Unavailability of food, medicines worries the elderly in Chandigarh

On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which was observed on Monday, many senior citizens in Chandigarh pointed to a new kind of abuse — difficulty in getting supplies and medicines amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

As per the 2011 census, of the 11.3 lakh population of Chandigarh, there were 83,952 senior citizens in the city and as per the 2019 Lok Sabha registered voters list, seniors formed 7.4% of the city’s population.

As per president of Second Innings Association RK Garg, many seniors who lived 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 (CSCA), who coordinates with the UT administration regarding cases of elder abuse said no cases of abuse had come up during the lockdown. Former president of CSCA Brig (retd) Keshav Chandra added that the stigma attached with Covid had kept many seniors from seeking help even if they were suffering from Covid 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.

Speaking about the administration’s role in helping seniors during the lockdown, UT social welfare secretary Yashpal Garg said, “For seniors living at the old age homes in Sector 15 and Sector 43, we had identified two separate rooms for Covid screening and provided them ration for two months so the premises could be sealed. Nobody from the outside was allowed to enter the premises,” he said, adding that the 1090 helpline for senior citizens was also working to assist seniors.

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 well-being. We would also supply groceries and medicines to them if needed.”