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Goa's elderly need more than desolate, dumping grounds: researchers By Frederick Noronha fred at bytesforall dot org PANJIM, Oct 1: Goa's population is steadily growing grey, but few in Goa are spending time to think about creative solutions to this 'problem', a team of researchers who undertook a study of the same have said. "We believe the community's response has been far from imaginative or humane. The Goa government has recently come up with the Dayanand Niradhar Yojana Scheme for the elderly poor -- a very welcome measure but hardly adequate to respond to the larger and lasting phenomenon of a quickly graying population," three researchers who undertook the study opined. This project was initiated at the end of 1999 and took about two and a half years to complete. Prof.Isabel Santa Rita Vas, Dr. Zinia da Silva and Dr. Fatima da Silva Gracias undertook the study. Their study is called 'Age and wisdom undervalued -- An inquiry into the social process of aging in Goa at the turn of Third Millennium'. It was conducted through the recently set-up Goa-based Research Institute for Women. One stark finding was that many of the individuals and families met during the study viewed aging not as a phase of life, with inherent strengths and weaknesses, but generally as "a real problem today". Few attempts have so far been made to respond to this 'problem' creatively, and prevent it from escalating, the researchers said. One widely held opinion they encountered was that there ought to be simply many more 'homes for the aged' with better facilities for those who can pay. "This seems to be as far as many people have gone in being mindful of aging...," remarked the researchers. Does aging impact Goa's main religious communities differently? It does. Lower-income residents of the 'homes' are represented in fairly equal numbers. In the case of the middle-income group however, larger numbers of the minority Catholic men and women find themselves in homes. Perhaps this is because more Catholic younger family members have emigrated for employment, and unlike their Hindu counterparts, the joint-family system which serves as a support network to the elderly has broken down earlier among Catholics, the researchers suggest. "Till very recently, many members of the Hindu 'upper class' were not willing to move to a 'home' housing residents of other communities and castes," said the researchers. But the Sneha Sadan 'home' at Betora, in Ponda taluka, which houses an almost entirely Hindu middle-income population, was found by the researchers to be the best run they came across in the State. "On the other hand, various Catholic institutions and religious bodies have taken the initiative to run 'homes' to house the very poor and homeless, as well as many others from higher income groups. But, a majority of these institutions suffer from constraints of funds," found the researchers. State-run 'home' visited -- housing both Hindus and Catholics -- was found to be the most dismal in terms of facilities or atmosphere. Surprisingly, although a majority of Muslims in Goa does not fall into the upper-income bracket, there were hardly any senior residents in retirement homes. BARDEZ TOPS: Indications suggest that Bardez families find it difficult to cope with their aged within the ambit of their own homes. Incidentally, the coastal Bardez taluka has the largest number of 'homes', 17 ; Salcete comes next, with 8; Tiswadi or Ilhas has 7, Quepem 1 and Ponda 1. "Bardez has the highest number of homes probably because of large number of out migration over the last century," researcher and historian Dr Fatima Gracias said. Women are in a majority in these homes. In a state run home for instance out of 73 residents about 46 were women. Has society done enough for its elderly? Far from it. Researchers argued that Goa needs a "mindful and creative response from individuals, families, local organizations, and the State". In a state with a growing greying population, this would mean comprehensive health services, institutional mechanisms for old age security, micro-credit initiatives for the enterprising elderly, and other local support services. Aging patterns in Goa are shifting from what was noticed earlier. Better health and nutrition facilities available in Goa today to the population at large have vastly reduced the death rate and increased the life span, as in most parts of the world. This has happened more in Goa than in many other parts of India. "But as the aging person experiences decreased economic productivity levels, it appears that in Goa the change has been in the direction of a general and gradual loss of status that cuts across income brackets and the rural-urban divide," opined the researchers. So, are the 'homes' a negative sign of modernisation, a necessary evil of our times, or actually a useful societal infrastructure? "The 'Home for the Aged' may be seen as a useful societal infrastructure where the elderly have no family to attend to them. Unfortunately it is turning out to be a dingy and desolate dumping ground for families who see their elderly as unproductive irritants," said Dr Gracias. Day-care centres, night care centres and volunteer/peer support groups at the local level can be a more humane and efficient measure to ease the pressures on both the old, and the younger members of their families, the researchers suggested. What prompted this study? "We became increasingly aware that the graying of our population was not yet receiving adequate attention. And that such a neglect had the seeds of growing social stress and instability," said Gracias. This team says it sought to study prevailing conditions, gauge changes in the status of the target population, analyse causes of such changes and make specific recommendations in key areas. "The vulnerability and increasing infirmity of an old woman or man challenges society to examine its own yardsticks of value," added the researchers. Delhi-based analyst of Goan origin V.A.Pai Panandikar has long back pointed to the different nature of Goa's population, in terms of its larger aging section. He did this in a book published in the early 'eighties, when the trend was already just beginning to turn visible. Then itself, Goa's 0-14 year and 15-34 year population groups were smaller in size than that of the rest of India. But her 60+ age group population was higher. This indicates the high level of outmigration from the region (like in Kerala) and also the phenomenon of Goans returning in old age to settle down back in their home state, according to commentators like R.N.Saxena, author of 'Goa In the Mainstream' (1974). Slowly, others are beginning to site up and take note of this trend. On September 29 this year, the Navelim Civic and Consumer Forum observed International Older People's day, by having an awareness camp on the rights and duties and other benefits available for senior citizens. (ENDS) You can contact the authors of this study via Fatima Gracias <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e-mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead !
