Why are the Elderly Vulnerable? In a number of countries, a Senior Citizen is a person in the age group years and above. However, in India Senior Citizens constitute persons in the age group of years and above. There has been a steady rise in the population of older persons in India, since life expectancy, which was approximately years in , has increased to .
years in – for females and . years for males. India is home to the second largest number of Senior Citizens in the world after China. The number of elderly will account for nearly per cent of the population in .
(Source: Human Development Report). The special features of the elderly population in India are: Majority ( %) of them are in the rural areas, thus making service delivery a challenge Feminisation of the elderly population Increase in the number of the older-old (persons above years) A large percentage ( %) of the Senior Citizens is below the poverty line. The elderly are a vulnerable group due to various reasons. Firstly, health is a major concern for many individuals at this age.
The elderly are more vulnerable to disease because of decreased physiological reserves and defence mechanisms. Besides illness, the aging process itself leads to certain disabilities such as low vision and blindness resulting from cataracts, deafness resulting from nerve impairment, loss of mobility from arthritis and a general inability to care for oneself. Secondly, in the family life cycle for many, this may be a period when they find themselves alone because the children are likely to have moved away from the family either because of marriage or to earn a living. Many may experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and a sense of being a burden on others.
Many individuals find themselves financially dependent on the younger generation which may add to their feeling of stress. Further, especially in metropolitan cities, there is fragmentation of the traditional family network and the traditional value system is also undergoing change. Certain features of city life (small family size, nuclear families, lack of