SW director deplores cruelty against elderlies
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, April 06 2022: Social Welfare director Ng Uttam expressed serious concern that the society is witnessing an increasing trend of children treating their elderly parents with cruelty or ignoring their genuine needs.

In an exclusive chat with The People's Chronicle, Ng Uttam pointed out that the number of old age homes run under the ministry of social justice and empowerment is increasing in the state and this shows the increasing trend of children undermining interest and health concerns of their parents when they become older.

Such trend is unfortunate and at the same time it is a bad influence on the younger generations.

Most of the elderly people staying in old age homes are putting up quite, happily and they no longer want to return to their home, noted the director.

He also conveyed that in view of the increasing cases of cruelty against elderly people, the department had already made functional a toll-free dedicated helpline number 14567 and anybody can inform the department officials about such elderly victims so that they could be accommodated to one of the shelter homes.

There are 35 such homes across the state, and each facility has a limited capacity of 25 inmates.

All the residents are provided benefits of CMHT so that they could get free treatment.

Besides, many of them are getting benefits of old age pension scheme.

At the same time, healthcare workers are visiting these homes around 10 times a month to check their wellbeing, elaborated the director.

He said Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 was implemented in the state from 2012 and district social welfare officers have been appointed to assess the maintenance and welfare of these inmates by visiting the homes regularly.

On the other hand, there are mentally unsound elderly people, who wander away from home, he said while stressing the need of setting up a hospital exclusively for treatment of mental health to provide right treatment to such people.

He then appealed to the people of the state to fake good Care of their parents and grandparents instead of ignoring them as they need their support in their old age.

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