderly women from Harmony performing excellent Dance number at Social Impact Award, the youngest member was 65yrs of age and eldest was 75 yrs of age. SPJIMR,Mumbai had organized Social Impact Award to recognize the best projects/work implemented by the NGOs/Ind. working in diverse fields which have substantially impacted the society. This year 2009, the theme of the event is Honouring the Elderly and the award ceremony will be held on 16th December, at SPJIMR Auditorium, Bhavans Campus, at Andheri. The programme was supported by Harmony and Silver Inning Foundation.This theme was selected due to Advocacy of Silver Inning Foundation.

Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act 2007 : WHEN WILL MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENT ??????????????

Traditional norms and values of the Indian society laid stress on providing care for the elderly. However, due to withering of the joint family system, a large number of elderly are not being looked after by their family. Consequently, many older persons, particularly widowed women are now forced to spend their twilight years all alone and are exposed to emotional neglect and to lack of physical and financial support. This clearly reveals that ageing has become a major social challenge and there is a need to give more attention to the care and protection for the older persons. Though the parents can claim maintenance under the Section 125 of the Cr Pc and Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA) BUT the procedure is both time-consuming as well as expensive. Hence, there is need to have simple, inexpensive and speedy provisions to claim maintenance for parents.

The Indian Parliament felt that the elderly and senior citizens of the country required care and attention and also protection of their life and liberty. It further felt that the young generation was failing in its duty to take adequate care of its elderly citizens, including parents, relatives or other members of the society, who have turned old and infirm and whose population in 2009 is estimated 90 millions.

The major benefits in the act includes : Monthly maintenance upto Rs.10,000/- , punishment of Rs.5000/- or jail for three months or both for not paying the monthly allowance by children's or relative, 90 days time bound disposal,no need of advocate, a 3rd party intervention possible , to first resolve the differences and disputes between parents and children amicably, medical facility , protection of life and property , old age homes in every districts etc...

To eliminate the agony and sufferings of this vulnerable section of society, the Parliament enacted a law Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 in Dec 2007, whereby state governments were required to constitute maintenance tribunal within six weeks of enforcement of the Act.

The Act, which aims to protect the rights of senior citizens and has provisions like 3-month jail to children who abandon their parents, has been implemented by only 11 states so far, but some have still not form the Tribunals to address and implement the Act. The states that have come on board to implement the Act are Nagaland, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Kerala, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Orissa.

Maharashtra government and other states have neglected and ignored the cause of Senior Citizens.


Silver Inning Foundation, an NGO working with Senior Citizens demands from Maharashtra government and all state government to immediately adopt, implement the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and constitute 'maintenance tribunals' to hear and decide the grievance of our Elders ,the Senior Citizens.

If any state government refuges or delays this process then Honorable Supreme Court and High Court should take action against such government for protection of constitutional and human rights of Senor Citizens.Justice delayed is Justice denied.


Lets give Justice to our Elders, lets give Love, Care & Respect to our parents .Say NO TO ELDER ABUSE.


On this new year , 1st Jan 2010 Lets take an pledge to protect our Elderly and make this “My World… Your World… Our World – Free of Elder Abuse” .

Bombay high court will give preference to Senior Citizens who are 60 years and above age

A little-known circular issued by the Bombay high court promises to bring respite to senior citizens, who have been caught in the web of litigations. The HC has decided that preference should be given to cases where either of the parties involved in the court matter has attained the age of 60 years and above.

The circular was issued after the approval of the chief justice and judges of the Bombay HC. It is applicable to all benches of the HC as well as its subordinate courts. It also states that precedence to elders may be allowed only after a written application is made before the court. The new rule is applicable to court hearings as well as final disposal of cases.

A circular issued in 1999 had set the age limit at 65 years and above. But the recent circular is going to benefit more citizens as it has brought the age limit down to 60 years.

Advocate Vinod Sampat, president of Cooperative Societies Residents, Users and Welfare Association, said the clause could be beneficial in cases where residents were collectively fighting an issue. For example , if a cooperative society is moving the court on an issue, it would be wise to make a senior citizen the petitioner. This may help in getting the matter expedited in court, he said.

Though the circular was issued recently, not many lawyers are aware about it. Advocate Mihir Desai conceded that he did not know about the existence of such acircular. Nonetheless , it is a good move to reduce the age limit because most of the citizens also attain retirement at this age, Desai said.

But there are problems. The huge backlog of cases, vacancies in the judiciary and the need to attend to other cases of priority are some of the reasons because of which not all senior citizens can benefit from this rule, Desai said.

Advocate M P Vashi said: Once, during his stint with the Bombay HC, Justice R M Lodha commented that 70% to 80% cases involved senior citizens as parties. If this is the scenario, how can senior citizens expect to get preference in court matters He said courts should fix a particular date on which cases of senior citizens should be taken up without fail.

Dec 30th 2009

Courtesy : http://www.taxguru.in/general-info/bombay-high-court-will-give-preference-to-petitioner-who-attained-the-age-of-60-years-and-above.html#ixzz0bKVhS5WX

Technology Bridging Caregiving Gaps

Throughout the ages, technology has played an integral role in addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems and it’s no exception when it comes to the issues of aging. With the tremendous growth of the elder population around the world and the shortage of appropriate caretakers, there is a growing need to address the “elder care crisis” with the help of hi tech.

As more and more people are living longer and straining the social system and economy of their country, companies are striving to seize this opportunity to use technology to alleviate the economic burden of long term healthcare and bridge the gap in the market.

Japan, one of the world’s nations who are currently experiencing a shortage of caregivers for its rapidly aging population, announced in March that the country is working on robot technology to help care for seniors. This joint-venture carried by the private sector and the government, promises to deliver robotic nurses and caregivers in a matter of five years. While Japanese companies are making great strides towards using technology to alleviate some of the problems related with caregiving, a Reuters article suggested that the receiving end may not be as enthusiastic. This is understandable since machines can not replace human warmth and interaction, and they can be intimidating and hard to use for the older population.

Similarly, staffs employed in the nursing and caregiving industries in Norway are open to the idea of introducing robots to help them perform routine tasks, according to a study carried out by SINTEF for the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities. The challenges of providing care for a rapidly growing population of elderly in Europe have focused more attention on the potential of technology to meet people's needs. With the 65+ population expected to increase to be 25 percent of the EU's population by 2025, investment in ambient assisted living, eHealth, remote monitoring and wearable technologies is increasing.

Artificial companions such as robotic pets could help monitor the health and wellbeing of elderly Britons, a new report from the Royal Academy of Engineering suggests. The academy said the technology is available to produce man-made companions for older people within three years, but it also questioned whether society has fully considered the legal and ethical ramifications of such developments, according to Reuters.

Many more technological companies in the US and other parts of the world are putting their expertise to work and coming up with innovations that will allow the elderly to age comfortably without depleting human resources. Among many other, Quality of Life Technology Center in the US is striving to bring new ideas to use technology to help senior citizens live as long as possible in their own homes. The technology will provide all types of assistance to the elderly to enable them to perform daily tasks without extra caregiver resources, keeping them out of nursing homes and elder care centers that are funded by the government.

Some important links:

https://www.aarpglobalnetwork.org/

http://www.mcknights.com/

Europe's market for eHealth technology is booming

http://www.allbusiness.com/

http://www.examiner.com/

http://www.astutetech.com/

http://www.youtube.com/

www.silverinnings.com

Silver Economy:The economic benefits of demographic change

"In any political debate, demographic change and ageing are commonly regarded as a threat. What is required, however, is a shift in both, focus and approach: We need to consider demographic change and the ageing of our society as a challenge and as an opportunity for both, economic growth and improving Europe's competitiveness. In the "Silver Economy Network of European Regions", we emphasise the economic opportunities inherent in this demographic change. Today, senior citizens across Europe enjoy a far greater choice when spending their money on products and services."

At the European level we should consider the achievements of the different societies - in terms of culture and in economic fields of action when considering ways to improve the qualities ranging from services, tourism, culture, wellness, and health to products and services which help support independent living.

As European politicians, decision makers in organisations as well as senior citizens themselves more strongly embrace this perspective, new powerful markets for products, services, economic co-operatives and networks will emerge from which all European regions can economically benefit. Within the Silver Economy Network of European Regions (SEN@ER), we expect the development and implementation of the "Silver Economy" to have a positive impact on economic growth and job creation in Europe.

We are convinced that senior citizens will add a major impetus to significant parts of the economy. For North Rhine-Westphalia - Germany's largest state with a population of roughly 18 million - where the state government initiated a "Silver economy" initiative, recent calculations have shown that a proactive response to the needs and interests of the elderly could lead to some 100.000 new jobs. Similar calculations for Germany as a whole predict more than 900.000 new jobs in the "Silver Economy" within the next two decades. There are no other sectors or businesses with a higher growth potential. These calculations should be comparable to other regions and countries in Europe.

The European Union needs a European "Silver Economy" initiative to further improve the quality of life for older citizens and to reap the benefits of the demographic change in terms of economic growth, jobs, employment and competitiveness. This initiative should be developed by the Commission and eventually implemented at all regional levels.

The "Silver Economy Network of European Regions" has been developed by North Rhine-Westphalia along with Andalucia (ES), Burgenland (AT), Extremadura (ES), Gelderland (NL), Limburg (NL), Lower Silesia (PL), Mid-East Region Ireland (IE), Midland Region Ireland (IE), Scotland (UK) and West-Midlands (UK). The network is alive! We are actively developing concepts to further implement relevant projects and activities. We are confident that the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council will support us and look forward to a multitude of European activity also at the political level.

Speech by Armin Laschet,North Rhine-Westphalia Minister for the Generations, Family, Women and Integration

Source: http://www.silvereconomy-europe.org/index.html