National Policy on Older Persons

In May 1999, "National Council for Older Person" was constituted by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The policy states that the state government will take initiatives for providing, relief and concessions to Elderly people for the improvement in quality of life. It shows a complete picture of facilities like welfare, maintenance, financial security, protection of  life and property,  healthcare, etc. Various institutions and departments of Delhi government have started working for the same.

1) Health Clinic Department:-

For Senior citizens, Special Clinics have been started on Sundays for the age of 60 and above in 9 hospitals under government. The hospitals are- Lok Nayak Hospital, GTB Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Dr. Joshi Memorial Hospital, Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.

The timing for the function of clinic is from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Services like medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, ENT and eye specialists supported with Pathological tests and Radiological diagnostic facilities will be provided in the hospitals. Separate queue for Senior Citizens are there, so that they do not face any kind of difficulty while buying medicines.

2) Delhi Transport Corporation:- 

For Senior citizens concession will be there on pases at the following rates:- 

• Concessional passes are being issued to senior citizens at the following rates: 

              i)  Type of Pass : Destination

                   Rs. 50/-

             ii)  Type of Pass : All Route

                   Rs. 125/-

           iii)  Type of Pass : All Route (with G.L. facility)

                  Rs. 150/-

• Separate queues will be there for Senior Citizens at Pass Section for issue/renewal of passes.
• As there is no provision of reservation seats in DTC so, "Please offer seats to Old citizens" is written inside buses.

http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_socialwelfare/SocialWelfare/Home/Our+Services/Social+Security+and+Old+Age+Welfare/National+Policy+on+Older+Persons

Mobile Medicare Units

 Many Elderly people can not afford medical treatment or going to big cities for treatment, so "HelpAge India"-  NGO for Elderly people launched Mobile Medicare Units in 1982. Every MMU  has a qualified Doctor, a social worker, a pharmacit and many medicines that are given free of cost. In the year 2008-2009, 10 Lakh people were treated by  MMU. Its working scope and area is increasing day by day.













Refrence for above article :- http://www.helpageindia.org/relief-mobile-medicare-units.php

Retirment Homes

Till now there are 728 Old Age Homes in India. Information about 547 homes are available in detail. Out of 547, 325 Old Age Homes are free of cost whereas 95 Old Age Homes are on pay and stay basis,  116 homes are free as well as charge for stay, there is no information about rest 11. 278 Retirement Homes are for sick people in all over India and 101 homes are only for women. Kerala is a state with the maximum number of Old Age Homes i.e. 124.

Film Industry

I think, Hindi Film Industry has made a remarkable contribution by making movies like Baghban, Lage Raho Munna Bhai. It really affects the mentality of a person and make them realise their mistake if they are among those who left their parents in an Old Age Home.

She's my pillar of Strength

The above newspaper article is a character sketch of a strong lady who is really strong even in her last last of life. She is loving, caring and generous. She has great patience and has good cooking skills too. An inspirational article...must read it.


From The Times of India

An example of Unity in humanity

Rajasthan Patrika, Jodhpur


An old christian lady's agony was understood by a muslim brother and a Hindu sister. After herhusband's death the childless lady kept her brother-in -law in her home like her own son. But he seized her property and ill-treated her. The lady, Nargis Micheal Roberts, was a teacher for 30 years in a reputed convent school of her city, She retired in 2007 and just a year before she lost her husband. To get rid of loneliness, she called her brother-in-law and sister-in law who werew living in a rented house, to live with her.But after some time, they took away the house and locked her up and kept pressurinsing her to transfer the ownership of the house in their name. They started assaulting her, gave her sedatives, and took her thump impression instead of signature. One day by luck, she managed to escape as the door was left open by mistake and went to neighbours for help.

National Healthcare Institutes for Elderly

Government of India has planned to establish National Institute for research related to Old age medicines and health care in Delhi and Chennai.

"National Institutes of Ageing would be setup at AIIMS, Delhi and Madras Medical College, Chennai.

On the occasion of International Day of Older Persons, Mr. Gulam Nabi Azad (Minister of Health and Family Welfare) said that the "National Programme for Health Care of Elderly" (NPHCE) was introduced or setup by government  in order to look after the medical requirements of Senior Citizens.

The fundamental objective of NPHCE Programme is to establish geriatric wards, rehabilitation centers and geriatric clinics at various levels of the district health care delivery system. The designing of the Programme  is to aspire in preventing, curing and rehabilitating the geriatric field.

There will be 8 regional centers i.e. Delhi, Varanasi, Srinagar Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Chennai, Jodhpur. Rupees 30 crore will be the aid given to each regional center and modern equipments aid, trined staff will be provided, Azad said.

Due to advancement in Medical field, the life expectancy ratio has increased, thus increasing the population of senior citizens. As per the census of 2001, Senior Citizens above the age of 60 was 76.6 million which constitutes 7.5% of total population. At this rate of increament, it is projected to become 173 million by 2026.

Poor diet ups health risks for the elderly

London : Majority of the elderly in Britain have a high risk of health issues due to a variety of health conditions such as strokes, poor diets, osteoporosis and heart disease. 

In a doctors point of view- The main factor is their poor diet that is increasing their chances for many different health risks. Diet is the major factor in the development of chronic conditions. A type of factor that can easily be changed and turned positive. There are many indications for millions of people that are risking old age to be blighted by diseases and illnesses, something that can be easily prevented if you maintain a healthy and balanced diet. 

Carrie Ruxton did an independent research analysis on the contents in diets of the elderly. Ruxton judged her data based on almost 71 previously published reports. After all the research done she established the health risks of people aged 50 or over could face. 

According to her, getting old is certain, the main aim was to age healthily, without any chronic disease and less amount of cognitive and physical function percentage.

In most of the cases, people do not get enough imprtant nutrients like vitamins A, B2, B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, iodine.

She learned that over the age of 65, 97% of the elderly do not have access and get failed to have vitamins and minerals. But more then 40% of same age group and almost 47% of age group more then 75's have long term ilness that effects their ability for performing various tasks.

The people who are at high risk belongs to the age group 80's which resulted into increament of taking multi-nutrient supplement. Advices and suggestion on "Healthy Eating" shuld be followed.

"This study was published in Journal Nutrition & Food Science."

Dementia Delayed by Language?

 Recent Canadian researches discovered that knowing two or more languages can delay the onset of dementia during old age by more than four years.
Researches enlisted 184 residents from the Toronto area, for their research. They observed the participants for information on languages and the age at which signs of dementia started to appear.
Men who spoke only one language were discovered to generate dementia at an average age of 70.8, while uni-lingual women developed the disorder at 71.9. However, between men who spoke minimum of two languages, the onset of dementia was discouraged until the age 76.1, on average, while multi-lingual women formed dementia at an average of 75.1 years old.
When the men and women were grouped together, multi-lingual people experienced a delay of dementia of about 4.1 years, then those who spoke only one language.
According to the researchers,  the advantage most likely came from fluently knowing at least one non-native language.
They believed that the advantages of perceiving multiple languages were not influenced by the levels of education, occupation, upbringing or immigration history. It revealed that participants with the highest education most likely spoke only one language, which is mainly thought to postpone dementia.


Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/021453_dementia_anti-aging.html#ixzz1sn5Z2cdu

A Little Humor Never Hurts

Someone once said ,"There's no point in growing old , if you don't have the a sense of humor".

A little joke to enjoy: God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked. The good fortune to bump into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. 

Elderly Population

The elderly population of India has already crossed 100 million mark during the year 2011. Elderly population sex ratio is in favor of female elderly, if we see the analysis of census data and projections of India. The total Indian population sex ratio is in favor of male population in ratio 940:1000 in contrast to elderly (60+) population ratio which is in favor of elderly women by 1022:1000.

Destitute Old Woman Left Outside Hospital

DB Star, Jodhpur
In the outdoor of Orthopaedic department of Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, a 78 years old woman was crying pain. She was brought by her relatives for treatment but they left her and went away. Due to crack in her leg, she was not even able to move. Later the staff and the auto drivers helped her. The woman waited for 7 hours outside the outdoor but nobody came to take her. The contact number which was given by her was contacted but there was no reply. Her husband died a long ago. And her only son also expired a year ago. She said that her son was very sick and for his treatment, she even sold her house. But her son could not be saved. After that she was looked after by her relatives. She refused to go to old age home, first she wants to go to the house in which she stays, so that she can take her belongings and decide accordingly.

An Encounter with Mrs. Daljit

The person whom we are talking to : Mrs. Daljit Kaur

Some information about her: She is mother of Mr. Gurpreet working as a milkman. They have a joint family and lives in Bhisiana village. She is 78 years old.

Mrs. Daljit Kaur

• Sayani: Good morning, actually our group is making a project on old age related problems. So please will you give me some of your time?
• Mrs. Daljit: Why not? For sure please be sitted.
• Sayani:: Thanks , Well ma'am are you happy with the changes which has taken place since last 10-20   years?
• Mrs. Daljit: Well to my honest, no because today the world is changing no doubt with a great speed but this speed is taking them to a wrong path too today no moral educations is there. Parents too have no time to spend some fun time with there children. and hence the children are given to the grandparents which is i think not good as they have grown old how can they nourish them so efficiently.
• Sayani: OK ma'am, so is this happening with you too?
• Mrs. Daljit: Yes I have a grandson (Shivam) her mother goes to school to teach and father See's the milk business leaving him with me. Its not a bad thing but not so good too, Moreover at this age they should care me but they don't take care as much they should which is very disappointing for me.
• Sayani: Sorry ma'am , if I hurted you by asking some personal questions.
• Mrs. Daljit: Its OK son, at least i expect from your behavior that you respect your elder. :)
• Sayani: Ya for sure, I think I am taking a lot of your time but just two more questions please, first one is what suggestion will you give for the today's young generation?
• Mrs. Daljit: Its OK son, just want to say the upcoming trees who are plant or seedling right now that respect elders as their guidance will lead you to success. Don't throw them as a garbage because the place you are standing is the giving of them only OK.
• Sayani: Thank you ma'am for spending some time with us thanks a lot.
• Mrs. Daljit:You are welcome son. ;)

When You are Old and Gray...

Article from TimesLife
It is a nice article regarding fear of age

I wish, We can live together

Problem of Vinay Prakash, Rohtak, Haryana, India


I am 40 years old well educated and employes person. Earlier I used to live in village with my parents. But when I got job, I came and settled in the city for 10 years with my wife and children. Sometime ago I met one of my friends, he informed me that he is taking his parents from village to the city. I leaned that he is taking good care of his parents and his children are incredibly being nurtured under the guidance of the elderly.


I was gradually cut off frm my reatives and for this I blame myself too. When I reached home I asked my wife to bring my parents to live with us under the same roof. Though it was very trivial matter, but my wife was reluctant to listen. Actually while we were living in village together, most of the time my wife was not interested in doing house-hold chores. Sometimes in anger the elders scolded her. So she has not forgotten these. 

What should I do now so that my family lives under the guidance of my old parents.

Support to Old People

THERE MAY BE QUESTION IN YOUR MIND

WHY TO SUPPORT OLD PEOPLE?

RIGHT????????

Actually there are many reasons but we ignore them so read below and get your reason to support them:

Today there are 77 million old people in India. This number is likely to rise to 177 million by 2025.

#90% of the older people are from unorganized sector with no social security.
#40% of the old live below poverty line.
#75% of the old are from the rural areas.
#55% of the women 60+ in age [a staggering 19 million] are widows.
#73% of the old are illiterate.

advanced age has been one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. There are older people today than ever before and their number is on the increase.The last century was also responsible for rapid industrialization and urbanization. In India these developments brought about major changes in our social structure. The centuries old joint family system has disintegrated - with it collapsed the safety net of parents and grandparents.Since the welfare of the aged has been a low priority with the state they have nowhere to turn. They are left disillusioned, shattered and lonely.

Future of Old Age

The time moving on and on and on....... right
In the same way your life expectancy is also increasing on and on..To your concern Every minute that you spend reading this article, the average life expectancy in Britain will rise by 12 seconds.12 seconds in Britain then may be 3-4 second in India, but this rate is too not slow.This means by a day:                                


4sec*24hours*60minutes                                             
=5670 sec                                             
=4 hours


WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing you get 4 hours increased in your life expectancy everyday.

The reason is clear: Rapid advances in medicine and biology has been one of the biggest achievements of the past century and we are all living longer. Where anyone reaching the age of 60 was considered to be near death's door at the turn of the 20th century, it is barely old enough for retirement at the turn of the 21st century, And scientists are still not holding back.Is it a boon or bane. I mean to say it may be an attractive idea to live longer but notice the mentality of today's world which leaves the old aged to starve. Who would then take care of them then.


THINK OF IT...............

A Little Entertaiment

Tears streamed down his face, a face full of wrinkles and scars. He had been sitting out under the scorching hot sun, in the park all day. All he had was his cane, a little bit of money and a heart that had been shattered earlier this morning. Feeling as if his life was over and nothing left to live for, he stood up and started to walk. In circles he went again and again, and noticed he had found his way over to the swing set. Giving it a small push, took him back 26 years. He looked around and was surprised by the changes that took place within minutes. The brown and yellow leaves of fall had transformed into a beautiful spring green. Instead of hearing the crunching leaves and the whistling winds, he heard birds singing and children's laughter. What had been a quiet and empty park a few minutes back was now full of people engaging in various activities. Then a voice called out from below and when he looked down he saw his son. Just 8 years old and full of energy like no other. A quick and bright child he was, always asking questions and moving around. It was his only son and child, he had prayed to God for what seemed like forever before his son was born. The moment he held him in his arms for the first time made him feel like the luckiest person on earth. Whispering a soft thank you to God and promised to never ask for anything again. Everything he wanted was right in this very room. A very loving and caring wife and now a son, what else could a man want? Time flew by and he spent it watching his son grow up. Always making sure he had everything he needed and much more. Sacrificing all he could for his son. But even after he devoted half his life to his son, there was no appreciation. Today this very morning he was kicked out by his son. Being told he was a burden and pain, he was forced to leave. There was no one else he could turn to and decided to come to the park. Suddenly it began to pour. The flashing of the lightning and the roaring of the thunder made his heart skip a beat. Suddenly everything stopped, the sun came out and there was no lightning or thunder to be seen or heard. Instead there was a nice breeze blowing and again he was surrounded by laughing children in a park. But there was something wrong, something different. The wrinkles in his hand were gone and when he looked up a warm, comforting smile was shining down upon him. Realization swept over him within seconds and he looked up at his dad. This time instead of looking down at his son, he was in the swing set and was being looked down upon. A warm smile from his dad was upon him, taking him back to many more childhood memories. He wanted to tell his dad how much he missed him. Suddenly the weather again took a turn and it became winter. Howling winds could be heard and a blanket of snow could be seen. Across the street, a man walked out of a house with tears in his eyes. His shoulders drooped, and he took small steps. As the man got closer and closer he realized that it was his father. Just like he had been told to leave by his son today, he had done the same thing to his father long ago. Tears overflowed and his heart ached, knowing he deserved this he walked out of the park, to find a place in this world. 


Karma! Treat your parents with respect, if you want your kids to give you respect. 

Need for NGOs

Can anyone answer my question what is the need to have NGOs to take care of the person whom should be cared by their children?

I know no one have the answer. Today in India more than 20s of NGOs are working for the welfare of the old aged people. What is the need of it.

HAVE WE BECOME SO MUCH LAZY THAT CAN'T CARE OUR PARENTS TOO, OR WE ARE FEEL SHAME TO HAVE THEM WITH US??????

Just think of it all of you>>>>>>>>>

• Just think if they have felt shame when you were baby and left you alone, then where, at what stage you would be?
• They took care of you when you needed them then why you are going to leave them at the stage when they need your help?
• I know you don't have the answer then why are you leaving them without reason?
• I know your reason might be that they smell or they always need assistance or they always need someone to be with them to help, Isn't it?
• you too were smelly in your childhood, at that time you too needed assistance and help every time RIGHT????

At last i think there is no reason left with you to leave your parent

So please take care................

THEY NEED YOU!!!!

THEY NEED YOU!!!!

THEY NEED YOU!!!!

THEY REALLY NEED YOU. SO DON'T LEAVE THEM ALONE TO STRUGGLE..........AT THEIR LAST STAGE.......

What do you mean by ADULT EDUCATION

Adult Education is all about literacy, in which adults learn the most basic materials, can develop their personality and even attain advanced degrees. Adult education actually is not only about eradicating illiteracy among adults in the country, it is also about continuing their education which includes the three R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic). Malcolm Knowles is also called the father of adult education, pioneered the field of adult learning in the U.S in the 20th century.

Only though adult education can we address the real problems of society – like power sharing, wealth creation, gender and health issues

said Adama Ouane, director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

A Wise Man Once Said

Appreciate your parents, because no matter what you can never pay them back.

"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it." -Mark Twain

An Appreciation Short Story

Below is a cute and wonderful story that will surely leave you wondering...

A long time ago, there was a huge tree. It loved a little boy very much, the boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop. He ate the apples. He would take naps under its shade. He loved the tree, the tree was so happy. Time went by... One day the boy came back to the tree. The tree said, "Come play with me." The little boy said, "I am no longer a kid, I do not play around a tree anymore. I want toys, I need money to buy them". Sorry I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So you will have money. The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The tree was happy. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad. One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited. "Come and play with me", the tree said. I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter, can you help me? "Sorry but I don't have any houses. But you can chop off my branches to build your house. So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree again was lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!", said the tree. I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat? "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail faraway and be happy. So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and didn't show up for a long time. The tree was happy, but it was not true. Finally the man returned after many years. "Sorry my boy, but I have nothing else to give you. No more apples for you, the tree said". "No problem, I don't have any teeth to bite it with". "No more trunk for you to climb on . "I am too old for that now", the man said. "I really cannot five you anything...the only thing left is my dying roots. "I am a tired man after all these years, "the man said. Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come, come sit down with me and rest. The man sat down and the tree was glad, and smiled with tears.

Everybody has an apple tree in your life, and they are your parents!


This article has been taken from
http://rayoflovesunshine.blogspot.in/2012/01/trees.html

Something to Reflect On

A new quote to reflect on:

-"Old age is not a disease, it is strength and survivor ship , triumph over all kinds of vicissitudes and disappointments, trials and illnesses."

Health

In a par, every single out of 5 suffers from diabetes by the age of 79. According to 23andme website, DNA variations might raise this to one in three, making lifestyle choices on factors like exercise and weight control even more critical.


Age-related Macular degeneration is the most important cause of irreversible vision loss among old aged people over 60 in western world. If your genes put you at increased risk for this condition, you should go for frequent eye check up and take other necessary measures to protect eye sight.

A Letter from "Mom n Dad"...

My child,
When I get old, I hope you understand 'n have patience with me ... In case I break the plate, or spill soup on the table because I’m losing my eyesight, I hope you don’t yell at me.Older people are sensitive, always having self pity when you yell.When my hearing gets worse 'n I can’t hear what you’re saying, I hope you don’t call me ‘Deaf!’Please repeat what you said or write it down.
I’m sorry, my child.I’m getting older.When my knees get weaker, I hope you have the patience to help me get up.Like how I used to help you while you were little, learning how to walk.Please bear with me, when I keep repeating myself like a broken record, I hope you just keep listening to me.Please don’t make fun of me, or get sick of listening to me.
Do you remember when you were little 'n you wanted a ballon? You repeated yourself over 'n over until you get what you wanted.Please also pardon my smell. I smell like an old person.Please don’t force me to shower.My body is weak.Old people get sick easily when they’re cold. I hope I don’t gross you out.
Do you remember when you were little? I used to chase you around because you didn’t want to shower.I hope you can be patient with me when I’m always cranky. It’s all part of getting old.You’ll understand when you’re older.'n if you have spare time, I hope we can talk even for a few minutes.I’m always all by myself all the time, 'n have no one to talk to.I know you’re busy with work.Even if you’re not interested in my stories, please have time for me.
Do you remember when you were little? I used to listen to your stories about your teddy bear.When the time comes, 'n I get ill 'n bedridden, I hope you have the patience to take care of me.I’m sorry if I accidentally wet the bed or make a mess.I hope you have the patience to take care of me during the last few moments of my life.I’m not going to last much longer, anyway.When the time of my death comes, I hope you hold my hand 'n give me strength to face death.
'n don’t worry..When I finally meet our creator, I will whisper in his ear to bless you. Because you loved your Mom 'n Dad.Thank you so much for your care.We love you. ! ♥


Article taken from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia8BPhGuOEo&noredirect=1

A wise man once said, "___"

Dr. Robert H. Goddard once said, " Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the old, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life you will have been all of these."

Population Continues to Grow...

As we hear about all of these diseases more and more each and every day, the population continues to grow at an accelerated rate. Heart diseases, cancer, diabetes etc. have become a part of our daily vocabulary. One example is Pakistan, their population of people over the age of 60 is increasing rapidly. Below is a chart ...(thanks to http://www.specialsedu.com/2011/01/situation-of-elderly-population-in.html)

Shameful

a women went to collect pension money..,
but the govenment ignored to give pension to her..,
she begged and cryied out.., but they thrown her out side on the road.., she directly falls on big stone and died...,

but the two childrens they dont know that, her mother died..,
they crying for her mother...,

but you know that.., her pension is 200 rs per month....,
her life cost is 200 rs..., so is the life is cheaper than money...,

so friends..., i am begging & requesting you all.., dont waste ur money .., by unwanted partys.., start your year with helping others..,
please share sum pocket money what you have in the new year....,
party may give happy for sum time..., but helping poor people in the new year gives year time happy..,

but sad to say that...,friends do u know that..., no media and no political leader came to them..

A Story circulated on Facebook

Delhi govt committed to providing all help to elderly: CM Dikshit

New Delhi:- Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said her government is committed toewards extending all possible help to the senior citizens in the city.

A senior citizen council has been constituted by the city government which meets on a regular basis to monitor the progress of the schemes meants for the Elderly. An important aspect of the scheme is to provide a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 to 2.5 lakh to senior citizens per month. Not only this the government is also running a number of Old Age Care Homes and recreation centers for the Elderly.

“The elders must be given due respect in society. Our government is committed to provide all possible help to them by sincerely implementing various schemes meant for them,” said she

Exercise cuts risk of fractures in elderly

Washington:- A new study states that home based exercises which r followed by home training cuts down risk of hip fractures among Elderly women.

According to the researches exercise is linked with long term effects on balancing and manner of walking and also helps in protection of hip fractures in Elderly women.

“Falls are responsible for at least 90 percent of all hip fractures. Hip fractures place the greatest demands on resources and have the greatest effect on patients because they are associated with high mortality rates and increased morbidity,” the author writes as background in the article.

Dr. Raija Korpelainen, of Oulu Deaconess Institute, Oulu, Finland, and colleagues performed an extended follow-up at reducing risk factors for fractures in elderly women with osteopenia (a reduction in bone mass, or low levels of bone calcium.

160 women who participated in the randomized control trial, 84 were assigned to an exercise group, while the remaining 76 were placed in the control group.

The training session was held once a week for a 6 month period from October to March each year from 1998 to 2001, in which the women in the exercise group attended supervised balance and leg strength..

The authors found that, “ fractures were proximal in 52.2% of the control group and 17.6 % of the exercise group. Moderate lifelong physical activity decreased the overall risk of having any fractures during the total follow-up period.”

Additionally, there was no hip fractures in exercise group while there were five fractures found in control group.

The ratio of death between exercise group  and control group was 1:8 which is 0.003 per 1000 women per year in exercise group and 0.03 was the rate in control group.

According to the authors findings, “ 30 months of supervised, mainly home based exercises followed by voluntary home training had a positive long-term effect on balance and gait in high-risk elderly women”.

The study has been published in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Vitamin C deficiency rampant in India’s elderly population

Washington: Up to three quarters of older people in India have vitamin C deficiency due to poor dietary habits, smoking and consumption of tobacco, a new study has suggested.

The study, coordinated by Professor Astrid Fletcher of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in collaboration with Aravind Eye Hospital Pondicherry and the All India Institute for Medical Sciences in Delhi, is the first-ever large screening of vitamin C blood levels in the elderly Indian population.

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for human health, playing a role from maintenance and repair of tissues to antioxidant activities. This study Vitamin C deficiency is primarily due to a diet, which is low in fruit and vegetables.

Smoking or chewing tobacco and cooking with fuels such as wood crops or dung (used by 70 percent of the rural population) can cause depletion of Vitamin C blood levels.

One of the effects of tobacco and inhaling fumes from home or cooking fires is oxidative stress (which can cause damage to cells) and the body uses vitamin C to combat this.

The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, highlights marked differences between the study locations in the north and south of the country, although in both regions the percentages of vitamin C deficient people over 60 years of age were extremely high, with 74 percent in the north and 46 percent in the south.

Only 11 percent and 26 percent respectively, met the criteria for adequate levels. Vitamin C levels were also found to vary seasonally, in conjunction with the monsoon months, thought to reflect the lower intake of fruit and vegetables.

The large population-based study involved over 5000 people aged 60 years or over from rural villages and small towns and included interviews about their diet, blood analysis and malnutrition assessments.

“ While much attention has focused on increasing levels of obesity in India, the problem of poor nutrition in the older population has received much less attention even though India has one of the fastest growing older populations,” Dr Ravindran, principal author of the study said.

“In poor communities, such as in our study, consideration needs to be given to measures to improve the consumption of vitamin C rich foods, and to discourage the use of tobacco and biomass fuels,” he added.

The study has been published in PloS One.

Injuries and illnesses ‘increase levels of elderly disability

Injuries and Illness increase levels of elderly disability

Washington: The new study reveals that the older adults land up in the hospitals due to deteriorating functional abilities, basically among those who are physically frail.

The research was undertaken by Yale School of Medicine researchers  under the supervision of Thomas M. Gill, a Human foundation Professor of internal medicine (geriatrics).

“We now have a much better understanding of the complex and highly dynamic disabling process” said Gill

Gill and his team examined 754 adults age 70 and older for 10 years with monthly tele-phonic conversation and interviews starting in 1998.

The team learned that out of the 637 participants, 90.7% had been hospitalized at least once and 94.3 % people’s activities have been restricted for a month.

“To address this increase, more aggressive efforts will be needed to prevent and manage intervening illness and injuries, given their apparent role in precipitating and perpetuating the disabling process,” said Gill.

 The report was published in Jama Journal

Hats off to the great man..

A legend hangs up his boots On the last Month . Finally, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan has been allowed to retire, at the age of 79. A man who built the Calcutta Metro, Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro. But he is best remembered for re-building in just 46 days the Pamban bridge which in 1963 was blown away by a cyclone into the sea. Here is a man who is honest to core, brooked no nonsense and set an example for others. A true leader who walked his talk. He truly deserves the Bharat Ratna. Now he is Coming to Kerala to Fulfill the dreams of Malayalis "The Kochin Metro "


India has much gratitude for this great engineer. He is Elattuvalapil Sreedharan known as the The "metro man of India". He is quite a sensational project manager, who almost always gets the project complete on time or before schedule, he fought all the delays caused by bureaucratic red tape, corruption and lack of funds.
Sreedharan's willpower has moved mountains. He is not just a dreamer but also a builder, but most of all one who has dedicated his achievements to every Indian. He stands out as a legend in the Indian Engineering history. His major projects being the Delhi Metro and the Konkan Railways.

This 75+ year-old Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation only desires the progress of his country. He wanted Delhi to have a world-class metro rail project to change the meaning of urban transport in India. And he did it.

The Konkan Railway project came to him in his retirement. It was a challenging task----760 km of rail tracks from Mumbai to Kochi through the rugged hills of the Western Ghats. As usual the Environmentalists protested, politicians said it shall not be done and the project ran short of money. But Sreedharan raised public bonds to finance it, taking everyone ahead.

Kiran Bedi explains why Sreedharan is worthy of the title: “He is not in his 40s or 50s, but he is in his 70s, a time when we normally retire. Sreedharan has given the best metro concept for the railway of the country with integrity, vision, with commitment and with remarkable professional skills. There is no other person better than him in this category.”

Sreedharan insists he does not have any special skills to get the best out of people. "I always found that people cooperate if you work for a good cause," he says.

India says thank you sir.
What a joy it is to take a ride in the Delhi Metro!

Something to Think About

“Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members.”

Pearl S. Buck quotes

Memories