KASARGOD: Recurring instances of home-alone elderly people found dead days after they passed away of natural causes have become a cause for concern in Kasaragod. Since the assembly election on April 9, two such incidents have been reported in the district, the most recent one four days ago.
On April 21, dance researcher R K Kanayi, also known as Radhakrishnan Kanayi, 60, was found dead at his house in Pilicode where he stayed alone.
The staffer of a hotel tasked with supplying food to the residence grew suspicious after spotting the parcels left untouched on the porch and found the body. Radhakrishnan had died in his bed three days ago.
While the local self-government department (LSGD) is preparing a pilot project at Panathady panchayat, roping in volunteers to monitor the elderly people, activists say the Kerala State Policy for Senior Citizens has enough provisions for elderly welfare that sadly remain on paper.
Under the Palliative Care project, the LSGD is collecting the details of the elderly people who require care and medical attention. LSGD deputy director (Kasaragod) Haridas K V said they have been looking for volunteers who can work with NGOs and the health department to keep a tab on the elderly.
“The priority is to provide medical aid to bedridden patients and assist the elderly,” he said. For the pilot, the LSGD has some 300 volunteers who would track elderly persons in Panathady, he said.
Even police stations have been tasked with tracking elderly people living alone, said C Radhakrishan, president of Senior Citizens Forum. In 2018, the Kerala Police had launched the Bell of Faith project through which such senior citizens could call the police for help.
Earlier this year, the Kerala State Policy for Senior Citizens was amended to add more schemes. However, Radhakrishnan said the problem was that most of the schemes remain on paper. “The government should start implementing them,” he said.
Besides government agencies, residents’ associations, too, have a larger role to play on staying informed about elderly citizens living alone in their properties.
“It is a collective responsibility of the government, the residents’ associations and society to prevent such incidents (where the deaths of senior citizens come to light late),” said Radhakrishnan
Sad reality
Recent incidents of elderly found dead
April 11: B Ramamurthy, 75, a widower living alone at Kudlu, found dead in his house. He was last seen casting his vote on April 9. It was found later that he died of heart attack upon returning home that day.
April 21: Body of dance researcher R K Kanayi, also known as Radhakrishnan Kanayi, 60, found at his house at Pilicode. He had died in his bed three days earlier