Empowering Older Persons: A Global Perspective on Aging

1. Agewell Foundation, India Being able to live life longer is a great gift to humanity & it is up to us to ensure that we can all age with self- respect and dignity.

2. Global Facts • Projections of United Nations • The number of persons aged 60 years or older will grow from an estimated 629 million in 2002 to almost 2 billion in 2050. • Older persons will take over the population of children, marking an unprecedented event in human history

3. The Concern • The national or even the international community has done little to safeguard older persons’ needs and potentials in the rising world economy • Particularly in our country, which experiences a most rapid growth in the aging populations.

4. The Guideline • Our societies should by no means perceive older persons as a burden. • On the contrary, older persons contribute greatly at the socio-economic level, often without recognition or reimbursement. • In the HIV/AIDS crisis, for example, older persons often act as the sole caretakers for their grandchildren and also for other children in the community, taking on a huge financial and emotional burden.

5. The Guideline • Their work, however, has not yet received the required recognition from national or international relief efforts. • Older persons also contribute to society in ways that cannot be compensated. • Older persons are key to cultural identity • they strive to keep families together, • pass on expertise and values and • bestow our cultural heritage.

6. The Questions Unanswered • When a society ages, how will it meet the financial needs of its elderly? • Will the elderly be dependent - • on their own accumulated savings, • on the support of individual family members, • on the general taxpayer or • on payroll contributions from the workforce through government social insurance schemes (as in the industrial countries)? • Or will they be forced to work longer? • How will the needs of the very elderly be met, since they frequently require either long-term care or substantial medical or social support?

7. The Suggestion • A strategic Plan for the Elderly in India • The Key Points - • Older Persons and Development, • Advancing Health and Wellbeing into Old Age, • Enabling and Supportive environments • In addition address its inadequacies by instituting strong oversight mechanisms and provisions for financial assistance. • In particular, a plan should spell out measures to secure income for older persons, to help lift elderly out of poverty. • A plan should also prioritize older persons’ access to appropriate and affordable health care.

8. The Source • The implementation is entirely reliant on a government’s political will and financial and structural capacity to put it into action. • The social sector organisations are the platforms for sensetising the communities at large • Today India has the required strength

9. Agewell Foundation - Goals Agewell is set up to infuse better interaction between the generations. It endeavors to: • Bring awareness towards self, with a positive change in perceptions about Old Age • Initiate steps towards senior citizens friendly environment • Evolve a sense of moral and social responsibility towards senior citizens • Advocate for the needs and rights of senior citizens • Extend a helping hand to senior citizens wherever required

10. 619 Rest of India 117 Haryana 305 West Bengal 503 Uttar Pradesh 358 Tamilnadu Rajasthan 297 501 Orissa 451 Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh 288 514 Kerala 247 Karnataka 220 Jharkhand 399 Gujarat Bihar 479 454 Assam 583 Andhra Pradesh 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Agewell Volunteers’ Presence In India (Aadhar) • 35 States & Union Territories of India • 540 Districts Across India • 6,300 + Dedicated Volunteers • 4.8 + Million Senior Citizens • 4,924 Self-help Groups • 3,52,011 Senior Citizens members of Self-help Groups

11. Senior Citizens - Priority Areas • Social Participation & Empowerment • Health And Well-being • Legal Security • Finance Empowerment • Financial security • Financial sustenance • Financial participation in the society

12. Current Activities • Helpline & Redressal Services • Agewell Helpline for senior citizens in Delhi • Agewell Helpline for senior citizens in Ahmedabad • Voluntary Activities • “ Aadhar ” ~Nationwide Voluntary Action Network • Employment & Job Opportunities • “ Eklavya ” ~Agewell Employment Exchange for senior citizens

13. Current Activities • Special Services • “ Sahyog” Psychological Trauma Centre • Social Activities • “Share a Smile with Your Elders” – School Contact Program • Agewell Family Membership Scheme • Research Activities • Agewell Centre for Research & Advocacy for Needs & Rights of senior citizens

14. Research & Advocacy Center • Advocacy Issues • Needs & rights of older persons from their own perspective • Concern for welfare of elderly • Adequacy of economic resources in old age • Evolve and implement methodologies for better living conditions of older persons • Life cycle model of economic well-being • Old age generational & gender differences relating to economic status • Attempt to bridge intergenerational gap

15. Research & Advocacy Center • Currently underway: • Research: • Nationwide study of needs & rights of senior citizens from their own perspective • Issues of concern for welfare of senior citizens • Evolution and implement of new methodologies for improving living conditions of senior citizens • Analysis: • Gap analysis between intergenerational & Indian senior citizens’ condition and status • Data consolidations & analysis of issues faced by senior citizens since the year 1999

16. The Financial ProfileSenior Citizens • Senior citizens largely fall in two categories: • Organised Sector • Pension • Non pension • Unorganised Sector • Financially weak - poverty stricken • Financially strong - self reliant • Financially supported - joint / family support

17. Residential Issues 10% Suggestions 10% Contact Management- Breakup Social Issues 34% Medical & Legal Issues 22% Financial,Pension & Insurance Issues 24%

18. Our Focus • To initiate a debate and identify the current perspectives and issues that are being experienced by the senior citizens in the country, culminating with applicable solutions to problem areas and present the same to the policy decision makers. • Series of symposiums address:- • Social needs (conducted on 12 / 04 /06) • Medical needs (conducted on 30 / 06 / 06) • Legal needs (conducted on 08 / 09 / 06) • Financial Needs ( Sought by demand )

19. Today’s Focus Financial Needs & Rightsof Older Persons