UP government launches 'Elder Line' to provide shelter for elderly homeless

The Uttar Pradesh social welfare department has come up with an 'Elder Line' 14567 service to rescue aged destitute and help them find shelter in old age homes.

The initiative is a brainchild of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Social Welfare Asim Arun, who had earlier headed the emergency helpline 112 as an Additional Director General.

An MLA from Kannauj constituency, Asim Arun told PTI said the aim of the helpline was to shift the destitute elderly to old age homes and the hotline became active earlier in the week.

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"If you find such destitute elderly persons on a road side, bus station, railway station or any similar place, who should be in an old age home, then you can share that information with elder line 14567. The department's team will reach the spot, and bring the elderly to an old age home with full respect," Arun said.

Pavan Kumar, the Director of UP Social welfare department, told PTI that at present there are 75 old age homes in the state with one in each district.

He said at present there are 6,053 inmates in these homes, both male and female, who are spending the twilight years of their life with dignity. "The inmates are provided food, health facilities and entertainment facilities free of cost."

There are 118 inmates, in Bareilly, the highest, and 32 inmates in Etah district, Kumar said.

He said a doctor from the office of the Chief Medical Officer does a health check-up of inmates once in 15 days. An ambulance is also attached to every old age home for emergency needs, he added.

"Recently a group of 20 elders from Meerut old age home had gone to visit Akshardham temple in Delhi. A bus was arranged for them, and they returned from Delhi after having a picnic following the visit to the temple," he said.

Arun said that the state government has revised the breakfast allowance from Rs 75 to Rs 114 per day for the elderly people living in old age homes.

In addition, the inmates get Rs 2,500 each once in a year for new clothes, Rs 200 per month for additional medicines, and Rs 150 for entertainment, he said.

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"Since the start of the helpline this week, 55 elderly have been rescued from roadside, bus stations, railway stations and other similar places. Of these, eight are from Mirzapur, five from Kushinagar, and the rest are from other districts," the lawmaker said.

A veteran of managing 112 helpline, Arun said he doesn't shy from leveraging his old contacts in police to track the destitute and use their staff.

He said at present, around 56 lakh senior citizens in the state are getting a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 under the 'Rashtriya Vridhavastha Pension' directly in their accounts.

The social welfare department is going to link the over 6,000 elderly people living in old age homes to this scheme, so that they could get some extra pocket money, Arun said.

Alok Rai, the manager of an elderly home in Kaushambi district, told PTI, "In our elder home, there are around 66 elderly people. We are fulfilling all the needs of these elderly people. The social welfare department also takes up cases pertaining to family disputes of the elderly citizens in various courts."

Rajendra Prasad, a 67-year-old inmate of an old age home in Lucknow's Sarojini Nagar area, said, "I was working in a bank as a clerk, when my wife died. We had no children. So after retiring a year ago, I have been here."

Prasad said over the one year he has made many friends with whom he does yoga exercises and sings bhajans.

70-year-old Ramroop and his 66-year-old wife Surajkali, moved to an old age home in Kaushambi since they both found themselves alone with all their children married and no place to live.

"We have five sons and four daughters, and all of them are married. I did not have enough land for agriculture, so both of us came here. Whenever the children want to meet us, they come here, even otherwise, our blessings are always with them," Ramroop said.