WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS DAY (WEAAD) INDIA Programme 2011 [2 Attachments]

This article by Sri Sailesh Mishra of Silver Inings Foundation gives details of ALL activities planned in Mumbai for WEAAD

On the occasion of 6^th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 15^th June 2011 Silver Inning Foundation(SIF) a NGO working with senior citizens and their family members in association with INPEA (International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse) Indian Chapter through Development, Welfare and Research Foundation (DWARF) and 'Little Things Matter Initiatives' (LTMI), SSS Global, FESCOM (Mumbai), '1298' Senior Citizens Helpline, Mumbai, AISCCON  ,  Harmony for Silvers Foundation &  ALFRESCO FC will be commemorating Elder Abuse Awareness Day from on May 20^th to June 20^th 2011 . SIF through its networking and social media has taken the initiative to host various events pan India to create awareness and sensitize the Government and the Civil Society to eliminate/prevent elder abuse at both micro and macro level.

World over 15^th June is marked as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by INPEA.INPEA is an organization, founded in 1997, which is dedicated to the global dissemination of information as part of its commitment to the world-wide prevention of the abuse of older people. The United Nations International Plan of Action adopted by all countries in Madrid, April 2002, clearly recognizes the importance of addressing  and preventing abuse and neglect of older adults and puts it in the framework of the Universal Human Rights. INPEA is dedicated to supporting the plan of action. 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day month long  programme aims to increase society's ability, through various programmes, to recognize and respond to the mistreatment of older people in whatever setting it occurs, so that the latter years of life will be free from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Objective:

• To create awareness in elderly people themselves regarding what comes under elder abuse.
• To sensitize young people regarding elder abuse and to bridge the intergenerational gap between elderly and young people.
• To create awareness in media and civil society at large regarding elder abuse.

 

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Month long Tentative Programme: from May 20^th to June 20^th 2011

1. Host Essay Competition – http://silverinnings.blogspot.com/2011/05/4th-national-annual-essay-competition.html   . Essay of maximum 2000 words on the following topics are invited from May 20^th to June 20^th 2011: 

a)    For all age groups:

         Can Elder abuse be prevented, if not eliminated? If yes how?  If  no why not?

 

b)    For School Students - Class 5^th to class 10^th:

         Grandparents are the best Friends

  

c)    For Students - 1^st year College to Post Graduation:

         Youth are important link towards Elderly friendly society          

 

 

2. Online Elder Abuse Survey 2011: Elder Abuse, Magnitude & Intervention – from May 20^th to June 20^th 2011: http://silverinnings.blogspot.com/2011/05/online-elder-abuse-survey-2011-elder.html

 

3. 4^th June Talk on 'Women Empowerment' by Adv Nausheen of Majlis at Ladies club annual get together at Sangeeta Complex ,Bhayandar west , Near Mumbai

 

4. 5^th June 'Elder Abuse' Sensitization talk at FESCOM Capacity Building programme for office bearers of FESCOM Senior Citizens State Federation at Harmony Center ,Mumbai

 

5. 15^th June "Foot D Ball to Stop Elder Abuse" friendly football match between Youth and Staff and Elder Resident of Rajpuria Vaprashtashram(Old Age Home) Uttan , Bhayandar west , near Mumbai in association with ALFRESCO FC, Mumbai MDFA 3rd Division Team (2010). We at Silver Inning Foundation (SIF) are promoting the cause of Elderly through unique and well tried 'Sport for Development' (S4D) concept through our Pilot project "Foot D Ball to Stop Elder Abuse ".This intergeneration activity with S4D concept through Football is tried for first ever time in this part of the world (might be first time in world) for promoting Elder Cause and to create awareness about Elder Abuse in civil society. Youth will Tie 'Purple Security Band' to Elders : http://silverinnings.blogspot.com/2011/05/young-chagemakers-to-use-football-as.html

 

6. 17^th June 'Intergenerational Programme' in association with Apne Aap Women's Collective  - AAWC (NGO working for Children's of marginalized mothers) & Harmony for Silvers Foundation at Harmony Day Center ,Mumbai. Children's will Tie 'Purple Security Band' to Elders

 

7. 20^th June 'Talk on Dementia & Alzheimer's and Abuse' at Senior Citizens Association of Shri Krishna Nagar, Borivali East ,Mumbai . SIF staff will  Tie 'Purple Security Band' to Elders

 

8. Senior Citizens group at Visakhapatnam will be conducting an awareness meeting on "Elders Abuse" on 15th. June 2011, jointly by [1] Vintage Visakha a Forum for Elderly and Senior Citizens ND [2] Sneha Sandhya (Welfare Society for Senior Citizens)

 

9. SSS Global in association with Senior Citizens groups, Hyderabad plan to conduct Talk on Elder Abuse based on their personal experience / knowledge.

 

10. Bulk SMS will be send to more than 10,000 people

 

11. Bulk Email will be send to more than 25,000 people

 

12. Creation of Open Group on Face Book 'World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 15th June'

 

13. Month long activity on Social Media sites

 

14.  'Friendly Football Matches' at other places including schools

 

Together, we have the power to prevent elder abuse.

 

 

 

My World, Your World, Our World, Free of Elder Abuse .

 

This World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2011 program is organized by Silver Inning Foundation and supported by INPEA (International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse) Indian Chapter through Development, Welfare and Research  Foundation (DWARF) and 'Little Things Matter Initiatives' (LTMI), SSS Global; FESCOM (Mumbai), 1298 Senior Citizens Helpline, Mumbai; AISCCON ,iCONGO ; Harmony for Silvers Foundation & Alfresco FC –Mumbai.

 =============

 

Liquidity, safety must for senior citizens

Liquidity, safety must for senior citizens
Sadique Neelgund / May 29, 2011, 0:47 IST
Fixed deposits may be better than senior citizen saving schemes in the
current scenario.

Retirees receive a considerable amount from provident fund
accumulation and superannuation and gratuity benefits. Many prudent
ones would have accumulated a corpus through disciplined investing as
well.

They must make many investment decisions to channelise the retirement
corpus thus accumulated. The first decision will be to determine the
asset allocation mainly between equity and debt. A 70:30, debt:equity
ratio suits many but a proper analysis current investments and passive
income streams must be done first. Debt gives stability to the
portfolio and can be used to generate regular income streams to meet
monthly expenses. Whereas, equity gives long-term returns and helps
beat inflation.

(Following table has not been formatted properly as I chose to have text only)
Please original story in BUsiness Standard.

COMPARING THE OPTIONS
Feature Fixed Deposits
(Senior Citizens) Senior Citizens
Savings Scheme
Qualifying Age 60 60 (55 for VRS or retired)
Term Differs 5 yrs (extendable by 3 yrs)
Returns 9 - 10% 9%
Prematurity Approximately Penalty of 1.5% bet 1-2 yrs;
withdrawal 1% penalty 1% above 2 yrs
Taxation Interest added to
income and taxed as
per slab applicable Interest added to income and
taxed as per slab;
investment qualifies for
Section 80C benefit"
Fixed deposits (FDs), Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) , Post
Office Monthly Income Scheme, debt mutual funds and pension plans by
life insurance companies are the various options available on the debt
side. Of these, FDs and SCSS are your best bets in the current
scenario.

The SCSS has been a huge hit since its launch in 2004, due to its
attractive interest rate of nine per cent and sovereign backing. FDs,
on the other hand, have been considered unattractive as their post-tax
returns didn't even beat inflation. However in recent times FD rates
have gone up considerably and can be considered as an alternative to
SCSS. Most banks are offering FD rates for senior citizens between 9
-10 per cent. Before making a choice, retirees must consider the
following factors.

INTEREST RATE
Comparing the interest rates is probably the first step but not really
a deciding factor. FDs are offering 0.5 - 1 per cent higher rates than
SCSS, which essentially converts into a higher monthly income for you.
A sum of Rs 15 lakh parked in SCSS will fetch you a monthly income
(payout is actually quarterly) of Rs 11,250, whereas an FD with 9.5
per cent will give you Rs 11,875.

TERM AND WITHDRAWAL
This can be a big deciding factor. SCSS carries a term of five years
and can be extendable by another three years, with interest rates
prevailing at that time. Any premature withdrawal will attract a
penalty of 1.5 per cent between one and two years and one per cent
above two years. Whereas, FDs offer the flexibility of deciding the
term in line with your convenience. Banks also give loans on FDs for
emergency purposes.

INCOME VERSUS ACCUMULATION
SCSS offers regular payout of interest rates on a quarterly basis. FDs
offer regular interest payouts as well as the cumulative option. If
you have a decent regular income stream (say house rentals or pension)
you may not require additional regular income from investments in the
years immediately following your retirement. In this case, opt for the
cumulative option of FDs to grow the investment corpus. The
compounding works well even with debt investments.

TAXATION
The returns from both instruments are taxable and get added to your
income while calculating the tax. However, investments in SCSS are
eligible for Section 80C benefits, where regular senior citizen FDs
don't qualify (except tax-saver term deposits, typically with a
five-year-plus tenure). So, if you fall in the taxable bracket and
wish to avail of this tax benefit, SCSS works better. However, ensure
you aren't already investing in other tax-saving instruments like life
insurance or Public Provident Fund.

In conclusion: it makes sense to invest your retirement corpus in FDs
to build your debt portfolio in this scenario. Make use of the
prevailing high interest rate environment while it lasts, but only
after evaluating all the factors.

The writer is a certified financial planner
===========
Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph
040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog:
http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Slogans for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day WEAAD June 15, 2011

Slogans for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
(Author: Dr P Vyasamoorthy)

Abusers of Elders are ungrateful persons: Expose them
Elder Abuse is a Sin: Don't be an irredeemable sinner
Avoid Elder Abuse: Bring culprits to book
Advise Abusers to avoid neglecting Elders
An Elder Abuser is an uncivilized person and a brute: Treat them as outcastes
Civilized societies have zero tolerance for Elder Abuse.
Indian tradition respects Elders: Help continue this tradition
Avoid, Abhor and annihilate Elder Abuse
Re-pay your debt to Elders: Avoid Elder Abuse
Elder abusers will be abused in later years: History will repeat surely.
Indian Law: Forceful transfer of property of senior citizens is
illegal; this can be reversed as null & void!
Indian Law: Penalty for abandonment of Elders is three months in Jail.
Indian Law: Abandon your parents and stay in Jail for three months
Indian Law: You are bound by law to take care of your parents
financially if they are poor
Being Kind to Elders is not a sign of Weakness; Shun Elder Abuse

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph
040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog:
http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Japanese senior citizens show the way to sacrifice.

Japanese Senior Citizens Volunteer To Work In Fukushima Plant

Updated: Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 7:05 AM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 7:05 AM EDT

By NewsCore

TOKYO - A group of Japanese senior citizens are volunteering to risk their lives by working in the devastated Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The male and female retirees said Wednesday that young emergency workers should not put their health and fertility at risk by exposing themselves to potentially deadly levels of radiation as they try to repair the functions that cool down the reactor.

The self-styled "Skilled Veterans Corps" said that as the generation who built and benefited from Japan's beleaguered nuclear power program, they should be the ones who try to control temperatures in the overheated reactor.

"Our generation which has, consciously or unconsciously, approved the construction of the Fukushima nuclear power plants and enjoyed the benefits of the vast supply of electricity ... should be the first to join the Skilled Veteran Corps," said Yasuteru Yamada, the 72-year-old retired engineer who created the group.

He added, "Young people with a long future should not have to be placed in a position of having to undertake such a task. Radiation exposure of [the] generation which [will] reproduce the next generation should be avoided."

Yamada, who created a multilingual website to entice recruits, has attracted 180 members, aged 54 to 78, willing to work at the Fukushima plant.

Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) confirmed Tuesday that three nuclear reactors at the plant melted in the first days after the earthquake and tsunami.

More than 100 people work at the Fukushima plant, but TEPCO is experiencing difficulties in recruiting workers to repair the damaged reactors. The company has not publicly commented on the senior citizens' proposal

Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/japanese-senior-citizens-volunteer-to-work-in-fukushima-plant-ncxdc-052511#ixzz1NRTgxROH
Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph 040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog: http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Aarogyasri Scheme should be extended to APL Senior Citizens

Aarogyasri Scheme should be extended to APL Senior Citizens

 

The Government of Andhra Pradesh has introduced an excellent health insurance scheme for all family members in BPL category. Mere possession of Ration Card (White Cards) is enough eligibility. Government pays consolidated insurance premium to Star Health. A network of 360 hospitals has been enlisted for availing treatment.  940 surgical and other procedures, primarily taking care of operations for Kidney, brain, heart, cancer, Burns etc are covered. Accidents coming under Motor Vehicles act are out of scope in this scheme. A large number of Aarogyamithras have been appointed within the easy reach of villagers whom can be approached for information, explanations, help, liaison, complaints etc. The whole system is totally cash less.  Just enter the hospital with your Ration Card and special Aarogyasri card, get treated and walk away. Operations costing about 1.5 to 2.0 lakhs are done free to members of BPL category.

 

The website of the scheme gives a lot of details. For instance on 1st April 2011, we know how the scheme performed:  26000 medical camps were held, 4.4 million persons were screened, 40 lakh were treated, 10 lakh surgeries / procedures performed and about Rs 2920 crores worth claim disbursement (direct payment to hospitals by Insurance Company) was approved. These are cumulative data.  We get monthly  data also. Now the scheme covers whole of AP. It has won several acclaims and awards. Karnataka has shown interest in replicating it.

 

Such a wonderful scheme will be a boon to senior citizens. Senior citizens under BPL are automatically already covered. Senior citizens APL (Above poverty line) are worst sufferers when it comes to health. Diseases are more, money available for treatment is less, "no earnings except meager pensions"  are some problems faced by this group. Moreover most Health insurance schemes have become unaffordable to most senior citizens.  Above a certain age (when they need it most) senior citizens are simply denied any Medical / Health insurance at all. After 85 one can not get any insurance extended.

 

 Aarogyasri should be extended to Senior Citizens in APL – Above Poverty Line category too. They may be asked to pay the premiums themselves. The premium is likely to be very affordable as large numbers are involved. This will be a great boon to the silently suffering community. An authenticated, verified Voters List could form the basis for negotiating with the Insurer. Voters ID card or Aadhar card may be used for gaining access to the facilities.

 

I wish some political parties include this in their agenda for the coming elections. They will gain the sympathy and support of senior citizens. After all senior citizens constitute more than 8% of the population.  Some states like Tamilnadu and Pudhucherry have already started recognizing Senior Citizens as a part of Vote Bank. 

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph 040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog: http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Seven Sins of Seminar Speakers

 

Sin  #1

 

Chairperson:  He usurps much time for himself leaving nothing much for other speakers. He has no sense of time nor does he care to monitor others. Generally they are chosen for their age; being elderly they have no control over time or talking.

 

A good chairperson introduces the topic very briefly, introduces the speakers, monitors every speaker efficiently and summarizes neatly and intelligently at the end. He provides opportunity to as many members in the audience as possible to interact with the speakers.

 

Sin #2

 

Thoughtless PP presenter: This speaker prepares PowerPoint Slides that are totally unreadable even by front liners. Many guys simple prepare a long Microsoft Word document and do a mechanical cut and paste of half a page per slide!

 

Good Slides must take care of Size of letters, clutter, and color combination. Slides must cover only points for recollection.

 

Sin #3

 

Clocks are not for me: This fellow takes three fourths of the time allotted to Introduction and hurries through the rest in incomprehensible mumbo jumbo. No sense of time management.

 

Any speaker worth his name should master the trick of abridging his presentation to any time slot given.

 

Sin #4

 

The expert / authority: This authoritative speaker presents an omnibus presentation ("made-for-all-occasion's" type) of some sixty plus slides for a thirty minutes slot and we only hear "Skip", "Skip" through out the speech.

 

Each presentation should be tailor made for the audience, purpose and given a suitable slant

 

Sin #5

 

Nine out of Ten: These guys never use the mike properly. They are audible only to themselves. They imagine others are deaf and can't hear even if they shout. Therefore such a guy makes no effort in making himself heard.

 

A good speaker talks into the mike keeping it at a correct distance; avoids monotony by varying his tone and mode of delivery. Occasionally he cracks a joke – yes occasionally only. If he cracks too many jokes he becomes a joker and not a speaker.

 

Sin #6

 

The insufferable guest speaker during inaugurals: Most often, Chief Guests (Speakers) are invited more for their name, position, philanthropic outlook, political pull etc rather than their suitability to the theme of the seminar. These guys make a quick read through Wikipedia (Encyclopedia Britannica in olden days) and tell the audience what they knew for several decades. Participants will be bored and floored right in the very beginning of the event.  

 

Sin #7

 

VOT : He is supposed to propose a Vote of Thanks. He starts giving another big lecture. Participants are busy leaving for lunch or home but the guy is utterly, utterly insensitive.

 

The Chairman may himself propose a vote of thanks and cut this fellow out cleverly after assessing the situation.

 

Request: If you have attended many seminars you will but agree with me. Please share your ideas about the remedial part to render seminar speaking effective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph 040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog: http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Take the Elder Abuse Survey and make the difference to life of our Elderly

Here is an announcement on Online Survey - SSS-Global is also participating

========================================================

Online Elder Abuse Survey 2011: Elder Abuse, Magnitude & Intervention

On occasion of 6^th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 15^th June 2011 Silver Inning Foundation a NGO working with senior citizens and their family members in association with INPEA (International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse) Indian Chapter through Development, Welfare and Research Foundation (DWARF) and 'Little Things Matter Initiatives' (LTMI); SSS Global; FESCOM (Mumbai) ; 1298 Senior Citizens Helpline, Mumbai; AISCCON  & Harmony for Silvers Foundation will be commemorating Elder Abuse Awareness Day from on May 20^th to June 20^th 2011 . It has taken the initiative to create awareness among civil society and Government to eliminate elder abuse at both micro and macro level.

In this regards we have undertaken this online survey on Elder Abuse to understand the magnitude of Abuse and Intervention for our Elderly.

This survey though focus on Senior Citizens, but people of All Ages from 18year and above can undertake this survey and help us to understand the Elder Abuse in our society. Please note the Survey will be online from 20^th May 2011 to 20^th June 2011.

Take the Survey and make the difference to life of our Elderly ( click on the link)

http://elderabusemagnitudeandinterventionsurvey2011.questionpro.com/

We would appreciate your feedback in our online survey. All responses will remain confidential and secure. Thank you in advance for your valuable insights. Your input will be used to ensure that we continue to meet your needs. We appreciate your trust and look forward to serving you in the future.

We have contracted with QuestionPro, an independent research firm, to field your confidential survey responses.

 

Warm Regards,
Sailesh Mishra
 
Founder President - Silver Inning Foundation
Founder – ARDSI Greater Mumbai Chapter

 

Participate in 4th National Annual Essay Competition 2011: 6th World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2011

Here is an announcement on Essay Competition in connection with WEAAD 2011
===========================================================
On the occasion of 6th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD)
15th June 2011 Silver Inning Foundation a NGO working with senior
citizens and their family members in association with INPEA
(International Network for Prevention of Elder Abuse) Indian Chapter
through Development, Welfare and Research Foundation (DWARF) and
'Little Things Matter Initiatives' (LTMI), SSS Global, FESCOM
(Mumbai), '1298' Senior Citizens Helpline, Mumbai, AISCCON  & Harmony
for Silvers Foundation will be commemorating Elder Abuse Awareness Day
from on May 20th to June 20th 2011 . It has taken the initiative to
create awareness among civil society and government to eliminate elder
abuse at both micro and macro level.

SILVER INNING FOUNDATION invites entries for an Essay of maximum 2000
words on the following topics:

1)    For all age groups:

         Can Elder abuse be prevented, if not eliminated? If yes how? If

         no why not?

2)    For School Students - Class 5th to class 10th:

         Grandparents are the best Friends

3)    For Students - 1st year College to Post Graduation :

         Youth are important link towards Elderly friendly society

 What is Elder Abuse?

Elder abuse is an under-recognized problem with devastating and even
life-threatening consequences. Elder abuse is often defined as a
single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring
within any relationship where there is an 'expectation of trust' which
causes harm or distress to an older person.

Types of Elder Abuse:
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Emotional or psychological abuse
Financial or material exploitation
Neglect
Abandonment
Self-neglect

All of us know that we will become old one day and join the ever
increasing percentage of senior citizens in the global population. And
yet some of us continue to show indifference and disrespect to our
elders in our own families and in the society. Each of us might have
countless reasons, logics and excuses for this behavior but this could
be due to a combination of many problems. Let us try to put a right
perspective for these various problems and what we could do to keep
our elders happy.

Remember, by helping our elders to stay physically fit and mentally
happy. If we fail to give proper care and respect to our elders at
home now we may undergo the same treatment from our children later on
in our lives.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 15th June, program aims to increase
society's ability, through various programs to recognize and respond
to the mistreatment towards senior citizens in whatever form.

Prize: The First (1st) best in each category will be given Prize of
Rs.500/- INR  to each 1st winner and a certificate.

 The Three (3) best essays in each category will be given Certificate
each and their essay will be published on following Blog:
http://peopleforsocialcause.blogspot.com/ ;
http://silverinnings.blogspot.com/  and best Ten (10) in each
category, with India postal address will be given Participation
Certificate.

All the essays will be sole property of Silver Inning Foundation as
database/Talk / Reference / Lecture / Book/ Paper presentation for its
strategy to Tackle Elder Abuse and issues of Elderly. The verdict of
management of Silver Inning Foundation & Silver Innings for selection
of best essay will be final.

Silver Inning Foundation consists of a dedicated team of professionals
contributing to the cause of the elderly. Silver Inning Foundation
conducts seminars, camps, lectures, awareness modules, advocacy,
networking, Dementia management services and also has support groups
for home based advice. At Silver Innings we are working towards
creating Elder Friendly World where Ageing becomes a Positive and
Rewarding Experience.

 The Last date for submission of Essay is 20th June 2011.

 Email your essay with following details

Name
Postal Address
Telephone Number
Date of Birth

on or before 20th June 2011 to info@silverinnings.com and copy to
silverinnings@gmail.com . Only soft copy by email i.e. email entries
will only be accepted for competition.

The winners will be announced online by email after 15th July 2011.
For further information please call on 09987104233 from Monday to
Friday 10am to 5pm.

Terms and Condition:

Essay should not be more than 2000 words
Essay should only be in English language
Essay should be sent by Email (soft copy only)
No hard copy will be accepted
It's open to all Indian Residence / POI / NRI
People from other country can also participate, but they will not be
part of competition and they will be given virtual participation
certificate.

This Program is supported by INPEA (International Network for
Prevention of Elder Abuse) Indian Chapter through Development, Welfare
and Research Foundation (DWARF) and 'Little Things Matter Initiatives'
(LTMI), SSS Global; FESCOM (Mumbai), 1298 Senior Citizens Helpline,
Mumbai; AISCCON  & Harmony for Silvers Foundation.

 Together, we all have the power to prevent elder abuse

My World…  Your World…Our World…Free of Elder Abuse

Source:   http://silverinnings.blogspot.com/2011/05/4th-national-annual-essay-competition.html

Warm Regards,
Sailesh Mishra
Founder President - Silver Inning Foundation
Founder – ARDSI Greater Mumbai Chapter

Titular Suffixes and Prefixes: Suffixes for Senior Citizens

(For circulation within senior citizens Community)

In front or after a person's name some prefixes are added saying something more about the person. Mr, Ms, and Miss are the most common prefixes denoting the gender. While Mr does not show his marital status, Miss & Mrs indicate if a woman is married r not. Those who do not wish to be explicit about their marital status use Ms commonly for Miss or Mrs. In the case of celebrity women who are great artists, singers or dancers, Miss is used irrespective of whether they are married or not.

They are many prefixes denoting the profession or affiliation. Dr Fr Er are common for doctors, Father (priest), Engineers etc. Er for Engineers, Ln for Librarian did not pick up sufficient momentum. Rtn, Probian, Lion are some prefixes for members of reputed clubs / associations like Lions Club, Rotary Club, Probus Club and others. Prefixes like Capt, Col, Major, Wing Cmdr etc are common among persons of defense forces. They show the rank they hold.

Similarly suffixes too gave extra info about the person. Retd shows professional status. PhD, DSc, MBBS etc tell about degrees earned. I II III Jr Sr are added to distinguish persons of same family tree. In olden days titles of honor were added.

How about a suffix for ordinary persons and Senior Citizens?

In the case of senior citizens, can we think of some suffix that will say that the person is a senior citizen say 60+? Generally in news items age is given in parenthesis like: Rajasekar (78) died in a road accident near ….! Using Mr Ms etc appears to me superfluous. Can we not use Radhika (F26), Mohan Rao (M45) to combine gender and age? It is not always possible to include age as that is not precisely known.

Following and similar suffixes like these may be tried:

MW	Married Woman	SC	Senior Citizen
UMW	Unmarried Woman	OM	Old Man
W	Widow, Widower	OP	Older Person
MM	Married Man	D	Demented!
UMM	Unmarried Man	G	Geezer

The reason why I am particularly talking about senior citizens is that the recipient will know that you are an elderly person and 'may' show some respect or extra sympathy that all of us are craving. I was trying to book a domestic gas cylinder for five days in succession without any success. All five numbers given by the agency were giving trouble. No one will pick up. If a number is picked up, after listening to your customer name but before listening to customer number the line is cut; Numbers are always busy.

In an SMS message for booking Gas cylinder if you add SC after your name, response may be faster! It happened in my case; the gas agent asked me what SC after my name stood for. I said Senior Citizen. He said: Sorry for inconveniencing you; You are on priority list now. Oh! God, Do such (good) things happen in India? I got the cylinder next day!!

You may practice adding SC after your name, as if it is a degree earned or some honor conferred upon you. Start it with your visiting card, email signature, letterhead, your name board etc. After all, our active days are over and it is unlikely that many of us will do something fantastic that will fetch us a honorific title which we may add after our names with a pride. Just convert your present status into a suffix. You need not let out the secret of the reason about this suffix SC to anyone. Just say it is a directive from some mystic group!

Vyasamoorthy. SC

=============

What are you doing after retirement-- Reflections of a retired librarian

What are you doing after retirement-- Reflections of a retired librarian

Unlike the case of many of my friends, my retirement was not sharp on
any specific day. It was gradual. In fact I retired thrice. First, I
took voluntary retirement (VRS) from IDL in 1992. Then joined a
private firm in Bangalore; thereafter served Satyam Computers for
close to nine years. As a second time retirement, I 'Formally" retired
from Satyam in 2000, continued as Advisor for a couple of years with
tapering responsibilities and equally tapering remunerations;
Thereafter I took up several post retirement assignments
(consultancies) and projects for periods varying from three months to
four years; Finally, for the third time, I said bye to active
employment on 30th September 2006. Ever since then I am not 'working'!

Therefore during the past two decades whenever I bump into old friends
I face the question: "What are you doing after retirement?" Answers
have been varying according to when that Q was posed. When this
question is asked, there are lots of people who squirm mentally and
wrestle within themselves for a respectable reply. For, they are not
doing 'anything'! Is it possible for a person to be not doing
anything?

Suddenly a couple of weeks ago I posed this question to myself to get
an honest answer. Many bits of replies came up: Serving senior
citizens; attending meetings; getting associated with half a dozen
organizations; During such meetings meet, eat, chat and give your two
cents worth of ideas; blog; write articles; help others with
information; run a web group; give lectures etc. Quite a bit of
introspection, I went through.

One fact that dazzled right on my face is this: I have been a
librarian from 1964 and continue to be a librarian all through, right
now including, never forsaking this role ever.

As Shiyali Ramamirtha Ranganathan says a library is a trinity of
books, reader and the librarian. The Librarian brings the book
(information) and the reader together. During my active life readers
who benefitted by library service varied from academic students,
staff, industrial workers, research staff, managerial work force, IT
professionals, and others. Post retirement, the focus of beneficiary
changed to senior citizens (aka older persons, elders, retirees,
oldsters, geezers, boomers etc). I started specializing in bringing
information containers (books, articles, stories, news etc) of special
interest to the age group 55+ to the desktop of senior citizens.
Thereby, even now, I am a librarian at heart and information
dissemination is the closest activity that I enjoy.

Next time you ask me: "what are you doing after retirement?" I shall
simply say: I am still a practicing librarian.

============

What do you do when you die?

What do you do when you die?

When a person dies he stops breathing. The body is no more sensitive
to its environment and starts decaying as none of the physical body
preservation mechanisms work. You cease to be. You become it. The
moment someone dies, say in a hospital, he is referred to as 'the
body' or it. "Has the body arrived?" we ask. No one refers to the body
which you assumed that it was yours, refers to that body as you by
your name. You cause some realization dawn in others. About
impermanency of life. May be you sadden or gladden some of them around
you.

But, about you or of you, what is that continues after you die? Is it
your Soul, spirit, your thoughts, effect of your deeds, Or some kind
of energy still lingering to be dissipated away slowly around from
that space / placeof death? Who knows for certain as to what happens?.
Those who say what happens have not experienced it. And those who have
experienced death are no more available to explain it.

Different religions tell different things about after death threats.
If you believe you may spend your last moments on earth in agony of
impending pain and experience of hell or be jubilated over some Peter
ready to usher you into Heaven.

While none of these questions or doubts can be answered, without
doubt, one thing is certain. Without doing anything specific at all,
one day or the other, you will surely gain the title: "The late
Mr…."

==================

Dr P Vyasamoorthy, 30 Gruhalakshmi Colony Secunderabad 500015 Ph
040-27846631 / 9490804278.My blog:
http://vyasa-kaaranam-ketkadey.blogspot.com/

Re: [sss-global] T'ai Chi Helps Prevent Falls And Improve Mental Health In The Elderly

It is taught in India? Or any video clippings available?

Thanks=SV Ramana=

On Thu, May 19, 2011 at 8:12 AM, Padmanabha Vyasamoorthy <vyasamoorthy@gmail.com> wrote:

This article gives essence of some 35 studies on effectiveness of TaiChi

Our Tai Chi Enthisiast Sri IVLN Chary would like to Comment!
PVM
=====================================================

T'ai chi has particular health benefits for older people, including
helping to prevent falls and improving mental wellbeing, reveals a
review published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine.

But the Chinese martial art widely practised for its health benefits
does not help improve the symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis
and the evidence is contradictory for many other health conditions and
symptoms.

The effectiveness of t'ai chi for a variety of medical conditions and
symptoms has been assessed in several studies and reviews, but their
findings have been contradictory, so researchers from Korea Institute
of Oriental Medicine in South Korea and the University of Exeter in
the UK decided to compare the conclusions of these reviews to gain a
better understanding of the benefits of t'ai chi.

Thirty five relevant reviews assessing t'ai chi were identified from
English, Chinese and Korean databases. They looked at the
effectiveness of the technique in a variety of disease areas,
including cancer, Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal pain,
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, high
blood pressure, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. Some reviews also
assessed the benefits of t'ai chi for psychological health, balance
and fall prevention, muscle strength and flexibility and improving
aerobic capacity.

For several conditions, the findings of the reviews were
contradictory. However, there was relatively clear evidence that t'ai
chi is effective for fall prevention and improving psychological
health and was associated with general health benefits for older
people. On the other hand, t'ai chi seemed to be ineffective for the
symptomatic treatment of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. The authors
conclude: "Our overview showed that t'ai chi, which combines deep
breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, may exert
exercise-based general benefits for fall prevention and improvement of
balance in older people as well as some meditative effects for
improving psychological health. We recommend t'ai chi for older people
for its various physical and psychological benefits. However, t'ai chi
may not effectively treat inflammatory diseases. "

Source
British Journal of Sports Medicine
===========

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/225435.php


------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sss-global/

<*> Your email settings:
   Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sss-global/join
   (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
   sss-global-digest@yahoogroups.com
   sss-global-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
   sss-global-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
   http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

T'ai Chi Helps Prevent Falls And Improve Mental Health In The Elderly

This article gives essence of some 35 studies on effectiveness of TaiChi

Our Tai Chi Enthisiast Sri IVLN Chary would like to Comment!
PVM
=====================================================

T'ai chi has particular health benefits for older people, including
helping to prevent falls and improving mental wellbeing, reveals a
review published ahead of print in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine.

But the Chinese martial art widely practised for its health benefits
does not help improve the symptoms of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis
and the evidence is contradictory for many other health conditions and
symptoms.

The effectiveness of t'ai chi for a variety of medical conditions and
symptoms has been assessed in several studies and reviews, but their
findings have been contradictory, so researchers from Korea Institute
of Oriental Medicine in South Korea and the University of Exeter in
the UK decided to compare the conclusions of these reviews to gain a
better understanding of the benefits of t'ai chi.

Thirty five relevant reviews assessing t'ai chi were identified from
English, Chinese and Korean databases. They looked at the
effectiveness of the technique in a variety of disease areas,
including cancer, Parkinson's disease, musculoskeletal pain,
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, high
blood pressure, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes. Some reviews also
assessed the benefits of t'ai chi for psychological health, balance
and fall prevention, muscle strength and flexibility and improving
aerobic capacity.

For several conditions, the findings of the reviews were
contradictory. However, there was relatively clear evidence that t'ai
chi is effective for fall prevention and improving psychological
health and was associated with general health benefits for older
people. On the other hand, t'ai chi seemed to be ineffective for the
symptomatic treatment of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. The authors
conclude: "Our overview showed that t'ai chi, which combines deep
breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements, may exert
exercise-based general benefits for fall prevention and improvement of
balance in older people as well as some meditative effects for
improving psychological health. We recommend t'ai chi for older people
for its various physical and psychological benefits. However, t'ai chi
may not effectively treat inflammatory diseases. "

Source
British Journal of Sports Medicine
===========

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/225435.php

Study Of 8,000 Older People (Ireland)

My Comments:

Long story; worth reading.
This study is very revealing: Irish senior citizens are relatively
well off, enjoy life, happy and contended; taken care of by society
and children. WoW
Bharat is supposed to be a Punyabhumi with long entrenched traditional
values where elders were taken care of as a matter of routine. Where
have we come to!

Sorry for giving text only version which is somewhat cluttered. Pl go
to original site and Vote / Comment there too.

Vyasamoorthy
====================
Study Of 8,000 Older People

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 12 May 2011 - 2:00 PDT

The first results from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA),
a national study of 8,000 older people aged 50 and over, were launched
May 9th by the Minister for Health and Children, Dr James Reilly.

TILDA is the most comprehensive study ever conducted on aging in
Ireland. Between 2009- 2011, over 8,000 people aged 50 and over were
randomly selected across the country and interviewed about many
aspects of their lives including issues such as health, financial
circumstances and quality of life. Almost 85 per cent of the
participants also underwent a rigorous health assessment. The same
group will be interviewed every two years until 2018. Further health
assessments will be undertaken on the participants in 2014 and 2018.
This report, Fifty Plus in Ireland 2011: First Results from the Irish
Longitudinal Study on Aging, contains initial findings from the study.
TILDA is funded by the Department of Health and Children, Irish Life
and The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Commenting on the significance of the study, Principal Investigator of
TILDA and Professor of Medical Gerontology, Professor Rose Anne Kenny
said: "The importance of this study cannot be understated. By
collecting and analysing this data, we will be able to develop a much
deeper understanding of the lives and circumstances of older people
and of the factors which lead to good health and good quality of life
in older ages. This will mean that Ireland will be better placed to
plan for the aging of our population and to help policy makers ensure
that limited resources are correctly targeted to those in need. TILDA
provides exciting opportunities for Research and Development and new
models of service delivery to create employment in this rapidly
developing demographic. We are deeply grateful to our participants.
Because of their generosity in taking the time to provide us with this
crucial information, Ireland now and in the future will greatly
benefit."

When launching the report, the Minister said that the Study's high
quality objective and subjective measurements of health coupled with
its longitudinal design "will provide a truly unique knowledge base
that will inform policies for older people in the years ahead."

The findings in the report cover many topics and show that there is
considerable diversity across older adults in terms of the various
dimensions of their lives. A selection of findings is highlighted
below.

When the participants were asked about their quality of life, the
following emerged.
The 50+s report that they derive considerable enjoyment from life.
Eighty-five per cent report that they often enjoy the things they do,
while 81 per cent often look forward to each day. Over 80 per cent
feel that life is full of opportunities. The report also shows how
this group contributes significantly to their families and
communities, in terms of both money and time. Specific examples of
this are as follows:
Over one third of people aged 50 and over provide practical household
help including shopping and household chores to their children who are
not living with them and nearly half provide care to grandchildren.
Over one quarter of 50+ households report giving a financial or
material gift worth €5,000 or more to their children within the last
ten years.
Over a quarter of 50+s do voluntary work at least once or twice a month.
The report shows the extent to which health declines across age groups
and two examples of this are as follows:
Seventy nine per cent of those aged between 50 and 64 say that their
health is excellent, very good or good but this falls to 66 per cent
for people aged 75 and older.
The proportion of people with high blood pressure increases from 29.7
per cent for those aged 50- 64 years to 53.7 per cent for those aged
75 and over.
A constant finding across the report is that those with higher levels
of education and wealth are likely to enjoy better outcomes later in
life. Examples include the following:
For men aged 50-64, 53 per cent with primary education are employed.
This rises to 70 per cent for those with third level education. For
women aged 50-64, 28 per cent with primary education are employed.
Among the third level group, 62 per cent are employed.
We find that individuals with a primary education report substantially
higher levels of chronic lung disease (5.5 per cent) compared to
individuals with second or third level education (3.6 per cent and 2.7
per cent respectively). Similarly, older adults in the lowest wealth
quartile report almost three times the rate of chronic lung disease
compared to older adults in the highest wealth quartile (6.5 per cent
versus 2.5 per cent).
Among other findings are the following:
On the issue of mental health, we find that 10 per cent of respondents
reported clinically significant depressive symptoms while a further 18
per cent reported 'sub-threshold' depression.
On incomes, we find that state transfers are the only source of income
for a high proportion of less educated older people. For those in the
lowest education group, around 40 per cent of people aged 50-64 have
no other source of income and this rises to 53 per cent for those aged
75 and over.
With regard to the use of health care services, we find that among
older people in poor health, attendance at either GP clinics or
emergency rooms is lower for those without medical cards or private
cover thereby raising concerns about diagnosis and treatment deficits
for this group.
People with disabilities receive an average of 118 hours of help per
month. As the most common primary helper for this group is the care
recipient's spouse, this translates into extensive inputs by older
adults into the care of other older adults.
Amongst women at work, 41 per cent are not covered by an occupational,
PRSA or private pension scheme compared to 20 per cent of men. Pension
coverage also varies significantly by socioeconomic group.
Executive summary, full report and chapter-by-chapter versions can be
found at TILDA.

Source:
Caoimhe Ni Lochlainn
Trinity College Dublin
=====================
Source URL:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/225047.php

WEAAD: What is it all about?

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day: What is it all about?

Elder abuse is generally defined as a single, or repeated act, or lack
of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there
is an 'expectation of trust' which causes harm or distress to an older
person. It also happens in Institutional (say, old age home or Nursing
Home) and Domestic setup. Elderly parents and grand parents may be
ill treated by children grand children or care givers.

Elder abuse may take several forms:

1. Physical abuse
2. Sexual abuse
3. Emotional or psychological abuse
4. Financial or material exploitation
5. Neglect
6. Abandonment
7. Self-neglect

Throughout the world, abuse and neglect of older adults largely
remains under-recognized, or treated as an unspoken problem. No
community or country in the world is immune from this social problem.
Abuse and neglect of older adults is a complex and multi-faceted
problem. Elder abuse encompasses many different types of harms and can
occur in community or institutional settings. Raising awareness of
elder abuse is a challenge. The issue requires complex, multiple and
integrated responses from a very wide range of sources at individual,
institutional, societal and global levels.

Many nations in the world observe 15th June every year as World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day. This year this is sixth year in succession. Some
leading organizations like Silver Innings Foundation, Mumbai (SIF);
Federation of Senior Citizens Oeganizations of Maharashtra (FESCOM);
Harmony Silvers Foundation, Mumbai; Society for Serving Seniors (SSS)
are joining together under INPEA – International Network for
Prevention of Elder Abuse to carry out a series of activities
promoting awareness among public, media and the government.

What are the specific activities that any SCA may take up on June 15th?
1. On June 15th 2011 request senior citizens and members of public to
gather at a central place. Let all of them wear Violet Ribbon on left
arm to denote Elder Abuse Awareness Day
2. They may hold placards with slogans asking for eliminating Elder Abuse
3. They may hold talks and lectures by important people
4. Simple pamphlets explaining What is Elder Abuse and how to handle
it in local languages may be distributed
5. Talks to school children will be useful.
6. Request press and media to publish case studies of local elder
abuse histories.
7. Simple questionnaire to get views of public on creating awareness
and getting their views
8. Talk to a few victims of Elder Abuse in your area and see what can
be done to mitigate the problem distributed and data analysed
9. Tell people how Maintenance and Protection of Parents and Senior
Citizens Act is useful in cases of Elder Abuse

Essay Competition may be held among school / college children, members
of senior citizens associations, bloggers etc Some topics are
suggested below:

How to avoid Elder Abuse – Tips for Senior Citizens
Why should EA be shunned?
What are various type of Elder abuse?
Narrate a few case studies of Elder Abuse known to you.
How does ageism contribute to EA?
What are the underlying reasons for EA from Abusers and Victims points of view?
What should government do to lessen Elder Abuse?
What can civil societies do in Elder Abuse?
How can school children be sensitized?
Give some Tips to EA victims to cope up with the issue

Persons when they assemble in a central place may display banners
placards or posters.
Some suggested text for slogans for this activity are given below:

Abusers of Elders are ungrateful persons: Expose them
Elder Abuse is a Sin: Don't be a irredeemable sinner
Avoid Elder Abuse: Bring culprits to book
Advise Abusers to avoid neglecting Elders
An Elder Abuser is an uncivilized person and a brute: Treat them as outcastes
Civilized societies have zero tolerance for Elder Abuse.
Indian tradition respects Elders: Help continue this tradition
Avoid, Abhor and annihilate Elder Abuse
Re-pay your debt to Elders: Avoid Elder Abuse
Elder abusers will be abused in later years: History will repeat surely.
Forceful transfer of property of senior citizens is illegal; this can
be reversed as null & void
Penalty for abandonment of Elders is three months in Jail
Abandon your parents and stay in Jail for three months
You are bound by law to take care of your parents financially if they are poor

Let us hope there will be lot of activity on June 15th making people
aware of the burning problem of Elder Abuse.

Generics for Generation Old

Generics for Generation Old

All of you know that medicines are cheap when bought under their generic name rather than certain brand names. For example, a strip of Ten Crocin (Paracetamol 500 mg tablets) costs RS 10 while non branded plain Paracetamol costs only Rs 2.50 per strip. At times the difference could be even ten times. Though there is huge price difference, there are a couple of issues in using Generic drugs.

First and foremost, most doctors prefer to prescribe only branded drugs of leading big manufacturers.While reliability of quality may be point of concern, mostly it is the bribe the doctor gets that induces him to prescribe brand named drugs. Large companies spend very heavy amounts to promote their products. This is a fact and reported many times through several market studies and surveys.

In view of the cost benefits to the public and patients, the governments of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have made rules that in government hospitals only generics may be prescribed by government doctors. How about private medical practioners? They can not be forced to prescribe only generics, sacrificing their lucrative earnings. We have identified a few family physicians who are senior friendly and they have agreed to re-write the prescription translating brand names to generics thus helping the patients greatly. This kind of circumvention is necessary as our pharmacy regulations insist that scheduled drugs may be dispensed only strictly according to prescription and the pharmacist has no permission to sunbstitute one for the other. Senior citizens organizations should come forward to identify such family physicians in every locality.

Among senior citizens also many entertain the idea that costly medicines are of good quality and cheap medicines are of poor quality. This is not a fact. There may be a few bad manufacturers who may sacrifice quality. Even among generic manufacturers there are many competing firms and a good doctor can identify reputed generic manufacturers easily through his experience. Another way to ease the situation is to request the doctor to give alternatives in the prescription itself.

As Sri Harinarayan Chairman of IRDA pointed out recently, there is nothing preventing senior citizens associations coming together and setting up medical shops to sell generics exclusively. This has already started happening, as such shops in Vijayawada and Guntur have come up. Recently the government of Andhra Pradesh has decided to set up about 170+ medical shops only to sell generics through out AP. The central government's Jan Aushadhi Scheme is an utter flop due to large scale mis-management. Let us hope the state government scheme is run properly and proves useful.With a dynamic and committed bureaucrat like Dr Ramesh (Principal Secretary, Health, AP) at the helm of affairs, this is not impossible.

====================

Mobility Aids

Mibility Aids from Pedder Johnson

Senior citizens face a series of health problems brought up due to ageing. They become less mobile due to many reasons. They may have a fall and may be bed ridden. They require a walking stick to support walking; They may use a walker during canvalescence, after a knee replacement surgery . They may have to be moved from one room to another in a wheel chairwithin their own homes or hospitals. They may be hospitalised after some surgery, Prolonged lying down may require back rest. They may be too week to get up and walk on their own. All such devices, tools and implements that help monility of persons are collectively called Mobility Products.

Pedder Johnsons of Mumbay is a leader in the field of mobility products. tHey manufacture and sell Walking sticks, Transfer boards, Fore Arm crutches, Air mattress, Shampoo basin, Protective Rubber Sheets, wheel chairs, Bathroom accessories like Arm support, grab bars, Folding comode etc. THe tools will be useful for senior citizens living alone, old age homes, hospitals, nursing homes, Pedder may be contacted at: PEDDER JOHNSON, 318, Swastik Chambers, Sion Trombay Road, Chembur, Mumbai-400 071. Tel: 022-25228857/59,

Fax: 022-2522 8858, Email: fordham@vsnl.in, marketingmanager@pedderjohnson.com

CONCESSIONS AND FACILITIES GIVEN TO SENIOR CITIZENS Part 8

CONCESSIONS AND FACILITIES GIVEN TO SENIOR CITIZENS

M.V.Ruparelia

(as of May 2011)

Part 8 Other Ministries, departments (miscellaneous)

27. Ministry of Telecommunications: - i) Faults/complaints of Senior Citizens are given priority by registering them under Senior Citizens category with VIP flag, which is a priority category. ii) Senior Citizens are allowed to register telephone connection under N-OYT Special Category, which is a priority category. iii) MTNL in NCR offers a discount of 25% on Rs. 250 per month Plan. Age limit is 65 years or above.

28. Courts in the country accord priority to cases involving older persons and ensures their expeditious disposal. According to provisions of Chapter III of the Personal Law (Hindu) and Chapter IX of Code Of Criminal Procedure, older persons can claim maintenance from their children. Fast Track Courts are established to deal with cases of Senior Citizens promptly.

29. Large number of Old Age Homes/ Homes for terminally ill for Senior Citizens exists, where free as well as paying arrangements are provided with various facilities. Separate Colonies for Senior Citizens with community kitchen, safety needs, social & cultural necessities, medical facilities etc are provided by many private agencies at different places. Private enterprisers have started to produce various equipments etc, keeping in view the special needs of elderly population. Public transport also is providing Senior Citizen Friendly services.

30. a) Mumbai Police (1090), Dignity Foundation (23898078), Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust (1298) & many other Organizations have given Help Lines for Senior Citizens.

31. Large number of Associations Of Senior Citizens have come up in all areas, giving opportunities to express & share one’s views, get knowledge about various facilities available, get entertainment, group support etc. All India Senior Citizens Confederation, Help Age, Dignity Foundation, Harmony Foundation and many others are doing Yemen service to Senior Citizens and fight for their cause & welfare. Each Association must endeavor to do their best to serve senior citizens & citizens of their area. They should pursue their Municipal authorities to provide Day Care & Physio Therapy Centres in their area. They should pursue with local Public & Private Sector Undertakings to provide various facilities for Senior Citizens through their CSR/PPP funds. They should also help BPL Senior Citizens to get IGNOAP & other benefits.

32. i) Appellate Public Information Officer & Chief Post Master General, Maharashtra Circle, Mumbai has advised on 8-11-06 that they have issued instructions to all Units of Maharashtra to have 2 Queues in front of each Counter. One will be only for Senior Citizens, so that they can get their turn for service earlier.
ii) Public Information Officer & Dy General Manager, Western Railway, Mumbai has advised on 2-4-06 that directives have been issued to all Divisions that there should be separate Ques for Senior Citizens for providing case papers, Consultation with Doctors and issue of Medicines in all Railway Hospitals, Dispensaries, Health Units etc.

33. Protection of Life & Property of Senior Citizens: Each Police Commissioner/Police Station has been instructed to take all necessary steps for protection of life & property of Senior Stations. In city like Mumbai, where very large number of Senior Citizens reside alone at different places and where crime rate is quite high, it will be surprising to know that Mumbai Police reaches for help of all kinds to Senior Citizens within 2 minutes or maximum 7 minutes of your call on their Help Line 1090 or 100. This is what Shri D.Sivanandan, Mumbai Police Commissioner said in the function for inauguration of One more Help Line 1298 for Mumbai`s Senior Citizens by Nargis Dutt Memorial Charitable Trust on 10-5-10. Mumbai Police has provided 690 Motor Cycles of high speed and 400 vehicles fitted with GIS GPS facility with efficient net work of telephones etc, which enable police to reach the spot within 2 minutes and maximum 7 minutes. Senior Citizens can also call Police for help for any such emergencies like:

i) When they urgently require help of Medical Professionals,

ii) When they face situations that involve physical violence or pose a risk to their lives from outsiders or family members,

iii) When they need counseling to quell their feeling of despair & loneliness.

Senior Citizens should get themselves registered on line on www.hamarisuraksha.com orwww.mumbaipolice.org or on 1090 or by going to nearer Police Stations. All personal information will be kept confidential. They should also get their domestic servants, security guards of the Society, Milk/Newspaper suppliers etc also registered for better & quicker service by Police. Such registration is not compulsory for use of toll-free Help Line 1090 or 100. Help Line is a special service for Senior Citizens that will take care of physical & mental care of all Senior Citizens at all time for 24/7.

34. Accomodation for Associations of Senior Citizens: Maharashtra Government has directed all Municipalities to make available a suitable class room in municipal schools to nearby Associations of Senior Citizens free of charge for the whole day on Sunday/Holiday for their meetings & activities. Education Officer, BMMC has issued orders for this vide para A© of circular no. SRSC/3943 dt 1-2-08. Associations may conduct Day-Care Centers with benevolence of Municipal Authorities in the same room from 17 hrs to 20 hrs.

MV Ruparelia Mobile: 9821732855 Bolg: http://bolgs.rediff.com/mvrup, http://mvrp.blogspot.com