Unavailability of food, medicines worries city’s elderly

SENIOR CITIZENS RAISE CONCERN ON ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY EVEN AS AUTHORITIES CLAIM HELP IS BEING PROVIDED TO THEM

CHANDIGARH: On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which was observed on Monday, many senior citizens in the city pointed to a new kind of abuse during the lockdown — difficulty in getting daily supplies and medicines.

According to government data, seniors form 7.4% of the city’s population.

Second Innings Association president RK Garg said that many seniors who live alone couldn’t walk to the market to get supplies. “We had to look after seniors with Alzheimer’s who didn’t even know about the lockdown. Families being locked together led to arguments and many times we had to intervene,” he said.

Gurnam Singh, a member of Chandigarh Senior Citizens Association, who coordinates with the UT administration regarding cases of elder abuse, said no cases of abuse had come up during the lockdown. However, former president of the association, Keshav Chandra, said the stigma attached with Covid had kept many seniors from seeking help even if they were suffering from symptoms.

Vice-president of the Senior Citizen Welfare Association of Modern Housing Complex, Sector 13, Manimajra, SC Luthra said they helped arrange medicines for seniors living alone and those undergoing dialysis were taken to the hospital.

UT social welfare secretary Yashpal Garg said the 1090 helpline for senior citizens was working to assist them.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Charanjit Singh Virk said, “The police had reached out to hundreds of senior citizens living alone in the city through the police control room. We would call the seniors and ask them about their wellbeing. We would also supply groceries and medicines to them if needed.”