Elderly care
- July 26, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Elderly care
Subject : Government Schemes
Section: Tribals
Context:
Details of Schemes and Programmes being implemented by Government of India in Care of Senior Citizens Sector:
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment: Atal VayoAbhyudaya Yojana (AVYAY):
- AVYAY brings together articulation of each of the current schemes, future plans, strategies and targets and maps it with schemes/programmes, accountabilities, financials and clear outcomes. This Plan takes care of the top four needs of the senior citizens viz financial security, food, health care and human interaction /life of dignity. It also includes the facets of safety/protection and general wellbeing of the elderly beginning from awareness generation and sensitization of the society.
- AVYAY is an umbrella scheme, effective since 1stApril 2021, has following schemes under it, namely:
- Scheme of Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC): Setting up of Homes to improve the quality of life of the Senior Citizens, especially indigent senior citizens by providing basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and entertainment opportunities and by encouraging productive and active ageing.
- State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC): The Government of India perceives a major and critical role of all State Governments in partnering and implementing this Action Plan for welfare of senior citizens. Each State/UT is expected to plan and strategize taking into account their local considerations and frame their own State Action Plans for the welfare of their senior citizens.
- RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana’ (RVY):A scheme for providing physical Aids and Assisted living devices to Senior Citizens.
- Livelihood and Skilling Initiatives for Senior Citizens –Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED); Action Groups Aimed at Social Reconstruction (AGRASR Groups):Elderly Self Help groups
- Promoting silver economy
It is the system of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services aimed at using the purchasing potential of older and ageing people and satisfying their consumption, living and health needs.
Initial estimations suggest that at present the Silver Economy is worth approximately 73,082 crore rupees.
Iniatives under silver economy
Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE)
- An Initiative for promoting aged-care products and services by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India.
- It is a new scheme launched with an objective to encourage the entrepreneurs for to think about the problems of the elderly and come out with innovative solutions The Government aims to achieve the objective by providing upto Rs. 1 crore as financial assistance through equity participation, through an open invitation on a portal namely Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE).
- The Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) is to identify, evaluate, verify, aggregate, and deliver products / solutions / services directly to the stakeholders, giving them wide choice to select the products / solutions / services that would suit their requirements, thereby improving their quality of life. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment would act as the facilitator in the process while ensuring that the products / solutions / services are made available to a large number of needy people.
- Support from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India:
- Selected Companies would be supported by Government equity participation of upto Rs. 1 Crore and showcased on the platform, developed by MoSJE, thereby enabling wide outreach among the users .
SACRED portal
The Government of India has recently launched the Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED) portal that is sacred.dosje.gov.in. This portal has been made for all the online IT jobs and is steered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E). The SACRED Portal Registration Link for Senior Citizens is currently operational, bringing job seekers and employers together on one platform.
- Channelizing CSR funds for Elderly care
Scheme for Awareness Generation and Capacity Building for welfare of Senior Citizens – Training, Awareness, Sensitization, Setting up of National Helpline for Senior Citizens.
Under the Scheme of Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC), grants upto 100% of project cost are given for running and maintenance the following projects:-
(i) Senior Citizens’ Homes for 25 destitute Senior Citizens to provide food, care and shelter.
(ii) Senior Citizens’ Homes for 50 Elderly Women including those under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) to provide food, care and shelter.
(iii) Continuous Care Homes and Homes for senior citizens afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease/ Dementia for a minimum of 20 Senior Citizens who are seriously ill requiring continuous nursing care and respite or those who are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease/ Dementia.
(iv) Mobile Medicare Units to provide medical care to the Senior Citizens living in rural, isolated and backward areas.
(v) Physiotherapy Clinics for Senior Citizens for a minimum of 50 Senior Citizens per month.
(vi) Regional Resource and Training Centres (RRTCs) monitors and provides technical support, advocacy, networking, training and capacity building for effective delivery of service by the Centres for Senior Citizens, funded by the Ministry.
- Under State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC), the Government of India perceives a major and critical role of all State Governments in partnering and implementing the Action Plan for welfare of senior citizens. Appreciating the critical and significant role of States/UTs, each State/UT is expected to plan and strategize taking into account their local considerations and frame their own State Action Plans for the welfare of their senior citizens. This State Action Plan may comprise a long-term strategy for five years as well as Annual Action Plans and this Department shall release funds to the States/UTs for formulation and implementation of their State Action Plans.
Livelihood and Skilling Initiatives for Senior Citizens- A new scheme with following two components:-
(i) Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity (SACRED)- Many senior citizens have experience, time and energy which can be used by the business enterprises looking for stable employees with experience. The Human resources cells of many private enterprises seek experienced but stable persons in certain positions. The portal allows bringing these people together by virtual matching of preferences. The portal has been launched by the Vice President of India on International Day on Older Persons (IDOP), 2021 i.e. on 01/10/2021.
(ii) Action Groups Aimed at Social Reconstruction (AGRASR Groups): Elderly Self Help groups – The Senior Citizens are encouraged to form Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which will provide them with a platform to share the time constructively with each other. To attain financial assistance under the scheme SHGs will function as ‘Action Groups Aimed at Social Reconstruction (AGRASR Groups)’. Assistance under this Scheme to any SHG will be independent of assistance under any other scheme of the Ministry and an SHG can choose to avail assistance under any one or more Scheme(s).
Channelizing CSR funds for Elderly care- This is also a new scheme with an objective to channelize the CSR funds in an appropriate manner for elderly care projects. Under Schedule VII of Section 135 of the Companies Act, setting up old age homes, day care centres and such facilities for Senior Citizens is an approved item for CSR funding.
Scheme for Awareness Generation and Capacity Building for welfare of Senior Citizens- Components like the National Helpline for Senior Citizens, Research, awareness, sensitization etc. for the welfare of senior citizens, spreading awareness and sensitizing the youth and other sections of the society towards the issues related to the elderly. The National Helpline – Elderline with toll free number 14567 has been dedicated to the country by the Vice President of India on International Day on Older Persons (IDOP), 2021 i.e. on 01/10/2021.
6. RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana (RVY): Scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-Living Devices for Senior Citizens
The Scheme of RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana (RVY) has been formulated by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment with an objective to provide aids and assisted living devices viz. walking sticks, elbow crutches, walkers/crutches, tripods/quadpods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles, free of cost to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from age related disabilities/infirmities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco-motor disabilities. The Scheme has been revised w.e.f. F.Y. 2020-21. Under the revised Scheme, the criteria of selection of beneficiaries have been extended to include not only those senior citizens belonging to BPL category but also senior citizens with monthly income not more than Rs. 15000/- and who suffer from age related disabilities/infirmities as mentioned above.
Under the revised Scheme of RVY, the number of devices hitherto provided has been increased. At present, following are the items that have been included for distribution:
(a) Generic Items: (1) Walking sticks (2) Elbow crutches (3) Walkers/Crutches,
(4) Tripods/Quadpods (5) Hearing Aids (6) Artificial Dentures, and (7) Spectacles.
(b) Special Items: (1) Wheelchairs, (2) Wheel Chairs with Commode, (3) Chair/Stool with Commode, (4) Silicon Foam Cushion, (5) Knee Brace, (6) Spinal Support, (7) Cervical Collar, (8) Lumbosacral Belt (LS), (9) Walker/Roalator with Brakes, (10) Walking Stick with Seat,
(11) Foot Care Kit:- (i) Flexi Gel Socks, (ii) Socks Cusion Sandal, (iii) Silicon Insole (Complete Foot/Ankle) and (iv) Insole with Pressure Point Relief.
Schemes, Programmes, Concession and Benefits provided by other Ministries/Department in Care of Senior Citizens:
Schemes under Ministry of Rural Development:
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): Under National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) scheme, the elderly, widows, and disabled persons belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) and fulfilling eligibility criteria prescribed in the NSAP guidelines, are provided financial assistance ranging from Rs.200/- to Rs.500/- p.m. and in the case of death of the breadwinner, a lumpsum assistance of Rs.20,000/- is given to the bereaved family. The schemes under NSAP for elderly and divyangs are detailed below:
- Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS):A monthly pension of Rs.200/- is given to elderly aged 60-79 years belonging to BPL category. The pension increases to Rs.500/-per month upon attaining the age of 80 years. The total beneficiaries under the scheme are 221 lakh.
- Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS):A monthly pension of Rs.300/- is given to BPL persons aged 18-79 years with severe and multiple disabilities (80% disability level). The pension increases to Rs.500/- per month upon attaining the age of 80 years. The total beneficiaries under the scheme are 10.58 lakh.
Schemes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare:
“National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly” (NPHCE) launched during 2010-11 is State oriented program with the basic thrust to provide comprehensive and dedicated health care facilities to the elderly persons above 60 year of age at various level of primary, secondary and tertiary health care.
- Primary & Secondary Geriatric Care Services : The program commenced with 100 districts in the 11th plan period. In the 12th plan period 421 districts and in 2019-2020, 114 districts were addiationally sanctioned to provide dedicated geriatric OPD, IPD, Physiotherapy and lab services. Presently all 713 Health districts have been sanctioned for geriatric primary & secondary care services of OPD, 10 bedded Geriatric Ward, Physiotherapy and laboratory services.
- Tertiary level activities of NPHCE : Renamed as ‘RashtriyaVaristh Jan Swasthya Yojana’ in 2016-17. As on date, 19 Regional Geriatric Centres (RGCs) in selected Medical Colleges of 18 States, are sanctioned for tertiary care service delivery under NPHCE in the form of specialized OPD’s, 30 bedded wards in RGC including earmarking beds in various specialties like urology, orthopedics, ophthalmology etc, manpower development & research activities. Presently OPD services are being provided through 18 RGCs, inpatient services in 16 RGC’s, Physiotherapy in 14 centers & laboratory services in 13 centers.
Two National Centre for Ageing (NCA) has also been developed as centre of Excellence for Geriatric Care services. 200 bedded NCA at Madras Medical College, Chennai has been developed and operational for Covid ward and another NCA at AIIMS, New Delhi is in advance state of Construction.OPD services are expected to initiate by October 2021. A 250 Bedded Geriatric Care and Rehabilitation Centre is sanctioned at PGI chandigarh.