‘HelpAge’ SOS, a mobile application, was relaunched at a HelpAge India event on World Elder Abuse Day on Friday to raise awareness on the ill treatment of the elderly in the country.
Children participating in the event presented the elderly with flowers and friendship bands and stood in solidarity with them.
“Busy lives and addiction to technology lead to ignorance. An elderly person is deprived of the annual health check-up they deserve,” said Alice Vaz, the Social Welfare secretary.
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K Sarangapani, Director of Social Welfare of Puducherry, said that though social media might bring a fleeting joy, being involved with family is key to eternal happiness.
The speakers laid emphasis on identifying the causes of elder abuse in the society.
“Educating, guiding and motivating the youth is of utmost importance to provide care and HelpAge India would work extensively to remove all the problems that the elderly face on a regular basis,” said Venugopal Ramalingam, project head.
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Around 50 people attended the event .
The application for the elderly includes helpline services and is available on Google playstore for free.
Other initiatives
HelpAge India representatives said the organisation is putting in a lot of effort in cities as well as rural areas where the people lack awareness and access to technology.
The organisation has been providing basic necessities such as food, water and shelter and petitioning for the legal rights of the victims who face abuse by their families.
The initiative was to bring attention to the problem and assure the elderly of the organisation’s concern for their safety.