Carriage Gate Neighborhood

Family & its neighborhood

Members of the family: Those members, who know that injustice is being done to senior citizens, may seek external help to sort out the issue. As EA is mostly a social issue covering moral and ethical values (apart from legal angle), the role of family members should not be neglected. When neighbors get to know about Abuse, instead of shying away saying ‘it is their internal matter’, they should reach out and expose the victimizer. It is easier for outsiders to bring pressure from say police than for insiders.

School Teachers

School teachers can sensitize their wards about the necessity of showing respect to elders. Gripping stories describing how grand children owe much to their grand parents, grandparents’ defenseless pathetic situation etc may be told. Children may be asked to take an oath that they will take care of their elders when they grow up. Case studies of EA happening around may be explained showing why this is bad and should not be tolerated. They can conduct quizzes and contests.

World Elder Abuse Day, Mother’s Day, Grandpa’s day etc may be utilized for bringing about awareness. TV, Radio, Print and the Web may be used for publishing articles. Competitions, polls, quizzes may be conducted. Walkathons may be organized. NGOs may rope in celebrities for participating in such events. Industrialists may be encouraged to sponsor such events.

Academic Researchers

In order to tackle the menace of EA we need to know the exact magnitude of the problem. We have no studies or data relating to EA in India. Research work being carried out is inadequate. Which age group suffers most? Is it men or women? What are the most important causes for EA? Why do people put up with it? What efforts are already in place for tackling EA? There are hundreds of questions but no concrete answers. Academic research departments like those of Sociology, Psychology, and Gerontology etc must engage M Phil & PhD students to take EA as an important area for in depth study.

Summary

In this four part series we have seen what various sections of the civil society and the government may do in the area of Elder Abuse. In my view the victims should come forward to seek mitigation. Otherwise no amount of others’ intervention will be useful.

About the Author

Dr P Vyasamoorthy Retired Librarian turned Information Consultant. Specialist in providing Information to Senior Citizens who are Indians or Indians living abroad. Moderates a Web group for Senior Citizens in India for the past 8 years. Web group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sss-global

He blogs at: http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/ The posts in his blog are mostly his own writings dealing with retired peoples’ problems.

He has taken to writing recently for the past six months and writes in Merinews, cplash, karmayog, Triond and other sites.