44% elderly abused in public spaces at least once: Survey

IN DELHI, 23% ELDERLY EXPERIENCED ABUSE AND MISTREATMENT BY SOCIETY DUE TO THEIR AGE, SAYS THE SURVEY

Forty-four percent of India’s elderly have been abused in public spaces at some time or the other, a survey has found.

In Delhi, 23% elderly experienced abuse and mistreatment by society due to their age, the HelpAge India study says. Bangalore topped the list with 70% elders experiencing abuse, followed by Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.

The report based on interviews of 4,615 elderly persons across 19 cities to understand how senior citizens are treated in public space, to mark the ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’, was released on Wednesday.

The figures show that while 44% senior citizens have been abused in public spaces, 64% said it was easy for people to get away with being rude to the elderly.

The research covered four main areas, including actual experiences of elders as they interact with people and service providers, perceptions on illtreatment, general state of mind of the elderly as they step out of their homes and a wish list of their expectations from society.

A large section of the Indian society treats elders well, but many elders feel today’s youngsters are callous and impatient.

According to the report, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Chennai are among the top five cities in most param- eters that mistreat elders in public spaces. “Previous elder abuse surveys showed that 50% of India’s elderly are abused at home either because of lust for property or perceived financial or emotional burden on care giver. There is a vast majority of people who behave well with elders. But still nearly one out of two elders are mistreated, a significant number,” it said.

As far as public transportation is concerned, two in three of those who take the public bus reported that they are offered seats regularly. But 16% elders have experienced rudeness by bus conductors and drivers.

The report says that Delhi is the highest when it comes to bad behaviour by hospital staff towards elders with 26%, followed by Bangalore with 22%.

It was inferred that 53% of elders find the behaviour of motorists and bikers a challenge. While in Delhi, 45% elders feel unsafe this way, Bangalore ranks the highest with 73%.

Nationally, 38% fear accident due to negligence of others. To cope with these challenges on the road, 42% of elders avoid stepping out as far as possible.