Ever since the lockdown was imposed with a ‘stay at home’ order, the number of calls on Motukuri Venkateswara Rao’s phone have increased manifold.
The callers are senior citizens who are shut in, alone and eager to know when life will become normal. “Many of them call me because they are lonely and very apprehensive about what is in store for them in the days to come,” rues Mr. Rao, who is the associate president of A.P. Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association.
Speaking about how COVID-19 pandemic is fuelling the ‘loneliness’ epidemic, especially among the elderly lot, he says social distancing has made things worse for this section. “Old couples at least have each other for company, but there are single persons who have outlived their spouse and their children are away, settled in big cities. The shutdown is pushing them further into isolation,” says Mr. Rao.
“Avoiding others is OK when you choose to do it, if you want to go home and rest. But when you are forced to do it, when you are locked out of places, it’s a sad experience,” shares 78-year-old Eedara Venkateswarlu, a retired veterinary doctorfrom Bank Colony. He says he and his wife are able to manage things because they do not have any health issues.
The isolation has become another compounder for those with chronic, underlying health conditions. Given the fact that the elders are the most susceptible to the virus, the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Association conducted a series of awareness programmes educating the fraternity on the need to exercise caution.
Mr. Rao says that there has been a steady rise in the instances of violation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007. “In the absence of public transport facility, the victims are unable to reach the tribunal offices to report these violations,” says Mr. Rao, informing that the association has suggested constitution of mandal-level mediation centres to facilitate solution to the senior citizens’ problems at the local-level.
Recognising that this section is at higher risk due to age-related chronic health issues, volunteers of HelpAge India, an organisation focussed on the concerns of elders, have been doing their bit to assist them wade through this difficult phase.
Healthcare
“Accessing health care is a major challenge for the elderly in the pandemic times. Small clinics have remained closed since the last three months. Only COVID-19 hospitals are open. There is a massive loss of livelihood among this section. More than 65 % of the elderly work for their livelihood. Now, they are unable to go to work and their jobs are at stake,” says Mrinal Lankapalli, Liaison Manager for A.P, HelpAge India.
Besides reaching out to those in need of help through their State-level helpline 18001801253, the organisation has staff at Guntur, Eluru and Visakhapatnam and volunteers to extend a helping hand.
To address the problem of social loneliness and seclusion among the elders, Helpage India has also started a digital literacy drive that helps them connect to their relatives, friends and well-wishers using social media platforms.
Published - August 14, 2020 12:07 am IST
