Senior Citizen's problems in Corona Times

The Lockdown has completed about 50 days by now. We all faced some problems  in the beginning as it was something new and we were not used to it.

Gradually things sorted out and life settled into the new rhythm.

Senior Citizens were rigidly told not to venture out in this period. A quick survey has revealed that Senior Citizens can be grouped into three types of living condition in this period.


The First group would be those Senior citizens who already had any of their children living with them. This category hardly faced any lockdown problem as their young were with them to handle 'out of house' problems.


The Second group would be of people who were living alone but acted fast and called their children from other cities whether studying or in jobs to come back home. Senior citizens living in this group had a jolly good time. There were two or three  generations living together after a long time for such a extended period. Younger children enjoyed the care, advice and lifelong bonding with others. The lonely living of the senior citizens vanished as all family members were present. Favourite dishes were made; old incidents remembered and retold much to the merriment of children and embarrassment to some. Several chores which otherwise were done alone by the senior residents of the house were now distributed among several.


The Third group is where the children could not make it to home due to various constraints and were in far away cities. Here the senior citizens were left alone and had some difficulties even to live the same way as they were living before the lockdown.


The medical advisory stressed that ‘everyone over 60’ to take special care and not step out of the house. Added to it were the lengthy instructions from panicked children from wherever they were, to take extreme care and not even open the front door, what to talk of strolling in the lawn of your house.


 Things get more complicated if the senior citizens were in the 70’s or 80’s. Here the instruction dose were stringent by children and the senior citizens were asked to not even peep out of the window !


These Senior citizens who normally did all chores without any problem, were now dependent on helpful youths of the neighbourhood to get milk, bread and veggies from nearby stalls. Stocks of online stores dried up with jet speed; so for getting kirana/ grocery items too these youths had to be requested to get from mohalla shops.


At the end of the 1st lockdown online stores could show some stocks and things could be ordered from them.


The real problem faced by senior citizens was getting cash from banks. They could not go, and ATM cards could not be given to others. One such citizen narrated that he asked two banks by e-mail to give service at home as per directive of the RBI (mentioned below) …..


(g) Door Step Banking

We have issued instructions on Doorstep Banking vide circular  DBOD.No.BL.BC.59/22.01.010/2006-2007 dated February 21, 2007 under Section 23  of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

However, in view of the difficulties faced by senior citizens of more than 70 years of age  and differently abled or infirm persons (having medically certified chronic illness or disability) including those who are visually impaired, banks are advised  to make concerted effort to provide basic banking facilities,  such as pick up of cash and instruments against receipt, delivery of cash against withdrawal from account, delivery of demand drafts, submission of Know Your Customer (KYC) documents  and Life certificate at the premises/ residence of such customers.

3. Banks are advised to implement these instructions by December 31, 2017  in letter and spirit and give due publicity in their bank branches and website.

Yours faithfully

Chief General Manager


One bank did not reply and the second resorted to the excuse of ‘shortage of staff’. So much for the banks following RBI directives; no wonder all those NPA’s happened.


Ultimately he had to give a cheque to a neighbourhood youth to bring cash from the bank.


Things have settled into various forms, times change and this too shall pass. Memories shall remain.


Comments

  1. Manju13 May 2020 at 20:15

    Yes, you have narrated your opinion in clear words. Lockdown is really a "punishment in homely comfort." Elderly people who are living alone without their children are facing problems. There should have been arrangements to make life easy for such lot.
    Lockdown is a sensible step taken by the government, but it has created uncertainties, fear and suspicions amongst us.
    What is on store for us, to see and experience this we have to have courage and faith.
    God be with us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Indra Mani Lal16 May 2020 at 07:20

    True. I stated the difficulties I faced

    ReplyDelete

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