World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: Elder Abuse Has Increased During Lockdown, Reveals The Latest Study By Agewell Foundation

Elder Abuse has always been an unspoken but existing problem in India. With the outbreak of pandemic and the nation-wide lockdown to contain the pandemic, the situation has turned worst for some senior citizens. June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and a recent study conducted on senior citizens during the lockdown by Agewell Foundation has some shocking facts.

Seventy-one per cent of seniors who participated in the study have reported that cases of elder abuse have increased during the lockdown period and after. The study found that 63.7 per cent elderly respondents were facing neglect in their life and 56.1 per cent were suffering from elder abuse in their families and society. 58 per cent of them blamed interpersonal relationships to be the main reason behind increasing elder abuse.

Highlights from the study

The study was conducted among 5,000 elderly respondents across the country. Here are some important highlights.

• Approximately every third elderly (35.1 per cent) claimed that the elderly face domestic violence (physical/verbal) in old age.
• Every fourth elderly, i.e. 25.6 per cent elderly admit that older persons are being exploited by their family members.
• 79 per cent respondents out of 2804 respondents facing elder abuse reportedly said that elderly face mistreatment in old age mostly due to financial reasons.
• 69 per cent of elderly abused respondents claimed that they face mistreatment due to emotional factors.
• In old age, 66 per cent of elderly abused respondents said that they face physical elder abuse in general.
• According to 25 per cent of elderly respondents, younger generations consider elderly family members as a burden on their family.
• Approximately 27 per cent elderly respondents said that the generation gap is the main reason behind the violation of the human rights of older persons.
• In all, 20 per cent of elderly respondents admit that their younger family members are unable to take care of their elderly family members.
• Approximately 21 per cent of elderly respondents said that issues related to properties are the main reason behind the violation of the human rights of older persons.

Different forms of abuse that the senior citizens face

The study has also found out the various forms in which the elderly population face abuse. These include:

• Disrespect and verbal abuse

• Silent treatment (not talking to them)

• Ignoring their daily needs

• Denying proper food

• Denying medical support

• Financial cheating

• Physical and emotional violence

• Force them to work

The guideline that seniors can follow to report elder abuse

It is important to provide older adults and those who care for them with the knowledge of what they are required to do in order to report abuse that they face. Just being aware of The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 is not enough. Here are some steps that a senior citizen can follow to report abuse in any form.

Report it to the jurisdictional police station: The very first step is to make the jurisdictional police aware of the abuse. A senior facing abuse has to go to the police station and file a written complaint. Those who cannot write are required to verbally inform it to the station house officers who can pen it down for them and get their thumb impression on the piece of paper where the complaint has been written. Oral complaints are not adequate to take action as it can lead to confusion in the future.

File a First Investigation Report (FIR) in case of an admissible offence, assault or an injury: In case a senior is hurt and reports an admissible offence, an assault or an injury to the police station, the cops must register an FIR and investigate the complaint and find out whether the report is genuine and gauge its intensity.

Obtain a wound certificate from the government hospital: Once the cops find out the truth of what has happened after the investigation and the complaint appears to be genuine, the senior has to be taken to a government hospital for medical examination by the cops. Following the examination, the abused senior citizen will be provided with a wound certificate on the basis of which, the cops will file a charge-sheet against the accused. The case will thereby go on to the magistrate court or others and the legal discourse will be followed.

Seek help from the helplines: The seniors may also make use of the Elders Helpline available in their respective cities and seek help from the coordinators available there and file a petition to report an abuse. The counsellors available at the helpline first listen to the case and find out if they are genuine. Once found to be true, a written complaint is registered by the Helpline and a notice is sent to the perpetrator through the police. Following this, the Helpline tries and creates a platform of dialogue between the two parties and tries to resolve the dispute amicably. For property-related abuse, the legal experts available at the helpline advise them towards a settlement.

Here are some helpline numbers: