UMANG 2019 - Rediscovering Elderhood

UMANG 2019 - A Unique Stage Talent Show for Senior Citizens 

"Ageing is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength"

Rotary DG HARJIT SINGH TALWAR, AV CHAIRS Dr. MONA SHAH & RAMAESH NARAYAN 

12th UMANG - A Unique and India’s Largest Senior Citizens Stage Talent Show was held on Saturday Nov 30th 2019 from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Birla Matoshree Sabhagriha, New Marine Lines, Mumbai, Presented by Rotary Club of Mumbai Nariman Point, Rotaract Club of K C and Hinduja College, Inner Wheel Club of Mumbai Nariman point, Rotary Club of Mumbai Lower Parel in association with Silver Inning Foundation, NGO working with Senior Citizens.

Special Guest Usha Soman - Milind Soman's mother giving her message 

UMANG 2019 is India’s largest and Mumbai’s first of its kind programme, FREE of charge Event for 50+ and Senior Citizens that gives the elders / 50 plus an opportunity to showcase their stage talent. The programme seeks to provide them with a platform to display their talents. This is not a competition – there are no prizes for being the best – but it is a forum to encourage them to demonstrate their hidden talent. ‘UMANG’ a Unique Talent show of Senior Citizens is being organized by Silver Inning Foundation since 2008.

USP about this unique event was that Participant and Audience did not belong to any particular organization or group, this program was open to common 50 plus person as an Individual or from any organization. People from different part of Mumbai from Virar, Thane, Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai came to witness and perform the ageless talent.

Last year 2018 there were 24 Act and around 115 Senior Citizens from age 50 to 79 from different parts of Mumbai and different organizations participated. Around 1000 Senior Citizens and their family members participated in the mega event.

This year UMANG 2019 hosted 26 Different Performance by 50 plus age group people  either in solo, duet or group, the performance included Dance and Songs – Classical, Folk, Bollywood, Fusion;  Skit, Mono Act etc. Total approx number of participant this year were 143 and average age group was 50 to 92 years. First time Resident of Elder Home (Old age Home) also performed and participated from  J J Dharamshala, Mumbai central. 

The entire participant was given Certificate and Every Act / Group was given a Trophy.

Around 1100 people, mostly Senior Citizens attended and Youths witness the unique program. This year, there was 15 Special Prizes for Audience and Spot Prizes too, sponsored by HEAL and OPEN YOURS ARMS. All were also served refreshment.    

Around 60 Youth Volunteers from Rotaract Club of K C and Hinduja College and Bhaktivedtanta Hospital put in hard work to make this program huge success. 

To support our Unique initiative Usha Soman 80 years age (Milind Soman’s  Mother ) and Anshuman Malhotra Young Bollywood actor blessed the event as special guest for UMANG 2019. Anshuman Malhotra is young upcoming actor, known for Haider (2014), Hum chaar (2019) and Fixerr (2019), Split Villa XI, The Final Call, Class of 2017, just released - Love Sleep Repeat and many webseries.
First time a group of 50 Runners lead by Surjit Kaur (age 70) , Suju George (age 65) and Neelima Kale (62) participated in 1st ever ‘SILVER Innings Run’ from Bandra Flyover to venue Biral Matoshree 5am to 8. 30am to Promote and Support Silver Innings and Sailesh Mishra’s causes of Senior Citizens and Active Ageing.

Actor Anshuman Malhotra happy at the event 

 Says Sailesh Mishra Founder of Silver Inning Foundation, “We organize UMANG, a talent show for seniors every year since 2008. Unlike other talent shows, there are no prizes for winning the top three positions. Everybody is a winner. It is amazing to see the level of enthusiasm among seniors to perform on the stage”. We give Certificate to all Participant and Trophy to all group and Individual act. There is also evidence that Music and Dance helps in well being for all ages and is good for Ageing Gracefully.

Rotary Club of Mumbai Nariman Point, President Rtn. Jagdish Bhai Tanna say’s “this noble initiative for our elderly is close to Our heart. Since 2010 UMANG in association with Silver Innings, this has been one of the most sought after event for our senior citizens, which they await every year. We have been delighted with growing enthusiasm, innovation and impact this event has created in heart & mind of our elderly. We look forward for continuing our support for this wonderful cause and would encourage many more to join to ensure we take this event to higher levels”.


The event highlight was presence of Rotary DISTRICT GOVERNOR – HARJIT SINGH TALWAR, AV CHAIRS NON MEDICAL - DR. MONA SHAH & RAMESH NARAYAN, ROTARY CLUB OF MUMBAI NARIMAN POINT PRESIDENT JAGDISH TANNA, Rtn. VIPUL SHAH and Team ROTARY CLUB OF MUMBAI NARIMAN POINT

Our Networking partners for UMANG 2019 are:
1. FESCOM Mumbai
2. HelpAge India
3. A1 Snehanjali
4. SNEH KALA Kendra
5. Palliative Care Dept., Bhaktivedanta Hospital
6. Photomist
7. OYA - Open Your Arms
8. JAMM's Network
9. YWCA of Bombay
10. Pink Innings
11. Kaash Foundation
12. Dainik Mumbai Halchal
13. Samay Rashtriya News Channel
14. Rotaract Club of Hinduja College
15. Rotaract Club of K C College
16. Dominiche Production

Contact for any query: silverinnings@gmail.com / call – 9987104233


#umang2019 #seniorcitizens #TalentShow #Talent #Mumbai #India #Silverinnings #rotaract #Rotary #youngatheart #oldisgold #bachpanafterpachpan #Seniors #oldage #elders #Ageing #Aging


Sailesh Mishra
Founder
Silver Innings





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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights. Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA: National Council for Senior Citizens to be constituted

NEW DELHI / Prime Minister's Office / Press Release / February 1, 2012

Prime Minister has approved the constitution of a National Council for Senior Citizens. The Council would advise the Central and State Governments on issues related to welfare of senior citizens and enhancement of their quality of life with special reference to (a) policies, programmes and legislative measures; (b) promotion of physical and financial security, health and independent and productive living, and (c) awareness generation and community mobilization.

The Council would be chaired by the Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment. Other members of the Council include the Minister of State, Social Justice & Empowerment, the oldest Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, representatives of 5 State Governments (one each from the North, South, East, West & North Eastern Regions) and 1 Union Territory by rotation, 5 representatives each from Senior Citizens’ Associations, Pensioners’ Association, NGOs working for Senior Citizens and Experts, and five senior citizens who have distinguished themselves in various fields.

The Council would be anchored in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

Source: Prime Minister's Office

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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

AUSTRALIA: A Christmas Story For Aged Care

SYDNEY, New South Wales / Australian Ageing Agenda / December 21, 2011

A Christmas story for aged care
‘Twas coming up Christmas, and down at the House,
The PM was plotting and using her nous.
Looking ahead at her government’s plans,
Carefully thinking about the best hands;
To have round the table for budget, come May.
“Mark Butler’s essential, we mustn’t delay!”

The news was stupendous for those in aged care
And pretty much every stakeholder was there
To congratulate, welcome, express their delight,
For a strategy long overdue that was right.

Supporting the PC, we’d argued this way,
‘Whole of government’ thinking must win on the day.
After endless white papers, blueprints and reports,
At last there was hope for a future of sorts.

A future of seamless relations with health care
A wide range of choices and access more fair
Smart urban planning; progressive new laws
Here was the chance to bring sense to the fore.

No longer an outpost, the health system’s ‘problem’
Ageing’s now one of our policy fulcrums
An issue with so many clear implications
We wonder there’s been so much procrastination!

Now that we all know big business has heard;
Has joined in the chorus, is spreading the word.
Alongside providers, demographers, scholars;
‘Tis no more the lone voice of peak body wallahs.

And so we rejoice as we face a new year,
With Mark Butler in the Prime Minister’s ear;
Reluctance subsiding, awareness is growing;
Now we can see where all this might be going.

Will aged care reform be the great panacea?
To all of our problems, an Ave Maria?
With change ever constant, we must remain nimble
And not seek too much from one man with a dimple.

But all things considered, there’s much to rejoice in.
Clearer priorities, a much broader buy-in;
The dawning acknowledgement, all of this fuss,
No, not theoretical: ‘tis all about us!

Time now for a break, ‘ere we start the next stage
Gather fresh energy, turn over a page
The best is before us, the end now in sight.
Merry Christmas to all; may we all get it right.

May you all have a safe and happy Christmas and a well deserved rest.
We look forward to bringing you more news and commentary about the ageing agenda in 2012.

Keryn, Yasmin, Carmella and Steve.



  (L to R):  Carmella Rowsthorne, Yasmin Noone, Keryn Curtis and Stephen Easton.

All the very best from the team at Australian Ageing Agenda 

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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights. 
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

UK: Age charity profited from HSBC scandal

LONDON, England / The Independent / Money / December 7, 2011

Age UK passed on details of its customers that helped shamed agency to boost its commissions

By Simon Read

A government-backed advice service earned money by pushing unwary people into the arms of the Nursing Homes Fees Agency, the HSBC-owned care fees adviser fined £10.5m on Monday for selling inappropriate investments to thousands to pensioners.

The news comes after leading charity Age UK yesterday admitted it had made money by passing its customers on to the shamed financial advice firm.

On Monday, the Financial Services Authority said that 2,485 people were mis-sold investments by NHFA, with the average age of those who purchased the bonds being 83. It reported that "a sample of [NHFA] customer files found unsuitable sales had been made to 87 per cent of customers".

It has emerged that HSBC-owned NHFA paid a wide range of charities and websites for leads so that its advisers could boost their commission by selling investments. Crucial among these was the government-funded Firststop Advice service, which was set up after the Office of Fair Trading called for a one-stop-shop for information on care home provision in 2005.

The establishment of the website and telephone advice line was led by the Elderly Accommodation Counsel, but fellow charities Age Concern – now part of Age UK – and Counsel and Care were also involved, as was NHFA itself, as the then biggest care fees advice company. The Firststop Advice service is now mainly funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, receiving an estimated £200,000 a year from the government.

Its website offers a lot of useful information about housing and care options for older people. But it also includes profitable links to other organisations, including one to NHFA, which remained live as of last night even though the company closed for business in July. The service is quite open about its money-making ventures. Its website says: "FirstStop will receive a portion of any revenue generated as a result of business conducted through the [NHFA] service."

Yesterday the service said it would be rechecking the credentials of all the companies it recommends to avoid the prospect of more vulnerable people being mis-sold investments.

But it added that the fact that NHFA had the backing of a major bank and was authorised by the FSA lent the company a high degree of authority.

Last night, the City Watchdog defended itself against accusations that it had allowed the mis-selling to continue for five years. Tracey McDermott, acting director of enforcement and financial crime at the FSA, put the blame for the mis-selling squarely at the door of HSBC. She said: "The responsibility for monitoring NHFA's sales was with HSBC. The FSA cannot look at every transaction."

© independent.co.uk
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

USA: Former NIA Director Dr. T. Franklin Williams dies at 89

NEW YORK, NY / National Institute on Aging /December 1, 2011

T. Franklin Williams, M.D., the second director of the National Institute on Aging, died on November 25, 2011, at his home in Rochester, New York. He would have been 90 years old on November 26. Dr. Williams is credited with bringing to aging research a perspective that sought to distinguish the effects of aging from those of preventable or treatable health conditions that affect older people.

Dr. Williams was named NIA Director in July 1983, a position he held until 1991. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Williams was a professor of preventive, family, and rehabilitative medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He served as the hospital’s medical director from 1968 until 1983, and spearheaded the development of the university’s geriatrics program. Dr. Williams returned to Rochester following his retirement from NIA, where he continued as a scholar, teacher and attending physician. In 1995, he was appointed Distinguished Physician at the Canandaigua, N.Y., Veterans Administration Medical Center. From 1992 through 2002, he also served as scientific director of the American Federation for Aging Research.

“Frank Williams was an outstanding geriatrician, researcher, and administrator who was inspired by the possibilities of advanced age,” said NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D. “He wanted to know how it was possible to achieve and maintain high functioning, good health, and a sharp mind well into late life. He achieved this ideal for himself and worked hard to achieve it for many others. He will be greatly missed.”

During Dr. Williams’ tenure at NIA, the institute established a number of groundbreaking programs, including the Alzheimer's Disease Centers, where researchers focus on basic through clinical studies; the Federal Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, an organization of more than 35 federal agencies that collect and analyze data on older people; and the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center, which conducts outreach and provides information about Alzheimer's disease to health professionals, patients and their families, and the general public. Under Dr. Williams’ leadership, the institute began the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study, which examines how older adults’ health interacts with social, economic, and psychological factors. He also established the Geriatric Research and Training Centers, later renamed the Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Centers, charged with conducting research on diseases and conditions that threaten independent living.

“Frank’s strong vision and leadership for NIA came from his deep appreciation of aging as an essential and valued part of life,” said Evan Hadley, M.D., director of NIA’s Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology. “He often cautioned against references to the “elderly” as a group inherently different from those of us who haven’t yet reached old age. In particular, he rejected common assumptions that older persons are inherently sicker or less capable.”

Dr. Williams is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, the former Catharine Carter Catlett, a medical social worker who joined Dr. Williams on his trips around the world, gathering information on models of approaches to aging and working to implement new approaches in this country. He is also survived by two children, Mary Wright Williams Montague and Thomas Nelson Williams, four grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.

Source: NIA
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA: Senior citizens want banks to raise interest rates on deposits

VISAKHAPATNAM, Andhra Pradesh / The Hindu Business Line / Banking / November 21, 2011

The All-India Senior Citizens' Confederation today urged banks to pay older citizens 2 per cent more interest on deposits instead of 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent currently paid by different banks. They have also sought more liberal insurance schemes.

Mr P. Balaraju, State Minister for Tribal Welfare, was the chief guest at the conference, hosted by Sneha Sandhya, a local organisation for the elderly.

Mr R.N. Mittal, President of the confederation, and Dr S.P. Kinjawadekar, former president, said the minimum old age pension being paid by different states should be raised to at least Rs 500 for those in the age group of 60-80 and Rs 1,000 for those who have crossed the age of eighty. They said banks — both public sector and the private ones — should pay at least 2 per cent more on deposits, and the State Government should provide 50 per cent concession in state road transport corporation buses. Besides, at least four bus seats should be reserved for senior citizens.

In the absence of a social security network and the breakdown of the joint family system in the country, senior citizens should be provided this cushion. Insurance policies for senior citizens should also be made more liberal and the age limit rules should be relaxed, they added.

Mr Anup Shankar Bhattacharya, Chairman and Managing Director of the Bank of Maharashtra (right), said senior citizens should make extensive use of facilities of public sector banks. The Bank of Maharashtra has a separate grievance redressal system for senior citizens and would open a special counter for them in the branch here. The country has no proper social security system and therefore senior citizens should make wise investment decisions. His bank would always support their cause.

Mr M.V. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of the Union Bank of India, in a message read in absentia, suggested use of the reverse mortgage scheme introduced by banks including his bank for a comfortable life in the old age. Bankers should educate senior citizens about it.

Andhra Pradesh Minister, Mr Balaraju, felt the younger generation should gain from their experience and expertise of the elderly. He said he would take up with the State Government the issue of providing fare concession and seat reservation to senior citizens in APSRTC buses. A recreation centre was being built for the senior citizens here on the Beach Road in Visakhapatnam, he added.

vzchs@thehindu.co.in

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu Business Line.
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

FIJI: Rising costs hit senior citizens

SUVA, Fiji / Fiji Broadcasting Corporation / November 14, 2011

Report by : Ritika Pratap

The Fiji Council of Social Services says the recent rise in the cost of living has affected senior citizens in many ways. Director Hassan Khan says not all senior citizens receive assistance from the government, and most who do - get a large amount deducted in taxes.

“There are a number of difficulties - due to the rise in the price of petrol, the dollar doesn’t go far because it has been de-valued, every senior citizen no matter what he or she buys they have to pay Vat of 15% plus all other taxes that add up to almost 30% - so whatever money they have it all goes out in taxes - so the compensation and the voucher - it does some help but on the whole it is only for those who are means tested but all the other are suffering.”

FCOSS is proposing a social pension scheme for all senior citizens as they have served the country in many ways.

He says a social pension is a powerful tool to help fight poverty.

Copyright© Fiji Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights. 
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

UK: Mayor's Team London programme to get 600 older people online

LONDON, England / FreshBusinessThinking.com / News / September 21, 2011

By Claire West

Boris Johnson's pioneering Team London programme to increase volunteering across the capital, is currently recruiting hundreds of young people to teach 600 over 60s how to join the online world.

Based on the highly successful 'Cities of Service' model, backed by 100 city Mayors, and 50 million Americans, since its launch in New York in 2009, Team London also targets volunteers to address the greatest needs of city residents.

Since 2008, the Mayor's programmes have already galvanised tens of thousands of Londoners to help improve quality of life in the capital. Team London is now seeking to to mobilise an additional 10,000 volunteers across the capital to work with organisations to cut crime, increase youth opportunities and reach out to isolated groups through the Mayor's drive to improve quality of life.

To this end, Boris Johnson has provided over £200,000 to enable 600 older people to learn valuable computer skills from 375 volunteers aged 16-18, recruited through Age UK London's MiCommunity digital project. Getting the ball rolling, this week, volunteers from the MiCommunity programme, will take part in Age UK's national ‘I.Tea & Biscuits’ week of free tutorials for the over 60s, with over 60 events happening across London. Team London volunteers will assist with local ‘I.Tea & Biscuits’ sessions in Croydon, Sutton and at City Hall on, 20th, 21st, and 22nd September.

The funding from the Mayor will allow Age UK London and MiCommunity to place young Team London digital volunteers in 10 of London’s boroughs, based on the most need.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: "Pairing up digitally savvy youngsters with older people who may be utterly bewildered by the Internet is a fantastic way to bring different generations together and bust the myth that modern technology is exclusively the preserve of the young. This brilliant project will help many older Londoners discover that the Internet is an easy and inexpensive way to keep in touch with friends and family or explore new interests and communities."

Samantha Mauger, Chief Executive of Age UK London, said:
"We’re really excited about pairing up with the Mayor on this exciting project, which we believe will be just as rewarding an experience for younger people as it will be for older people. It will provide the perfect opportunity for both groups to work together, helping to bridge differences and challenge negative stereotypes." The young volunteers trained through the MiCommunity project, backed by the Mayor, will teach older people how to use the internet to email, download photos, shop online, or use programmes such as Skype, and social media as easy ways to get online and stay in touch. Those taking part will also learn basic computer skills if they don’t have any, how to use mobile phones, especially to surf the net or use a digital camera.

Source: Business Edge Network Ltd
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

SRI LANKA: No Country For Old People

RATMALANA, Sri Lanka / The Sunday Leader / Review / July 31, 2011

By Sumaya Samarasinghe

Growing old and suffering the ailments which come along with age is unfortunately something no one can escape.

Tweve years ago in 1999, declared the UN Year of the Older Person, Former Ambassador Manel Abeysekera founded the NGO Forum On Ageing (NFOA) which aims at bringing together individuals and institutions to help them focus on the needs of elders who often cease to be considered as an integral part of society.

Though most often elders have key roles in the development of our nation, their contributions are quickly forgotten and some of them find themselves in extremely precarious situations, Abeysekara said.

“People who are categorised as elders have not necessarily been working. Those who have been doing so in the private sector don’t get a pension, those in the public sector will get a lump sum which is barely enough to survive for a few months or years after retirement. In a country like Sri Lanka, elders often write off their property to their children without any reservation clause if they need to use any of it, so when their relatives throw them out they find themselves homeless and penniless!”

Photos: NFOA organises activities to entertain elders

NFOA is registered with the Ministry of Social Services and acts as an advocacy group on behalf of elders. Abeysekera says however that the Forum is not receiving adequate support and no organisations consider the issue of elders as a serious community problem.

To add to the general lack of interest, the protection of the Elders Act No. 9 of 2000 which established as its main functional organ a National Council seems dormant. Eleven years after the Act was passed, essential measures to improve the situation of elders have not been taken and therefore the NFOA is offering to support the Council in implementing key and urgent actions which could improve the lifestyles of our senior citizens. Some of these measures include: the elders being able to obtain easily an elders ID card; to provide them special financial support which would include an increase in pensions, enhanced interests on deposits, insurance for elders who do not have policies (especially health) and an emergency fund for those who have been abandoned or ill treated.

Accessibility to public and private sector buildings is also a serious question as some elders with physical issues cannot attend to their matters because the buildings are not built in a proper manner to allow them access. Last but not least, free financial and legal advise should be provided by the Council to prevent elders from entering financial schemes which would render them penniless. Discounted rates for transport and drugs which would be necessary for regular usage are some of the measures which would help the elderly deal with day to day life in an easier and simpler way.

Raising the retirement age (retirement age is generally 55 to 60 years) of the elders and perhaps even using their services on a consultancy basis for a stipend would help them keep mentally and physically fit.

The World Bank Report on Addressing the Needs of an Ageing Population (Sri Lanka 2008), stated that Sri Lanka’s population of 20 million will grow to 23 million by 2030. It is fundamental that some actions be swiftly taken to improve the situation of Sri Lanka’s ageing population.

Source: The Sunday Leader
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

PAKISTAN: One year on from Pakistan floods, older people are still struggling

LONDON, England / HelpAge International / July 27, 2011

By Alex Bush 

It may seem utterly inappropriate to throw a party to mark the anniversary of the cataclysmic flooding in Pakistan last July. Nevertheless, during a brief visit the week before last, I was able to join the HelpAge team there to celebrate their achievements over the past year.

Celebrating achievements: Prior to the floods we had two staff working alongside Merlin to make the health services they deliver more age friendly. A year on we have 60 people working across Pakistan who have helped older people to recover from the disaster - rebuilding their homes and their livelihoods and organising themselves to access a range of government and NGO services.

Our partnership with Merlin provided health services to 180,000 older people. With Merlin and the Ministry of Health, we ensured that 17 health centres provided free consultations, eye care, counselling and health education to older people.

As the floods subsided, we established 20 older people's associations to support older people's recovery efforts. Through these associations we have provided cash grants to 1,200 older people and their families to buy food, repair houses, pay off loans, start small businesses and replace tools or livestock lost in the floods.

Older people are better prepared for disaster:  Flooding season is upon us again and river levels are rising. A repeat of last year's inundation seems extremely unlikely but if there is even minor flooding, older people will be better prepared. I was able to attend a training session where older people's community groups were working through the issues of safe havens, search and rescue, prioritising the injured for medical care, pre-positioning of emergency supplies and a range of other issues.

In conversation with the District office of the Social Welfare Ministry, it became clear that the government is far more aware of the particular issues facing older people and has even begun to make some budgetary allocations to them. This is not due only to lobbying by HelpAge but to the activities of the local older people's groups who are clearly well known to local officials.

Isolation a major issue for older people: One of the interventions that we have consistently made in emergencies affecting older people is the provision of mobility aids - especially crutches and wheelchairs. Isolation is such an issue for many older people that anything that enables them to be more active and social is a real benefit.

We have continued to provide these long beyond the initial emergency period. In the towns and villages around Nowshera, the relatively good state of the streets means that wheelchairs can be used and previously housebound older people can be more mobile.

I was able to meet an older man participating in the training session who was proudly "out and about" for the first time in several months in his brand new chair - total cost about £50. This seems so little in relation to the impact it will have on his life.  Source: HelpAge International
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA: Bollywood star spreads some joy

MUMBAI, Maharashtra / The Times of India / Bollywood / July 3, 2011

Aftab Shivdasani was in a great mood as he walked in to interact with 300 senior citizens of HelpAge India at the screening of Bin Bulaye Baarati that was organised in association with Provogue. Aftab, who has been associated with the NGO dedicated the screening to his grandfather, who passed away recently.

Gulshan Grover, Shakti Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, director Chandrakant Singh and Shweta Bharadwaj were present at the screening.

Speaking at the occasion, Aftab said, "I've been associated with this NGO for nine years. I wanted to do something for these senior citizens as I've lived with my grandparents my whole life. I feel they would be proud about this endeavour." The screening was also attended by Prakash Borgaonkar of HelpAge India.

Pic Courtesy: gomolo.in

Copyright © 2011 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
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Credit: Reports and photographs are property of owners of intellectual rights.
Seniors World Chronicle, a not-for-profit, serves to chronicle and widen their reach.

INDIA: Love blooms in autumn of their lives

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MUMBAI / Daily News & Analysis / Report / May 22, 2011

A Mumbai organisation is helping senior citizens find companionship and is even offering to marry off
those who've found the right one

By Santosh Andhale  - DNA

Seventy-two-year-old Pune resident Vasant Limaye can’t help humming to himself as he admires the new clothes he has bought to wear next week.

In Nagpur, 800km away, 62-year-old Sharada Deshmukh is confused about whether to tie her hair up in a bun or braid it like she used to three decades ago when her husband was alive.

Over 50 single senior citizens from the state have expressed a desire for a partner/companion to spend the rest of their lives with.

Bringing them together is the Kumar Deshpande Foundation (KDF), an organisation for the elderly, which is facilitating such unions to help the elderly cope with loneliness. Now at a special get-together on May 28, they will meet their prospective partners at Damodar Hall, Parel.

“Following DNA’s (February 16, 2011) front page report ‘Companion for sunset years,’ we at the Foundation were amazed by the number of calls from all over the state. People not only had queries but also registered their names to find a suitable companion,” said Kumar Deshpande.

The Foundation received over 3,500 inquiries from senior citizens about prospective marital partners or companions. Deshpande, who owns a printing press, insists the Lower Parel-based foundation is not a marriage bureau, but a service to help single senior citizens cope with loneliness.

He recounts how the idea came to him when he saw his forlorn father-in-law struggling to cope with the death of his wife. With his children having migrated, he lived alone in Dhule. After Deshpande got his father-in-law married, he realised there were many elderly like him.

Unaffiliated to any political party or organisation, the foundation that Deshpande has named after himself, provides legal aid and calls lawyers and marriage counsellors to the event where participants have to give their details. There is a no caste, creed or religion barrier and members of any community can take part in this marriage mela for the elderly of sorts.

“Since the last year, 25 people have married and 200 have found companions. Now there’s a huge demand from people for similar events to be organised in other parts of the state too,” informed Deshpande adding, “The overwhelming response in interior towns like Kolhapur and cities like Hyderabad convinced me that we were fulfilling a grave need.”

Kumar Deshpande
(Photo courtesy:harmonyindia.org)

He however laments that not many are willing to sponsor an event like this. “We have managed to scrape through and organise it on a small scale but as it grows, the needs for funds also increases,” he pointed out.

Strict rules have been put in place for the event where prospective partners gather and share contact details after being introduced to each other.

“We are asking everyone to come with some document stating that they are single. If s/he is a divorcee, we are asking for the divorce paper, and if s/he is a widow/widower, then we need a copy of the death certificate.

Illustration: Copyright ©2009 Kumar Deshpande Foundation

Apart from residence proof, we have asked all those who register to have some photo-identity like a pan card. Without these, we are not entertaining anyone. Most people give reasons why they don’t have the document but this may create a problem in the future so we are making it mandatory.”

There will be NCC student volunteers to help the elderly fill forms and answer immediate queries.

Over 800 silvers gathered at the Kumar Deshpande Foundation's Match Point event hosted in Mumbai's Damodar Hall early March this year. Many seniors were from Mumbai and Maharashtra, others came from Delhi, and some even from far-off Dubai.

(Photo courtesy: harmonyindia.org)

A big attraction at the event this year will be the presence of couples who met last year and are still together.They will share their experiences and encourage others to follow their lead.

65-year-old Kolhapur resident Bhalchandra Nikharge who married Andheri resident Vrushali Barale last year, says he is very happy with his new partner.

He told DNA, “The remarriage of senior citizens is still a sensitive issue in society. While my well-wishers outside the family accepted my marriage, my own sons have still not accepted it.”

“I did not marry again for fun or sex, which is immaterial at this stage,” said Nikharge, “I want a companion to share my views with. It is almost like rehabilitation. I’ve heard lots of children initially resist, but over period of time, come around. I hope this is true in my case too.”

Interestingly, since his marriage, Nikharge has himself arranged two successful senior citizen marriages in Kolhapur.

(Some senior citizens’ names have been changed to protect identity on request)

© 2005-2011 Diligent Media Corporation Ltd.

SWITZERLAND: EXIT itself does NOT lower barriers to assisted death

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ZURICH, Switzerland / EXIT / May 9, 2011

EXIT, committed to self-determination of people in life and in death, has declared that the organisation itself does not lower the barriers to assisted suicide.

The 55,000 member organisation, which says it receives 1,500 requests annually for assisted suicide, EXIT has asserted that it is INCORRECT to say that on its own it is willing to lower the barriers to death.

EXIT is, however, ready to accept legal requirements and professional level stipulations, and contends it is in favour of less legal restrictions that may be imposed on assisted suicides by the elderly.  Photo courtesy: swissinfo/Keystone

Source: EXIT.ch/

WORLD: Air of expectation at first session of new UN working group on older people's rights

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LONDON / HelpAge International / News / April 19, 2011

By Bridget Sleap
Rights Policy Adviser
HelpAge International



 
 

Today was the first session of the newly created Open Ended Working Group on Ageing at the UN in New York. This new UN working group was established at the 2010 UN General Assembly to look at strengthening the protection of older people's rights.

Member States, particularly from Latin America and the Caribbean, have been pushing for a UN discussion on the possibility of new human rights mechanisms - such as a convention - on the rights of older people.

Isabel, 73, from Bolivia holds a sign saying "Yes, to older women's rights"

But not all Member States agree we need a new convention, so the working group also has a wider mandate.

This week it is discussing the existing international human rights framework in relation to the human rights of older people, looking at possible gaps and how best to address them, including the possibility of a convention.

It's official

This morning, there was an air of expectation, at least among the NGOs present.

This is the first time an official process has been set up for UN Member States to discuss how to better protect older people's rights, even though Argentina put forward the idea of a convention on older people's rights back in 1948.

It was an interesting morning. First up was the election of members of the bureau (an organising committee) from each region of the UN.

Eastern Europe and Africa Member States have still not elected members to the bureau and we need to encourage them that this is an issue of great importance to them.

Hearing members' views

Next were the opening statements from Member States. This was a great chance for us to get a better idea of where different member states stand on the issue.

17 countries spoke which at first I thought was very disappointing (there are 192 member states at the UN). But I was later told not to be too worried as this is a new area for many Member States; at this point some are still developing positions and some just want to hear what others have to say.

Those that did speak unanimously welcomed the setting up of the OEWG and pledged to support its work.

Canada and the UK looked forward to exchanges of information and best practice.

We heard about existing legislation against age discrimination in Australia and the US.

China urged the OEWG to take a step by step process to build consensus amongst Member States who, at the moment, do not all agree that there should be a convention.

Hungary, who made a statement on behalf of the EU, warned against retrogressive measures in response to the financial crisis that disproportionately affect older people, such as changes to pension and healthcare systems.

And we heard about various welfare programmes in other countries such as Pakistan.

Signs of encouragement

There were also some particularly encouraging comments.

Argentina and Chile gave strong statements in support of a new convention. The Republic of Korea spoke about the need to narrow the gap between the existing human rights frameworks and the reality of older people's lives. The US said that it was ready to consider the advisability of further actions to uphold older people's rights.

This type of language may seem overly bureaucratic but it does signal an open mindedness that is really encouraging.

A chance to state our case

UNFPA was the only UN agency to make a statement - they focused on the review of existing human rights frameworks they are doing and the review of MIPAA that they are carrying out with HelpAge and other NGOs.

NGOs got a chance to make statements at the end. We were not sure how much time we would be given and so the first was a joint statement on behalf of the coalition of NGOs who are working together on older people's rights.

I then made a statement on behalf of HelpAge emphasising the need to listen to what older women and men themselves have identified as the key rights they want to be better protected.

I used examples from the meeting of older people's leaders in Asia in 2010 and the 2010 Age Demands Action campaign.

The last statement of the day was from the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) that highlighted the key issue of elder abuse that so often remains invisible.

Source: HelpAge International

USA: "AARP is more a diversified corporate than a social welfare body"

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NEW YORK / FoxBusiness / Personal Finance / April 18, 2011

Did AARP Sell Out Seniors?

By Barbara Marquand 
insure.com

Three Republican congressmen are asking the IRS to investigate whether AARP, the powerful senior lobby and health care reform supporter, should be stripped of its tax-exempt status.At issue is whether there's a conflict of interest between the group's mission to advocate for seniors and the money it makes from endorsing insurance products.

As a result of provisions in the health care reform law, AARP stands to make an additional $1 billion through royalties on insurance products branded with the organization's name over the next 10 years, according to a 29-page report released March 30 by Republican members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

"AARP enjoys a privileged tax-exempt status, but in many cases AARP resembles a for-profit entity," said Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany of Lousiana in a statement.

Wally Herger of California, chairman of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and Rep. Dave Reichert of Washington prepared the report.

AARP Counters Criticism

In an April 1 joint hearing of the Ways and Means Health and Oversight Subcommittees, AARP CEO Barry Rand said the organization was disappointed in the substance and title of the report, "Behind the Veil: The AARP America Doesn't Know."

"There is no veil," Rand told subcommittee members. "Quite frankly, we disagree with each of the conclusions drawn in this one-sided report."

Democrats said the report was politically motivated, noting that Republicans lauded AARP's endorsement of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, which created a private Medicare drug benefit.

"But now, since AARP worked to help enact health reform and will surely oppose Republican plans to convert Medicare to a voucher, privatize Social Security and block grant Medicaid, Republicans want to bring them down," said Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Pete Stark of California in a statement.

AARP, which had revenues of $1.4 billion in 2009, makes money from royalty payments for products it endorses, membership dues, publication advertising and grants, and uses the proceeds to support its lobbying efforts and programs, such as free tax counseling for seniors. The Republican report takes issue with the organization's reliance on royalty income from insurers, which it says comprised almost 46 percent of AARP's revenue in 2009, and its support of health care reform, which could add to profits for the group.
Continue reading the FoxBusiness report

©2011 FOX News Network, LLC

Seniors World Chronicle quotes the following from the website of the giant "non-profit"

About AARP

Founded in 1958, AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. AARP has offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. As a social welfare organization, as well as the nation’s largest membership organization for people 50+, AARP is leading a revolution in the way people view and live life.

Our take is that American Association of Retired Persons, generally known as AARP, is more a diversified corporate than a social welfare body, comments Seniors World Chronicle Editor Ravi Chawla.

WORLD: International charter promotes rights of people with diabetes

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BRUSSELS, Belgium / International Diabetes Federation / April 12, 2011

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has launched the first ever Charter setting out the fundamental rights of more than 300 million people living with diabetes.

The landmark document, which forms part of IDF’s Advocacy Toolkit for the United Nations High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), places the rights of people with diabetes, their parents and carers into three focus areas; the rights to care; information and education and social justice, whilst at the same time acknowledging the responsibilities held by people with diabetes.

The publication of the International Charter of Rights and Responsibilities of People with Diabetes comes at a crucial time. As the global diabetes epidemic continues to escalate, IDF estimates that the number of people with diabetes will rise to 500 million within a generation, killing 4 million people each year and costing the global economy US$378 billion in health care spending.

IDF will use the Charter as a powerful campaigning tool to counteract the discrimination and stigma millions of people with diabetes still face, largely due to ignorance and misconceptions surrounding the disease. In many parts of the world, this promotes a culture of secrecy that can create barriers to services, employment, and even marriage, and may stop people with diabetes playing an active role in society.

Raising awareness about the rights of people with diabetes is a key element of IDF’s demand for coordinated and concerted international action to tackle the diabetes epidemic before, during and after the UN Summit on NCDs to be held this September in New York.

■ Download the International Charter of Rights and Responsibilities of People with Diabetes (pdf, 2MB)

© 2011 International Diabetes Federation

CANADA: Seniors’ charity uses donated money to stockpile gold

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TORONTO, Ontario / The Star / News / April 8, 2011

Seniors charity executive Morris Jesion is under fire for stockpiling gold using charity funds.

Dale Brazao/Toronto Star

By Jesse McLean and Moira Welsh, Staff Reporters

A lottery and government funded charity that is supposed to improve quality of life for Ontario seniors has used a big chunk of its donated money to stockpile gold. The Ontario Society (Coalition) of Senior Citizens’ Organizations (OCSCO) is under fire from some directors on its board who say it must use that gold to help the elderly and also stop spending so much money on travel and salaries.

Frustrated directors say demands that he open the books have led to heated arguments with executive director Morris Jesion in the society’s Wilson Ave. boardroom near Bathurst St. An independent audit ordered by a board committee in 2009 was never done.

“I have never heard of a non-profit having gold bars stored in some unknown location,” said board co-vice chair Arlene Patterson. “We do not receive a balance sheet showing the assets of the organization. It’s bizarre.”

Saying its mission is to “improve the quality of life for Ontario’s seniors,” the society collects about $500,000 each year, from break-open lottery ticket proceeds as well as provincial and federal grants. However, about 60 per cent of that goes to pay salaries, consultants and administrative costs.

Money that is supposed to be spent on education programs for seniors is instead used to reimburse board members who travel across Ontario for meetings every two months — some paying $900 for each trip.

A lumbering man with a beatific smile, Jesion said the society’s advocacy and education programs, from multicultural fairs to computer training, have helped seniors across the province.

“We help thousands and thousands of seniors, low-income, in many, many different ways. Advocacy alone is worth more than the $500,000 in benefits, let alone the programs that we’re funded to do,” he said.

“Our focus is on the people who can’t speak for themselves because they don’t have the wherewithal.”

But when asked about the independent audit that was never done or charity money being used to buy gold, Jesion’s smile vanished.

“You have information that is private information,” he said.

Roughly half of the charity’s assets are invested gold, totalling at least $208,000, according to 2009 investment documents.

Former staff members said Jesion would keep gold in the charity’s office before depositing it in a bank.

Jesion said the gold (which appear to be both gold wafers and gold shares) weren’t bought with grant money or lottery proceeds, but with other donated money. He defended the purchases as a “smart” investment that is separate from the charity’s day-to-day operations.

“It’s for our reserves,” Jesion said in an interview. “You prudently put away money for a rainy day.”

The charity posted a $36,000 deficit last year but Jesion said it “isn’t large enough” to dip into the gold stash.

Instead, he said the society will try to plug the budgetary hole by raising more money — the lion’s share of which came from lottery ticket sales over the past two years.

The society is licenced to sell break-open tickets by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The charity pays a handful of marketers to help sell the 50-cent cardboard tickets in convenience stores from Chatham to Manotick.

Board secretary Mary Hynes said the people buying the tickets are vulnerable seniors — the very people the charity seeks to help.

“The (lottery ticket) money is coming off the backs of seniors and poor people across Ontario and we are putting it into salaries — I don’t think that is the best use of money,” she said.

In 2010, the society pulled in $348,224 from lottery tickets and another $164,000 mainly from grants, bingo events and donations.

Nearly $304,000 went to salaries for Jesion, two full-time staff, a part-time bookkeeper and consultants.

There are limits on how a charity can spend lottery earnings. When it applies for a break-open ticket licence, an organization must outline what charitable programs the money will fund, said Lisa Murray, spokesperson for the alcohol and gaming commission.

The funds go into a trust account so the province can track that “you pay for the things you say you’re going to pay for,” Murray said.

Charities must also file periodic reports on their ticket sales.

The charity has been approved to spend the lottery money on three areas: education programs, joint programs with member organizations, and counselling, information and referral.

The Star obtained copies of the charity’s 2010 budget expenses and found it had tucked questionable costs into these approved areas. Rent appears under counselling and information, while travel is in education.

Jesion defended the expenses.

“This is all program expenditure. Some are salaries, some are non-salaries. I look at it like they’re all programs,” he said.

Expenses from the society’s bi-monthly board meetings are classified as education because the charity hosts speakers at each meeting, Jesion said.

Typically, the Canada Revenue Agency encourages charities to use dollars earmarked for education to educate a broad sector of people.

Jesion’s charity insist the board meetings are educational because “the actual board meeting is a learning experience,” said charity co-chair Colin Benjamin. Board members are informed about issues from pensions to healthcare and the information appears in the society’s newsletter.

The charity started in 1985 when two busloads of seniors’ activists trekked from Toronto to Ottawa to protest a proposal that would reduce benefits for the old age security pension.

Today, the society’s membership includes about 170 seniors’ organizations from across Ontario, Jesion said.

However, several board members and former employees say the charity has done little in recent years.

The society’s 2010 annual report boasts three pages of programming. It details a workshop in Sudbury to discuss the challenges seniors face in rural areas; computer training for seniors across the Greater Toronto Area; and five multicultural fairs.

But critics say the society is piggybacking on the success of other groups, which organized and ran several of the events and programs while the society either helped fund or oversee them.

“I think it’s puffed-up. It’s a good PR exercise that we’re not getting a half-million dollars value out of it,” said board member Paul Delahanty.

Jesion dismissed the charges that the society’s programming is overvalued, pointing to the charity’s advocacy work. Jesion said he has regular meetings with the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat.

The board is composed of 19 members including luminaries in the world of seniors’ activism, such as Ethel Meade and Bea Levis, who support the society’s role as advocator and educator. Meade crafts position papers for the society on issues such as retirement home regulations.

The Star found that much of the charity’s important advocacy work is free by volunteers. Meanwhile, board members are kept in the dark.

“We get very little details of the activities, costs or results. We are simply told that a lot of people came and were delighted,” Delahanty said.”

Following several staff complaints in 2009 about the charity’s operations, the board created a special committee to investigate.

Among its findings, the committee concluded that information was purposely being kept secret and that “full disclosure and transparency are less than expected.”

The board agreed to have an independent audit to show exactly how the charity money was being spent. The audit was never done because the cost (several thousand dollars) was deemed excessive.

Directors instead met with a volunteer consultant service. Benjamin, who was also on the special committee, said there was no need for an audit.

“We strive for an open, fair, transparent board, regardless of what comes down the pipe,” he said.

But whenever some board members demand answers, they say they’re shut down.

“I don’t suggest anything is fraudulent but we certainly have a lack of transparency,” said Delahanty. “Even as board members it’s difficult getting basic information.”

© Copyright Toronto Star

IRELAND: An enduring state of Grace

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DUBLIN / The Independent / Lifestyle / April 3, 2011

Septuagenarian and former model Grace O'Shaughnessy is an ambassador for older people in her formal role with Third Age and in the way she lives her life -- always elegant, vivacious and honest,  finds Emily Hourican

JUST as fashion regularly "discovers" different parts of the body and celebrates them, so society falls in love with different ages at different times. And right now, it is the turn of older people: Edna O'Brien, utterly fabulous at 80; Garret FitzGerald, showing himself to be sharper than men half his age; and Grace O'Shaughnessy, still elegant and vivacious at 71.

GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY: Former model Grace O'Shaughnessy keeps on smiling in Herbert Park, Dublin, as she did in 1973 and 1962.  Photo: Tony Gavin

"Sure, why would one be coy about one's age?" says Grace when I comment on her honesty, both in admitting her age and allowing herself to look it. "What the hell, it's my life, they're my lines and I earned them." Not that she looks anything like the conventional notion of being in her 70s; she's far too beautiful and well-groomed for that, wearing a crisp black-and-white striped shirt and well-cut jeans, with a whole load more clothes waiting in the car, "just in case ... Old habits die hard," she laughs.

Grace was one of the country's first well-known models, and later a TV presenter, with a fashion slot on RTE's Live at Three which lasted nearly 12 years. And now she is an ambassador for Third Age, a voluntary organisation dedicated to the well-being of older people. "It's a bit like the Samaritans for older people," Grace explains. "We run a senior helpline and suggest ways for them to integrate into the community, organise conversation classes with non-nationals, holidays, reflexology, chiropodist services, that kind of thing." Grace got involved because: "I thought, why not? If I can help in any way, I'm delighted to do it, and it's a bit of fun as well."

Grace is a natural ambassador for the organisation; her energy and sharpness of mind are immediately obvious; her wisdom and gentle humour become evident within moments. Is it not hard getting old having been a famous beauty, I ask? "Well, you see, if you put a lot of meas on your looks in the first place, it might be different, but if you didn't, I don't think you'd have a problem in that line," she responds, with a subtle twinkle.

Did she really not rate her looks? "No, I really didn't. I sort of fell into modelling rather than really wanting to be a model. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed the communication with people; it was relationships I formed through it that I got the most buzz from. I don't want to sound twee saying that, but I didn't grow up wanting to be a model."

In fact, she almost had to be forced down that road. Grace, the second youngest of five, with a Protestant mother and a Catholic father who worked for the civil service (her parents split the family religiously, bringing up two children Catholic and three Protestant) left school without any clear direction. "We grew up without any spare money at all," she says. "My parents sent us to the best school they could afford -- Wesley on the Green -- but I didn't go to college, because at that time, one didn't unless one was from a very intellectual family."

Grace did a secretarial course and worked in Walpole's on Grafton Street for a time. Then, an older sister got married and went to live in Bermuda. She and her husband sent money home for Grace to do a modelling course; "which, of course, I totally disregarded and paid a bill or did something else with the money," she says now, laughing. But fate was having none of that. Another older sister had the same vision for

Grace, and her husband also volunteered the money for a course. "So I did it then," Grace says. "I wasn't going to ignore that twice."

Click to continue reading
For more details on Third Age see http://www.thirdageireland.ie/

© Independent.ie

INDIA: Elders seek state policy, rules

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CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu / The Times of India / News / October 18, 2010

The Tamil Nadu Elders Welfare Association, an organisation for senior citizens, has appealed to the government to notify a state policy on senior citizens on the lines of the national policy.


In a memorandum to the chief secretary, the association has also urged the government to immediately constitute district level committee as laid down in the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Elders Rules 2009. Besides, it demanded a financial aid of Rs 3,000 for senior citizens living below poverty line.

The association has submitted a 12-point charter of demands to the government.

Copyright © 2010 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

IRELAND: More elderly experiencing isolation, loneliness, problems with housing

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DUBLIN, Ireland / The Irish Times / News / September 2, 2010

Increase in people contacting Alone

By JOANNE HUNT

A CHARITY that provides services to vulnerable older people says it has seen a 150 per cent increase in the numbers contacting them for help with housing difficulties.

Alone, which provides long-term housing and a befriending service says it is now dealing with 200 calls a month from older people who have difficulty maintaining their homes.

Chief executive of Alone Seán Moynihan said yesterday: “For some older people, the house itself can become a poverty trap. If a person can’t meet a big expense like rewiring, their home can fall into disrepair.”

The Alone charity for older people has said it has had 150% more calls from people requesting help.  Photo courtesy:  Irish Independent

Mr Moynihan said the charity had also seen an increase in the number of calls from older people experiencing isolation and loneliness. He said there was an greater demand for its befriending programme with 35 isolated older persons now on a waiting list for befriending visits.

Mr Moynihan said that the charity, which provides an advocacy service, domestic maintenance and runs 95 residences for older people in need, received no Government funding and had also seen a dramatic drop in donations from the public this year.

“We have a long waiting list of people wishing to volunteer with us but we’re unable to proceed with these applications due to lack of funds.”

Mr Moynihan said the charity, whose volunteers number 20 for every one member of staff, were “involved in delivering face-to-face care and support to vulnerable older people. It’s important they are properly trained and this requires resources.”

Visit ALONE

© 2010 irishtimes.com

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