All Papers/Social Work with Older Persons (2023-24)/Q6
Q6
10 Marks

Part B (Q6): Explain the National Policy for older persons.

Expert Answer

The National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced by the Government of India in 1999. It was a landmark document, as it was the first time the state comprehensively recognized the elderly as a distinct, vulnerable demographic needing targeted intervention, rather than just relying on the traditional family system.

Key Objectives and Features:

1. Shift in Philosophy: Prior to this policy, elder care was seen as "charity." The NPOP shifted the paradigm to empowering the elderly, recognizing them as valuable resources rather than mere burdens, and protecting their rights to live with dignity and peace.

2. Financial Security:

  • It recognized the acute poverty faced by the elderly in the unorganized sector.
  • It called for the expansion of the Old Age Pension scheme to cover all destitute elderly and pushed for the regular revision of pension amounts to keep up with inflation.
  • It advocated for tax benefits and higher interest rates on savings for senior citizens to protect their post-retirement income.

3. Healthcare and Nutrition:

  • The policy emphasized the need for specialized geriatric care. It mandated the creation of geriatric wards in public hospitals and special queues for the elderly to avoid standing for long hours.
  • It pushed for subsidized healthcare and free health care for the elderly poor.

4. Shelter and Welfare:

  • It laid the groundwork for state support to NGOs to establish Old Age Homes for the destitute and abandoned.
  • It emphasized the creation of multi-service Day Care Centers where the elderly could socialize, reducing urban isolation.

5. Protection of Life and Property:

  • Recognizing the rising crimes against the elderly, it directed police departments to maintain registers of senior citizens living alone and institute community policing measures to ensure their safety.
  • It paved the way for future legislation (like the 2007 Maintenance Act) to protect them from financial exploitation by their own families.

(Note: A revised draft, the National Policy for Senior Citizens, was formulated in 2011 to update these provisions, focusing heavily on "ageing in place" and the specific vulnerabilities of older women, though the 1999 policy remains the foundational framework).