{"id":79515,"date":"2018-07-22T16:24:13","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T23:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=79515"},"modified":"2018-07-22T16:24:13","modified_gmt":"2018-07-22T23:24:13","slug":"plight-of-the-elderly-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2018\/07\/22\/plight-of-the-elderly-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"PLIGHT OF THE ELDERLY IN SRI LANKA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

The elderly population (over 60 years) in Sri Lanka amounted to 2.5 million or 12.5% of the total population in 2012. \u00a0In three years or by 2021, Sri Lanka\u2019s elderly population is expected to increase to 3.5 million (this compares roughly with the total population of Colombo and Kandy districts in combination). The large majority of the elderly in Sri Lanka live under most despicable conditions. Neglect from all sides, children and relatives, the Government and inability to cope with rising cost of living are making their lives not worth living. Increasing numbers of the older population are resorting to suicide as an escape from their unhappy lives. Most of these older individuals are having everything taken away from them in terms of their work, their health, their families, friends, and find their role totally diminished. For some of them, taking their own life is the only option that they have. Suicide rates are particularly high in farming areas and in commercial plantations particularly among the elderly men. Hanging themselves and consumption of insecticides and pesticides, were the primary modes of their suicide.<\/p>\n

Among primary reasons for this sad plight are isolation, poverty, chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart conditions, kidney malfunction, depression and frustration and lack of necessary health and welfare services, acute financial burdens with the rising cost of living, broken family bonds, migration of children overseas, and lack of care from the government.<\/p>\n

The vast majority of families, owing to diverse reasons, mainly financial, find it difficult to care for the elderly. All Governments in recent decades have failed to provide for the elderly. It is disgraceful that the present Ministry of Social Empowerment provides a mere Rs 25,000 to each of the few elderly care centres in the country. There are nearly 250 Elders\u2019 Homes in the country sheltering about 6775 elders and with long waiting lists. A major drawback in Elders\u2019 Homes is that they take in only those who can look after themselves and not elders in fragile health.<\/p>\n

Elders\u2019 care should be a collaborative partnership between the government and private sector. Politicians should be aware that the elderly form a substantial vote bank and taking more interest in helping them can lead to an increase the political mileage that our politicians are keen on developing. There is the urgent need in all administrative districts, for the establishment of more Elders Homes with especially with government initiative and with assistance and collaboration of the private sector and philanthropists both local and foreign.<\/p>\n

Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and other religious organizations should be in the forefront in actively assisting the helpless elderly. Establishing Elders Homes is a priority where special programs could be developed and executed for the benefit of the helpless elders. The tendency among most elderly people is towards spirituality and religion during their sun-set years. This is especially true among Buddhists. Bhikkhus in temples with the cooperation of devotees, can find the time to organize and coordinate suitable assistance programs, including religious programs in temples focused on the welfare of elders.<\/p>\n

Universities, schools, and other public bodies, including the private sector agencies should be encouraged by the government to be involved in charitable and welfare activities, to help ameliorate the conditions of the elderly. Volunteer projects should be organized in universities and colleges to assist the senior citizens of the country living in Elders Homes. In most Elders homes the elders suffer from boredom and loneliness. There is boredom that comes from living in a scheduled and somewhat regimented facility. They are not able to get out and interact with the outside world, see different kinds of people, and be energized and less bored with life. The media also can assist by providing more publicity to the plight of the senior citizens of the country and the conditions of the Elders Homes, thereby generating public interest in helping the helpless elderly population of the country.<\/p>\n

In the world, the number of persons aged 60 and over is increasing at an unprecedented pace. It is expected to reach 1 billion by the end of the decade. Today, two-thirds of the world\u2019s older people live in low-and middle-income countries and this proportion will rise to 80 per cent by 2050. While some continue to lead active lives as part of their community, many others face homelessness, lack of adequate care or isolation and more susceptible to disease, syndromes, injuries, and sickness. Discrimination, poverty, violence, and abuse as well as the lack of specific measures and services are among the main human rights challenges faced by the older generation.<\/p>\n

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/p>\n

daya.hewapathirane@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane The elderly population (over 60 years) in Sri Lanka amounted to 2.5 million or 12.5% of the total population in 2012. \u00a0In three years or by 2021, Sri Lanka\u2019s elderly population is expected to increase to 3.5 million (this compares roughly with the total population of Colombo and Kandy districts in combination). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-79515","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-daya-hewapathirane"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79515","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79515"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79515\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79515"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79515"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79515"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}