To add life to the years that have added to life has been the crux of the UN 18 principles (1991), summed up in (I) Independence, (II) Participation, (III) Care, and (IV) Self- fulfilment. Among these principles, mention may be made to
(1) elders’ access to adequate food, shelter clothing and health care,
(2) to work and income-generating opportunities,
(3) to participate in labour force,
(4) to appropriate educational programmes,
(5) to live in adaptable environment;
(6) to reside at home as long as possible, to remain integrated in society through certain activities, (8) to seek and develop their participation in the community,
(9) to be able to form movements/associations,
(10) to benefit from family and community care,
(11) to health care,
(12) to social and legal services,
(13) to make use of institutional care,
(14) to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms,
(15) to pursue opportunities for fuller development,
(16) to use all the social services available,
(17) to live in dignity, and
(18) to be treated fairly.
“The elderly will have to take the initiative themselves: they have to adopt positive attitude towards life: to enhance life-activities, to remain busy in social, cultural and community activities, to maintain a balance between mind and body, to eat a balanced diet, to make use of the life in the service of humanity, to make themselves economically as independent as possible, to take care of the body, healthwise, and of the mind, mentally. “The parents cannot be evicted from a house without due process of law if they have been staying there. “There are three enactments:
(i) Under Section 125 of the CrPC, a magistrate can order a child to maintain his old parents under the Maintenance of Parents Act.
(ii) “The Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act says that an aged parent can demand maintenance from children in the same way that a wife can demand it from her husband.
(iii) “The Domestic Violence Act too provides parents with the right to seek relief from any kind of abuse. A National Policy on older persons was announced in January 1999 which identified a number of areas of intervention’financial security, healthcare and nutrition, shelter, education, welfare, protection of life and property for the well being of older persons in the country. A National Council for Older Persons (NCOP) was constituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to operationalize the National Policy for older persons, so to accelerate welfare measures and empowering the elderly in numerous ways beneficial to them. “The 2007 Act known as the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and senior citizens would help the elderly people live and lead a dignified life.
