BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has prepared a state action plan for addressing the various issues faced by senior citizens as well as improving their quality of life. The programme will be implemented under Centre’s Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY).
The plan aims to cover all aspects from opening a helpline for the elderly, monitoring if they are receiving benefits from the government’s welfare schemes to training geriatric caregivers. It will encompass all senior citizens of the state irrespective of their financial and social status.
Officials of the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) department said in every district, geriatric care and bedside assistance training will be provided to at least 50 youths and single women/widows/untrained professionals working in the field of old age care. The agency, selected by the collector, will run 24 training programmes in a year. These trained personnel will be responsible for running senior citizens’ homes.
This apart, the government has proposed to implement Elderline - a national helpline for senior citizens - for which it will create a field response team for senior citizens. Elderline provides information, guidance, emotional support and field intervention for abuse and rescue of senior citizens.
“The national helpline will not be helpful if requests of the elders are not taken to a logical end. Hence, a field response team will be created under the action plan,” an official said.
For operationalising the helpline, the SSEPD department has entered into a tripartite agreement with an agency selected by the Union ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Institute of Social Defence.
The government has also decided to carry out block-level surveys to evaluate the effectiveness and benefits of social security pensions, health, insurance and other welfare schemes being implemented for senior citizens. The survey will include institutional support and care being provided to the senior citizens in the old age homes registered under the ministry and state SSEPD department.
The government will engage a social worker to coordinate with district-level officials and NGOs to implement the projects. Officials said the action plan has been sent to the Centre for examination and approval.