What are the problems faced by senior citizens in India?

Following are some of the problems faced by senior citizens in India:

1. Physical Problems

Due to aging, the health is declined and the body does not respond properly. The elderly person had to face health problems such as diabetes, high & low B.P. asthma, arthritis, paralysis, cancer, eye disease, deafness, senility, and debilities. The immunity power and calcium from the bone is reduced. Although rich and retired people are getting well treatment but the poor are not treated and they have to die with increasing age.

2. Financial Difficulties

Many time the financial condition of the elderly is pitiable. They can not satisfy their basic needs. Some times they are forced to earn their bread by begging at public places. They can’t afford the treatment in hospitals and are economically deprived. No nutritious food, health services, transportation and recreation for which they need money which they are not given by their children even they are earning well.

3. Housing and Accommodation Problems

Mostly these people prefer to remain indoors. They become the burden on their sons and can’t shift or move from place to place. Many times they are thrown out of their own residential places and sent to the homes for the aged or vriddhashramas. It is found very difficult for them to adjust with such environment where there are not relatives, grand children or their own children.

4. Transportation Problems

It is very difficult for the elderly to travel by crowded trains and buses. Even it is very difficult to cross the roads. The rich aged can afford to travel by cars, taxi or plane but all that is unthinkable for the poor elders.

5. Violence Against Elderly

This is not common but sometimes the son and daughter in-law both are beating them and house arresting them. Recent cases are reported that they are thrown into dungeon like places inside the house, not given food and health treatment and beaten by the daughter in-law and the son.

6. Psychological Problems

Due to above problems, the elderly people are faced with great strain. Their life is without gainful employment which gives them “painful experience”. They are treated as parasite or a burden. They wait patiently and anxiously for death; moreover, a lone elderly person like a widow, widower or an unmarried person suffers from loneliness, hopelessness, helplessness, frustration, social isolation and physical disabilities. They also had to face depression, chronic anxiety, paranoid reactions, Hypochondriasis etc.