Wednesday, 15 June 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
About 50 per cent of senior citizens are dependent on family for an income source and 20 per cent are dependent on family business whereas only 12 per cent are dependent on other cash transfers and pensions. The State head of HelpAge India, Chaitanya Upadhyay said this while releasing the organisation’s national report ‘Bridge the Gap: Understanding Elder Needs’ on the occasion of ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ on Tuesday.
He said that the purpose of the report was to focus on the difficulties that senior citizens face on a daily basis, such as elder abuse, health and the need to comprehend the underlying gap that prohibits seniors from working independently and living productive and healthy lives. The report is based on information gathered from senior citizens in various Indian States, including Uttarakhand. The report’s major purpose is to help the elderly lead a healthier, productive and independent life by addressing the difficulties they confront and to focus on the need to offer them greater possibilities to work and support themselves. Upadhyay said that the government should try to improve and provide opportunities for elders to work even after retirement because 52 per cent people are financially dependent on their families, have insufficient income, and 40 per cent of elders do not feel financially secure, while 57 per cent say their pension does not cover their expenses. He stressed that today’s senior citizens want to work in order to support themselves and their families.
