Senior Citizen's Resources
Disabilities
India's booming population of over a billion; the second most populous country in the world, and improved life expectancy have led to an increasingly large number of people over the age of 60. There are now 77 million elderly people in India and this number is expected to rise to 178 million by 2030. The majority of the elderly are very poor and live in rural areas. The government pension scheme currently reaches only 2.76 million out of 28 million elderly people, mainly urban. The elderly have little hope of escaping poverty and their situation only becomes worse as they get older and they are increasingly plagued by chronic health problems. Impoverished elderly women face a particularly difficult situation, especially those who are widows. Given their low rank in society, the inability to work can mean an inability to survive on their own.
Though we do not have clear statistics about the aged in India, it is estimated that approximately 25% of them have chronic disabilities, with some having severe cognitive impairments and mobility limitations. Atleast 30% have vision problems and/ or hearing impairments. While studies have shown that life expectancy among the elderly has been steadily increasing, it remains uncertain whether this decrease in mortality has meant an increase in morbidity.
Disability in the aged is a serious problem. Disabilities trigger depression and other associated problems.
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