73 % elderly experienced lockdown amid the lockdown in the second wave of Covid-19

A minimum of 73 % of the elderly population revealed they have suffered abuse amid the lockdown enforced in the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic this year, based on the findings of the Agewell Foundation. The report, which collected responses from 5,000 elderly emphasized that 82 % of them stated their lives were severely impacted due to present status of the Covid-19.

The respondents informed the incidences of abuse encountered by them had risen during and post lockdown period. From them, 61 % claimed interpersonal relationships to be the key reason for recurrence of elder abuse in households. The survey further reveals 65 % of these elderly people have experienced neglect in their life while a minimum of 58 % of them revealed they were going through abuse in their families and in society.

The report puts forth the fact that every third elderly person, nearly 35.1% iterated that older population experience incidents of domestic violence in their oldage.

Chairman of the Agewell Foundation, Himanshu Rath as said, “Older persons are the most vulnerable so far as the coronavirus threat and its impact is concerned. There is an urgent need to sensitize the entire community about the growing incidents of elder abuse. Older persons also need to be educated about support systems, legal provisions and non-formal support networks, accessible and available to them,” as quoted b news agency PTI.

The report also emphasized that most of the elderly people are dependent on family care which makes them highly prone to the abuse, ill-treatment, and harrasment occur primarily in their respective family set-ups. The most affected are the elderly women due to their poor financial status, higher dependence and higher life span in contrast to men, the report added.

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