This document discusses ensuring better care for the aged population in India. It notes that life expectancy has increased significantly, leading to a growing elderly population. Currently, many seniors face issues like lack of proper nutrition, loneliness, financial difficulties, and health problems. The number of seniors is projected to continue rising dramatically in the coming decades. To address this, the document calls for strengthening family and social support for seniors, sensitizing youth about aging issues, and promoting intergenerational bonding. It recommends integrating topics around aging and elder care into school curricula from a young age to help form caring attitudes. Catching students young may help create better tomorrows for India's growing elderly population.

1. ENSURING
BETTER TOMORROWS FOR
THE AGED….
Dr. Jayakara Bhandary M.
Department of Botany
Government College, Karwar - 581301
Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka
jaikarb@yahoo.com
Presented at the
Principals Meet/ Seminar on
Value Education in Schools on Age Care
Organised by
HelpAge India

2. Increase in life expectancy…
Life expectancy –
Males
• 42 years in 1951-60
• 58 years in 1980-90
• 67 years in 2011-16
• At 60, 15 years
Females
• 58 years in 1980-90
• 69 years in 2011-16
• At 60, 16 years

3. More population aged….
• 8 crore now
• 10 crore in 2013
• 19.8 crore in 2030
• 32.6 crore in 2050 - 21%
of total population

4. Current Condition of the Aged ….
Gloomy!
• Food - 5.5 crore no
two meals a day
• Exclusion – 3 crore
lonely
• Finance - majority
have to work to live
• Health – 1.2 crore blind

5. The Worse….. yet to come….
• Modern life styles –working couples
• Pressure-Fissure in family - Changing
family values
• Child care at the cost of Parental care
• Gratification of personal desires Vs moral
responsibilities
• Personal Privacy / Right based,
individualistic outlook
• Myths, negative images, stereotypes
about aged
………Senior citizens….. Secondary
citizens!

6. Caring the aged….
• Constitutional Duty (Article 41 of
Directive Principles of State Policy)
• Section 125 of CPC – Right of
parents to be supported by children
• UNO resolution on Principles for
Older Persons( 1991) –
Independence, Participation, Care,
Self fulfillment, Dignity
• Senior citizens Bill- 2007
• HP Maintenance of
Parents/dependants Bill 1996

7. Caring the aged…
Policy statement by Indian Govt.
• Concern of the aged is the
concern of the nation.
• Ensure living last phase of life
with dignity, peace and purpose
• Choices and opportunities for
independent, active, creative,
productive and satisfying life

8. How to Achieve? Ensure?
• Strengthening Family/societal
support
• Sensitisation of the young about
old age situation and care
• Strengthening inter-generational
bonding
• Dispelling myths,
negative images

9. Catch them YOUNG….
….. For the OLD
• Issues of Old age Situation/ Old age
care need to be integrated into
academic curricula
• Curricular / Extra-curricular Activities
/ Value- moral Education
• No separate Classes. Part of the
objectives behind forming of
curricula / functioning of the school.

10. Value (based) Education…
If a man cultivates values in his conduct, he may
still err a bit. But he may not be far from the
standard of truth - Confucius.
Children of the Global Village – midst of a value
crisis (Personal, Social, Cultural) .
Education for Employment, money making. NOT
man making.
Providing Life Value models a must

11. Universal Values:
• Peace
• Truth
• Love
• Non-Violence
• Righteous Conduct.
• ……….. For / towards the
AGED.

12. Models…
Remember…
• Imposing/preaching right or wrong – not
effective/ rejected.
• Values are caught (from parents, teachers,
peers), not taught.
• Actions speak louder than words

13. Possibilities….
• Knowledge- Lessons on process, causes and
consequences of ageing, old age care,
family/social responsibilities, etc, at appropriate
levels/ strategies (Story telling ?)
• Experience – Activities to interact with aged
(Introduce ur grandparents, Day out with aged..)
• Value modeling – Skills and tools to evaluate /
decide their actions
• A day / week for the Aged? (Intn day Oct. 1)

14. Old age in curricula…
• Better tomorrow’s
for the aged
• Tomorrow’s ageing
may be better
• Preparing for Active
ageing/ Ageing with
success
Greying gracefully

15. Thanks