BHUBANESWAR: Retirement and idleness are not words for the elderly of Bhubaneswar. The senior citizens are keen to have continued productive engagement and make positive contribution to the society through their old age.Over 70 per cent of the elderly population in the Capital City looks forward to opportunities and avenues for activities and work engagement even though they had family support and enjoyed respect in the society, a study by the State Social Security and Empowerment of Disabilities Department (SSEPD) in association with Tata Trusts and Symbiosis Statistical Institute has showed.
The elderly, people over 60 years of age, constitute 9.5 per cent of Bhubaneswar’s population which is higher than the National average of 8.6 per cent. More than 86 per cent of them live with their children and other family members while 11 per cent live only with their spouses and three per cent lead lonely lives all by themselves.
Around 70 per cent of them have an income but are still eager to engage in productive activity. Half of the elderly population had taken retirement from jobs due to their age and given an opportunity, one third of them are willing to take up any job or work despite not being pressurised to earn by their families or having dependants to provide for.
The study ‘Anand’ was undertaken with the objective to assess the situation of the elderly in terms of wellness, engagement, current activities and identifying their unmet needs. “The exercise has given a perspective on the elderly population in Bhubaneswar in terms of their living standards, health, needs, interests and aspirations. We found that the substantial majority was eager to be active both physically and mentally and engage with things that can make positive contribution to social well-being,” said Lead Geriatrics of Tata Trusts Sugandhi Baliga.
They want to have a structured centre that would provide them engagement in an organised way. From routine activities like physical and emotional, the elderly are also enthusiastic about volunteering for different social efforts. A significant chunk is also looking for opportunities to learn skills or retrain themselves for economic engagement.“The study will be helpful for planners to make Bhubaneswar age-friendly and also for service providers to come up with programmes suited to the needs and desires of the elderly,” Baliga said.