Mangalore, Sep 19: At a time when families are becoming distant and elderly ones in the family are being neglected of their needs and problems, HelpAge India, in collaboration with Vishwas Trust organised a'Mobilization meeting with Elders' at St Antony's Homes for the Poor in Valencia, and launched the'Neighbourhood Project' here on Friday.
Inaugurating the project which involved the formation of a neighbourhood group in the city to address the needs of the elderly and provide them much-needed emotional support, Olinda Pereira, director of Vishwas Trust, said that the elderly were less capable of movement due to their age and also less capable of seeking help and having their needs answered.
The launch of the neighbourhood project is one of the dreams of Vishwas Trust. Noting the loneliness of most of the elderly with concern, this kind of help is required for the well-being of the elderly, who mostly need reassurance and a sympathetic hand, she said.
Since there is a need for a concerned neighbourhood and concerned neighbourliness among people to address the problems of the elderly, the neighbourhood project, which promotes networking among families and the elderly, is a small change in this direction, she informed.
Speaking on the occasion, Prakash, a representative with HelpAge India, noted the lack of social security and personal touch in the lives of the elderly, with the disintegration of joint families. There should be networking and groups in the neighbourhood, to create bonds between community and neighbours in the society, which are important in addressing the needs and problems of the elderly. Most of them merely require reassurance, a helping hand or a sympathetic ear, which can be brought through individuals as part of promoting neighbourliness and neighbourhood groups, he said.
He said that the most important thing was to create awareness among people in the society and build a network in the neighbourhood for the elderly.
He also informed that an informal survey would be conducted in the city to identify the problems faced by the elderly in the neighbourhood.
Fr O'Neil D'Souza, director of St Antony Homes, Suresh Shetty, social worker, and several others were present during the launch of the project.
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