Our seniors deserve a better deal

AGEING GRACEFULLY: The Social Welfare Ministry secretary said recently that the number of senior citizens in Sri Lanka will reach 21 percent of the population by 2050 and that caring for them could be a challenge to the nation. What is this “challenge”?

It is true that the population ageing is a complex issue that concerns not only the well-being of today’s senior Sri Lankans but also broader areas and sectors affecting the total population, such as health, labour markets and public finances.

The major concern about old age, for both the individual and society, is a decline in health, especially if this means a loss of self-sufficiency and independence.

While health does decline with age, for most senior Sri Lankans the loss occurs gradually and people learn to adapt to the changes.

But with the growing problem of rising drug and medical costs, many people worry that an ageing population will put an extra burden on our health care system at a time when it is already having trouble meeting society’s demands.

Actually, it is proven that only a small proportion of seniors are heavy users of formal health services. Most do not use the health care system more than younger adults; some use it less.

Although a large number of senior Sri Lankans suffers from one or more chronic conditions, ranging from arthritis to eye trouble, for the most part these do not prevent seniors from leading normal lives.

It is said that less than half of seniors suffer from disabilities that limit daily activities; less than a third have severe problems that require formalised care.

The family, culturally the centre of an individual’s network of relationships, has historically provided support, warmth and commitment for people of all ages. This is still true today.

Although the nature of the Sri Lankan family has changed over the years, estimates suggest that about 80 percent of all care for senior Sri Lankans is still provided by family and close relatives.

Their assistance takes a variety of forms - help with housework, preparing meals, transportation, shopping, and making household repairs. Even those who eventually need long-term institutional care generally continue to be supported by friends and family.

Almost everyone needs companionship, and senior Sri Lankans are no exception. Supportive relationships vary.

For example, men seem to rely more exclusively on their spouses for their companionship and emotional support than do women. Women seem to be more successful at substituting friendship for family ties. Because wives are generally younger than their husbands and are likely to outlive their spouses, they are more likely to assume the care-giving role.

Other sources of assistance, aside from spouses, are brothers and sisters and, of course, sons and daughters. Most senior Sri Lankans live close to at least one child.

Although nearby children are a welcome source of help and companionship, most seniors prefer to maintain their independence as much as possible, and to live in their own quarters.

The roles played by daughters and sons tend to be somewhat different: daughters often provide practical and emotional support while sons provide supervision and money if needed. Grandchildren can also play a part in the lives of seniors, but they seldom become involved in the day-to-day problems of growing older.

Ageing, therefore, is not an issue to be addressed through a single, confined approach or solution but rather a multi-faceted one presenting challenges in a number of public policy areas.

All levels of government and all sectors of society will need to work in partnership to respond to the challenges of an ageing Sri Lankan society.

The Government will have to continue to play a more challenging role in addressing the needs of an ageing population in a comprehensive and inclusive manner, for the benefit of present and future Sri Lankans.

For too long, Sri Lankans have focused on the problems of seniors. Closer examination shows, however, that most senior people adjust well to their new situation that they carry on interaction with family members and friends, that most enjoy good health and find enjoyable outlets for their free time. The social planners should not lose sight of this fact.

A key word when talking about senior Sri Lankans is diversity. Although certain features tend to characterise senior citizens as a group, seniors differ tremendously. Some are married, some divorced, some widowed. Some live in urban areas, some in rural areas. Some are 65, some 85. Because seniors differ so much in their situations and lifestyles, they differ in their needs.

The challenge in providing services for Sri Lanka’s growing population of senior citizens, whether in the field of housing, traditional medical services or community social services, is to meet those needs through the widest range of options.

Sri Lanka’s success in grappling with that challenge will eventually affect the lives of all citizens irrespective of their ages.