GURUGRAM: ‘Gurugram Senior Citizen Program’ was launched in Gurugram under which a helpline number +918448317316 was launched to cater to the grievances of elderly people of Gurugram.
A joint initiative of DLF Foundation and Dignity Foundation, the helpline number will be managed from Senior Citizen Rejuvenation Centre located at DLF Phase 2, Gurugram.
The helpline number will address all the possible queries and complaints of senior citizens from domestic abuse, loneliness, elderly companionship or any other support which they need in their day to day lives. With this helpline number, DLF Foundation aims to reach out to senior citizens of Gurugram who are being abused, harassed, neglected, or denied their rights or are looking out for trusted information.
A team of volunteers including lawyers, psychologists, financial advisors, consumer forum experts will be there to provide all possible support to the caller. Senior citizens can register their grievances’ and requirements to the helpline number from 10 AM to 6 PM (Monday to Friday).
Col Prakash Tewari, Executive Director, DLF Foundation said “Senior citizens have always been an integral part of our society but unfortunately neglected the most due to urbanization and increasing trend of nuclear families. With the launch of helpline assistance number, our aim is to provide support and help the elderly people in distress”.
The helpline number will be fully managed by Senior Citizen Rejuvenation Center which is a joint initiative of DLF Foundation and Dignity Foundation. Launched last year in 2017 the center is a recreational center open to all senior citizens of Gurugram.
The center hosts a plethora of activities like Tai Chi and Yoga, laughter club, spiritual lectures, aerobics, quiz and games, birthday celebrations, panel discussions, hobby and craft classes, festival celebrations, quarterly outings and the like for the recreation and enrichment of elderly people. A total of 2 such rejuvenation centers are operational in Gurugram.
H.L. Kohli, a 90-year-old resident of DLF Phase 1 Gurugram said ‘This is a wonderful initiative which will go a long way. Senior Citizens like us face a lot of issues in our day to day lives where we look forward for support. I am sure this helpline number will be beneficial to many elderly people of Gurugram’
This helpline assistance will provide an additional support to the existing helpline number of Gurugram Police and strengthen their assistance for the senior citizens living in Gurugram. The Police and the Municipal Corporation have time and again expressed the need for special attention and care for senior citizens in urban locales. The national capital has been among the top seven states in crimes against senior citizens as of 2016.
At the national level, it has been found that 50% of the elders – now numbering 100 million – have experienced abuse personally, while 83% of the elders reported that abusing is prevalent in the society. Some 72% of the abused elderly people belong to the age group 60 – 69 years, 25% of them belong to the age group 70 – 79 and 3% of them are of 80 years or above 80.
