Midterm Assignment

Gagan Chinthagumpala

FLAME University

PSYC309-Community Psychology

Prof.Mrudila Apte

15th April 2022

 1. Brief description of the organisation:

HelpAge

HelpAge India is a non-profit, secular organisation registered in India under the Societies

Registration Act of 1860. The group, which was founded in 1978, is dedicated to "the cause and

care of disadvantaged older individuals in order to improve their quality of life." HelpAge

envisions a society in which the old have the right to live a full, active, and dignified life. It was

recently awarded the 'UN Population Award 2020' as the first and only Indian organization for its

outstanding work in the field of ageing, and relief efforts during the Covid 19 pandemic. The

organisation was also recognised for the organization's outstanding contribution to population

issues and efforts in the realization of older person rights in India.

In India, there are estimated to be 138 million senior people. HelpAge India speaks out

on their behalf so that they can live secure and dignified lives. It works with the Central and

State governments through 26 State Offices across India, addressing older issues and

campaigning for their rights, such as the right to Universal Pension, quality Healthcare, action

against Elder Abuse, and many more, on a national, state, and social level. It promotes the

adoption of elder-friendly policies and their implementation.

2. Vision and focus:

➔ Vision statement: Their vision is a world in which all older people can lead dignified,

healthy and secure lives.

➔ Mission statement: Their mission is to improve the health and well-being of older

women and men, as well as to minimise poverty and discrimination in later life. They

engage with older women and men in poor and middle-income countries to improve
 services and policy, as well as transform individual and societal attitudes regarding old

age.

➔ Focus:

The organization's programmes focus on direct interventions in the areas of healthcare

(mobile healthcare units, cataract surgeries), age care (helplines, senior citizen care

homes and daycare centres, physiotherapy), livelihoods (elder-self-help groups; linkages

with government schemes), disaster response (e.g. covid19 relief response), and advocacy

and awareness on elder rights and policies.

3. Population catered by HelpAge India

HelpAge India caters to the needs of the ‘disadvantaged elderly of India’. According to

the law, a "senior citizen" means any person being a citizen of India, who has attained the age of

sixty years (60) or above.

The social and economic uncertainty that has accompanied the demographic and

developmental process has a greater impact on the lives of older people. The rise of

individualism and the yearning for independence and autonomy among the younger generation

has an impact on the elderly. The global phenomenon of senior poverty has been constant since

the elderly population has been denied fundamental needs. Poverty, social inferiority, social

isolation, physical weakening, vulnerability, seasonality, powerlessness, and humiliation are the

eight variables that lead to deprivation among the elderly.

 4. Projects undertaken

1. Mobile healthcare:

HelpAge International launched an age index to commemorate the United

Nations' International Day of Older Persons by gathering information from the United

Nations, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and other international

organizations. According to the index, 90% of elders in India have to work in order to

survive and affording quality medical care is a far dream. People are living longer, and by

2050, the Oldest Old, individuals aged 80 and up, are expected to number 53 million.

Chronic illnesses such as hypertension, asthma, arthritis, heart difficulties, and others

affect 88 per cent of the Oldest Old (those aged 80 and up).
 Through its Mobile Healthcare Units, HelpAge's Mobile Healthcare initiative

aims to provide sustainable healthcare solutions to destitute elders and their communities

where none exist (MHUs). A doctor, pharmacist, and social worker are on staff at each

MHU. These MHUs travel deep into urban slums and communities, offering healthcare at

the doorsteps of the poorest of the poor. Most elderly people benefit from it since it keeps

them out of long lines at hospitals that are also far away from their homes, and they

receive free medication on a monthly basis.

2. Cataract surgeries:

In India, cataract is one of the most common causes of blindness. Blindness

affects 12.5 million people who cannot afford treatment. In 15 states, HelpAge performs

more than 35,000 cataract operations. With the help of HelpAge India, procedures are

performed at reputable and professional eye hospitals and organizations. All surgeries are

performed in base hospitals, not makeshift camps, as part of the programme. Since 1980,

more than 9 lakh elders have benefited from this initiative, which has not only restored

their vision but also enabled them to return to work and live a dignified life.

3. Physiocare:

Under this program, elderly persons with musculoskeletal diseases such as back

pain, arthritis and other age-related mobility challenges are treated. The services are

provided through stationary physiotherapy clinics, mobile services, visits to residents of

homes for the aged and home visits made by a qualified physiotherapist. HelpAge

provides more than 1.48 lakh physiotherapy treatments to elders in 15 states.

4. Cancer Treatment :

In India, cancer treatment is expensive, and the bulk of the elderly are not covered

by any type of medical insurance. As a result, the most difficult problem has been

offering long-term healthcare to needy elderly cancer patients. In collaboration with a

number of respectable and qualified cancer hospitals and organizations, HelpAge India

provides palliative care to end-stage cancer patients. Cancer awareness and screening

camps are also held by these partners. Their partners have therefore been able to provide

exceptional cancer care for elders in need of such intervention, including home visits

following cancer treatment as well as counselling for the patient and family. Since 1998,

around 99,000 treatments have been funded.

5. Disaster management:

Natural disasters indicate that in the fight for survival, the elderly are often last in

line and forgotten in the crowd, and thus suffer the most. In the year 1980, HelpAge India

began its disaster response initiatives. The HelpAge India team, the first of its kind

among voluntary groups, was educated and equipped to respond quickly and effectively

to disasters. HelpAge India's disaster response approach is now capable of rushing in

rapidly to reach out not only to the aged but also to the general public, offering aid in the

form of food, clothing, and shelter, as well as building long-term rehabilitation

programmes.
 5. Research-oriented approach by HelpAge

HelpAge India focuses on policy-relevant research on ageing issues, with a particular

emphasis on pressing issues such as poverty, isolation, and neglect. Ageing is one of the least

understood processes in rising economies like India. As a result, research is required to fully

comprehend the biomedical and social elements of ageing. Its comprehension would reveal the

potential obstacles that this would offer to society as a whole, as well as feasible solutions to the

majority of these problems.

HelpAge India's significant expertise in the field influences the organization's research

initiatives. Efforts are undertaken on a regular basis to better understand old-age poverty and

how it might be eased. Another essential consideration is the safety and security of the elderly

who are fragile. The organization published various reports such as HelpAge India Report 2021 –

‘The Silent Tormentor: Covid 19 & the Elderly’ in the domain of elder abuse.

6. How HelpAge is inculcating a sense of community

HelpAge India is trying to inculcate a sense of community among the disadvantaged

elderly by encouraging them to form Active Ageing groups in order to keep them active and

healthy in their later years. These elder groups participate in a variety of activities that benefit

them as well as the community, including managing physiotherapy clinics and homoeopathic

services, providing various counselling services in areas such as financial, legal, and medical,

career counselling for youth, tuition for destitute and disadvantaged children and the

underprivileged in the community, and participating in yoga classes and sporting activities.

HelpAge also gives people the opportunity to participate in activities that can help them

earn money, such as candle-making, bangle-making, fabric painting, and so on, by holding
workshops on developing skill sets such as these, which are then marketed in the local market

and community. The end result of organising these Active Ageing groups is that it empowers

elders, allowing them to reclaim their freedom and dignity as valuable contributions to society.

Many Senior Citizens Associations have assisted in the formation of such Active Ageing groups,

which meet on a monthly basis to keep people cognitively and physically active.

How HelpAge is following community psychology principles and values:

➔ Grounding in research and evaluation: One of the core values in the field of

community psychology is grounding in research and evaluation (Jason et al., 2019). It is

clearly evident from the before-mentioned sections that HelpAge India follows a

research-oriented approach to designing and executing its programs. For example, getting

to know through research that people are living longer, and by 2050, the Oldest Old,

individuals aged 80 and up, are expected to number 53 million. Chronic illnesses such as

hypertension, asthma, arthritis, heart difficulties, and others affect 88 per cent of the

Oldest Old (those aged 80 and up). This finding acted as a base for them to set up Mobile

Health Units.

➔ Public policy: Community psychologists have traditionally put public policy efforts at

the centre of their efforts to address social challenges. Work at this level is defined as the

ability to create good working connections with legislators, elected officials, and

community leaders, and is regarded as a core competency for Community Psychology

practise (Dalton & Wolfe, 2012). Good working connections between HelpAge and

policymakers are evident from HelpAge India's efforts to ensure that senior citizens'

concerns and rights are taken into account in government policies. To this end, it

collaborates with civil society, the judiciary, legislators, and the government at both the
 national and state levels. HelpAge India also draws on the resources of over 1000 Senior

Citizens' Associations with whom it maintains close ties.

◆ Recent achievements in the Elder Rights sector include the passage of The

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and the Draft -

National Policy for Senior Citizens, 2011, both of which were made possible by

HelpAge India.

7. Addressing mental health of the elderly:

Depression, dementia, and anxiety are all common in the elderly, and they have an impact

on their mental health and well-being. In India, rapid urbanisation has created a slew of issues for

the elderly. Many people have preconceptions about the ageing process and elders in general;

nonetheless, depression is very common among the elderly. Since the formal care systems

present are not well equipped to deliver excellent services that respond to the requirements of the

aged, the demand for community care for elders has been a topic of public concern.

Through their research, HelpAge India revealed findings from its six-city survey "The

Silent Tormentor: Covid 19 & the Elderly,". Their research threw light on the various mental

health problems the elderly were facing. They showed that the majority of institutions and old

age homes that care for the elderly lack a programme or facility for mental health treatment, and

instead focus solely on fundamental needs such as food, shelter, and health. When compared to

the elderly who live with their families, elders in old age homes feel lonely. When compared to

those living alone or in old age facilities, elders at home and in the community have greater

psychological health, are more independent, and are happier. Being with a family, on the other

hand, does not necessarily ensure social and emotional well-being, as there are numerous

incidents of elder abuse and exploitation.

 8. Critical analysis and suggestions for the organization

With the country's ageing population, elder health has become one of the most pressing

issues. By studying and anlysing the operations of the HelpAge foundation, it can be seen that

while providing a safe environment for elders is preferable to institutionalising or placing them

in old age institutions, there are insufficient funds or social security plans to care for them. As a

result, it is critical to provide services and facilities to the elderly in order to improve their

quality of life.

Families are unable to care for their elders as a result of increased urbanisation and

industrialization, and hence are unable to contribute to their mental and physical well-being.

The key problems that surround the future of geriatric psychotherapy in India include a lack of

awareness about senior healthcare, inadequate caregiver training, and a lack of healthcare

infrastructure. The mental health and psychiatric problems must be addressed with extreme

caution, and a multidisciplinary approach must be taken. In indian culture, providing a safe

community for elders is critical, and actions must be taken to enhance the physical and emotional

well-being of our country's elderly.

 9. References

India, H. A. (2021, July 15). About US - helpage india, NGO in India. HalpAge India. Retrieved

April 15, 2022, from https://www.helpageindia.org/aboutus/

Jason, L., Glantsman, O., & O'Brien, J. F. (2019). Introduction to community psychology \. Open

Textbook Library.