65% elders not financially secure: HelpAge India report

A HelpAge India report released on the eve of ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ (June 15) has revealed that a majority of elders in India are not prepared for their later years, and have a high dependency on others for a dignified living.

The report titled, Ageing in India: Exploring Preparedness & Response to Care Challenges, was released at an event at the India International Centre that also featured panel discussions with stakeholders from the private sector, government, community, and the international social sector.

According to the release, the study was conducted across 20 Tier I and Tier II cities in 10 states, and surveyed 5,169 elders and 1,333 caregivers’ primary family members. The survey was conducted among SEC B and C (socio-economic classes) categories.

The report brought out the ‘unpreparedness and inadequacy’ among the elderly in India in terms of access and awareness to avail basic services across multiple spheres to live a dignified life, the press release added.

Financial insufficiency

The report revealed that one in every three elders did not earn any income in the past year. The trend was more clear among women (38%) than men (27%). Also, 32% elderly or their spouses reported having an annual income of less than Rs 50,000 and only the elderly (29%) reported having access to social security schemes i.e. old-age pension/contributory pension/provident fund.

Around 40% elderly who are illiterate reported not having access to any income sources in comparison to 29% of respondents who are literate.

Nearly 65% of elders reported that they are financially not secure with their current income and access to savings and investments.

In poor health

More than half of the elderly (52%) reported facing at least one challenge related to basic or instrumental activities of daily living. 54% are suffering from two or more non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Most of the elderly persons (79%) visited government hospitals/clinics/public health centres (PHCs) in the last year.

Only 31% of elderly persons reported access to health insurance, coverage was largely under the Ayushman Bharat Programme (ABP)–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), along with ESI and CGHS. A very small proportion of respondents (3%) reported purchasing commercial health insurance.

The reasons for not having health insurance were mainly focused on lack of awareness (32%), affordability (24%) and lack of need for it (12%).

Only 1.5% of elders availed of teleconsultation services in the last year.

Victims of abuse

Elder abuse continues to be a major concern, with 7% elderly admitting to being a victim of abuse, while 5% of elders declined to respond to the question, which was in itself quite telling. Elders from SEC C (11%) reported experiencing higher abuse, in comparison to those from SEC B (4%). The primary perpetrators were their sons (42%) and daughters-in-law (28%).

Resources for the elderly

Awareness of Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act, which is an important enabling legal resource for the distressed elderly, is still quite low at 9%.

On the digital empowerment front, 41% of elders reported having access to any digital device, and 59% had access to no digital device. The most common device being used was smartphones, with 39% of elders having access to it. The gender digital divide was quite prominent, with 48% of elderly males having access to a digital device, as against 33% of elderly women. Access to digital devices dropped significantly with increasing age, with only 26% of those above 80 years reporting having access to any digital device.

Only one in every five elderly reported that they can use digital devices comfortably, while the remaining four either can’t use digital devices at all or need continuous support.

Usage of digital devices was mainly for entertainment and social media with 34% of all elderly surveyed using them for entertainment and social media regularly, while 12% used digital mediums for paying utility bills or for internet banking and only 1.5% used telehealth services.  

Social inclusion and family matters

Social inclusion amongst community organisations was low, with very few (7%) elderly reported that they were members of any social organisation, majority of them felt it helped them connect with their peers. 63% felt that such networking keeps them physically and mentally active.

However, elders continued to contribute to family life, with 61% involved in taking care of their grandchildren, and more than one-third of the elderly being involved in regular household chores, cooking and shopping.

There was a significant dependency in decision-making amongst elders, on their family members, with 59% elderly deciding on the type of healthcare facility they would visit and 65% making decisions regarding investment of their own money, based on their family’s preference and influence. Decision-making by self goes down considerably with increasing age, most 80+ elders decide in consultation with other family members or letting others take the decision.

“As people live longer and the elderly population grows, some segments (80 plus, those living alone and older women) face high vulnerability and require a special response. Along with healthcare where the government is taking significant measures including NPHCE and the recent announcement on coverage of 70 plus under PM-JAY, there is an urgent need to collectively develop a comprehensive Long Term Care (LTC) framework on provision and financing, together with all stakeholders,” Rohit Prasad, CEO, HelpAge India, said.

“The report highlights the lack of age preparedness, especially among the ‘missing middle’, who don’t fall under most government schemes and have meagre savings, for their later years. The ecosystem is not adequately developed to look after their needs in terms of care, health, financial and digital inclusion. Therefore, we urgently need to tailor programmes and services specifically for the elderly, particularly the disadvantaged,” Anupama Datta, Head - Policy Research and Advocacy, HelpAge India, said.