Welfare project for aged to be launched tomorrow

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 11. A project aimed at the welfare of the aged, "Care the Aged" will be launched on August 12 by the South West region of the Y's Men International.

The scheme would give thrust to strengthening the disintegrated joint family system by developing a friendship bond with the aged, particularly by helping those who are subjected to stress and strain.

A report of the study about the aged in the country points out that the number of senior citizens in the country would go up from 75 million at present to 177 million by the end of 2025. Of the 75 million senior citizens in the country, 40 per cent are below the poverty line, 55 per cent women above 60 years are widows and 73 per cent illiterates. As much as 75 per cent of the elderly people in Kerala are without any income and 50 per cent suffer from more than one disease.

The Y's Men international has asked the regional clubs to conduct a survey of the aged people above 65 years in each locality with the help of the local bodies, health workers and people's representatives preparatory to the launching of the scheme. The project also highlights the importance of the adult immunisation programme.

The project stresses the importance of organising income generation programmes for the aged such as an endowment fund for providing for the aged in each locality.

Apart from adopting various old age homes which need financial assistance, the members of the clubs will also visit the inmates of the old age homes and would provide dresses, medicines and other articles necessary for the old such as blankets, spectacles and hearing aids. Regular medical check-ups would also be arranged for the members. Health care programmes for the bedridden and neglected old persons would also be done by the clubs.

The club members would spend their free time with the inmates of the old age homes and would also celebrate Christmas, Onam, Bakrid and other festivals at the old age home. Medical camps for detecting common geriatric ailments such as hypertension, arthritis, cataract, dementia, joint problems and paralysis and provision of medicines would be organised at regular intervals. An adult immunisation programme would also be arranged.

The regional clubs would also take steps for the adoption of Government hospitals in a locality and would provide assistance by helping the poor patients buy medicines and also by providing furniture and instruments for the use of patients in the hospital.

The clubs would also be organising independent programmes for the welfare of the aged. The regional project would be inaugurated by Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma, head of the royal family of erstwhile Travancore, on August 12.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Mahdhani issue: SHRC directive to PDP
Next     : Call for solidarity among TUs