HelpAge India Report on Elderly

HelpAge India Report on Elderly

Context: HelpAge India recently released a report titled ‘Ageing in India: Exploring Preparedness & Response to Care Challenges’ to commemorate ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ on June 15. Census 2011: India has 104 million elderly (60+ years), constituting 8.6% of the total population.

Key Findings

Financially and Social Insecurity

• The report revealed that nearly 65% of elders are financially insecure with their current income.
• Around 40% of illiterate elderly reported no access to income sources (29% of literate respondents).
• One-third of elders had no income last year; among these, women (38%) are higher than men (27%).
• Only 29% reported having access to social security schemes like old-age pensions, provident funds, etc.
• Only around 15% of elderly persons reported currently working (24% of males and 7% of females). Work participation varied marginally between tier I cities (17%) and tier II cities (14%).
• Awareness of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, was quite low, with only 9% overall awareness (11% of males, 6% of females, and 6% aged 80+).

Health Challenges

• ~52% reported facing at least one challenge related to primary or instrumental activities of daily living.
• Over half (54%) of elders suffer from two or more NCDs, such as diabetes and hypertension.
• While 79% visited government hospitals in the past year, nearly half (47%) of those above 80 lacked personal income, suggesting limited access to private facilities.
• Only 31% of elderly people have health insurance – men (33%) and women (29%).
• Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, are medical conditions that are not transmissible directly from one person to another.
• They usually last a long time and progress slowly. E.g. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), Cancers, neurological disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease), autoimmune diseases, diabetes, etc.

Caregiving and Elder Abuse

• Most elderly people rely on spouses or children for care when bedridden, with a higher prevalence in Tier II cities (66%) compared to Tier I cities (57%).
• Around 29% of caregivers, particularly women (36%), reported facing physical difficulties in providing care. 7% of respondents reported experiencing elder abuse.

Digital Divide

• 59% of elders lack access to digital devices (smartphones are the most common device).
• Digital device access dropped significantly with age, with only 26% of those over 80 having any device.
• Of those with devices, 34% used them for social media and entertainment purposes.