Japan tracks dementia patients with QR codes attached to fingernails

• 
  
• 
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• BBC, 8 December 2016
 
• From the sectionAsia

A Japanese city is keeping track of elderly people with dementia by attaching barcodes containing personal information to their fingers and toes, officials say.

A company in Iruma, near Tokyo, has developed a tagging system for members of the public at risk of getting lost.

The 1cm (0.4in) square stickers hold an address, telephone number and unique identity number for each user.

The free service, launched this month, is a first for Japan.

The initiative, which uses a system of QR codes, was set up to help reunite family members with their elderly loved ones in the event that they go missing, according to the Iruma welfare office.

The technology allows police to obtain details of a person's local city hall, along with contact telephone numbers and personal details, simply by scanning the code.

An official told the AFP news agency that this new method was a "great advantage".

"There are already ID stickers for clothes or shoes but dementia patients are not always wearing those items."

The water-resistant stickers, which remain attached for an average of two weeks, can be more discreet than other items such as badges as they can be attached to toenails and worn beneath socks.

Japan is facing an ageing population, with more than a quarter of its citizens aged 65 or over.

This is set to increase to 40% by 2055, with the population expected to shrink from the current 127 million to 90 million.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38247437

Govt to hold talks on reviewing law for maintenance of parents

• 
• • 
    
  • 
    
  Payal Banerjee, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
  |   
• Updated: Aug 31, 2016 09:57 IST
• The government on Wednesday will examine the possibility of allowing lawyers to appear before a tribunal, constituted under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act, 2007, on behalf of senior citizens who are not provided maintenance or abandoned by their children.

  Under the existing provisions of the Act, senior citizens who are not being maintained by children, neglected or abandoned can directly approach the tribunal.

  “Under the Act participation of an advocate in the proceeding either for the applicant or respondent is barred. If the applicant is incapable of making an application, an NGO can make an application on his or her behalf,” said an official from the ministry of social justice and empowerment.

  The need for reviewing the legislation has arisen after the Punjab and Haryana and Madras high courts have, in different orders, said that the Centre reconsider some provisions of the Act,

  “The courts felt that Section 16 of the Act needs to be amended to allow children or relatives of the elderly people to also file appeals before the Appellate Tribunals.

  “Under the current Act, the right to appeal has been given only to the applicant (parent or senior citizen) and the same is not available to the respondent (son, daughter or relative etc).

  “The courts especially cited that Section 17 of the Act which prohibits representation by legal practitioners by any party before the tribunal or appellate tribunal, needs a re-look,” the official said.

  The courts also asked the ministry about dispensing with the current system of SDMs acting as tribunals and DMs acting as appellate tribunals under the Act, as the tribunals may involve mixed questions of fact and law to be decided. The courts observed that this can be discharged by a legally trained person.

  According to sources, the ministry had constituted a committee to review the Act in January which differed on all these points.

  “The objective behind framing the rules of the Act was to provide inexpensive and speedy justice to the senior citizens of the country. But allowing lawyers would mean it may take years or prolong a case. Engaging lawyers would also involve expenses. If lawyers are allowed, the entire spirit behind the legislation will be lost,” the official said.

  The social justice ministry’s national consultation on Wednesday involves stakeholders such as senior citizens’ associations, state governments and central ministries, bar council of India, national law commission of India. The ministry will seek suggestions of stakeholders on whether the Act should be reviewed.

  The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 makes it a legal obligation for children and heirs to provide maintenance to senior citizens and parents, by monthly allowance.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-to-hold-talks-on-reviewing-law-for-maintenance-for-parents/story-H1Nn7NI0YqtuzsBBwvu79N.html

Mind Mantra: Elder Men and Sexually Inappropriate Behavior

Mind Mantra: Elder Men and Sexually Inappropriate Behavior: Over the last few years the society has become aware of high number of inappropriate sexual behaviors present in the Elderly. While earl...

Never too late to live in

The Telegraph, Ananya Sengupta

New Delhi, Sept. 10: Single men above 50 years want to marry. Single women above 50, if ready to seek a partner at all, prefer live-in relationships. This is one reason matchmakers like Natubhai Patel are struggling to find wives for their 50-plus male clients - bachelors, divorcees or widowers. "Single women above 50 don't want to wash clothes or clean houses - most of them are widows and don't want to get trapped in household chores again," Patel, the president of the Ahmedabad-based Anubandh Foundation, one of the country's handful of senior citizen marriage bureaus run by NGOs, said. "The 50-plus women are looking for retired government employees who have pension and a house - they are only seeking financial security and companionship in their old age," Patel added, speaking ahead of a matchmaking event in Delhi this month. In an inversion of the received wisdom about gender roles, many of Patel's male clients balk at live-in relationships, preferring the emotional security of marriage. N.M. Rajeshwari, the president of Thodu Needa, a Hyderabad-based NGO that tries to unite single elderly people, echoed Patel. "Many women who get in touch with us don't want to get married because they don't want any legal entanglements," she said. "They are happy in live-in relationships as they can maintain their independence and also balance the needs of their existing families, consisting of grown-up children and their spouses." One other reason that elderly males struggle to find wives is that far fewer single elderly women are looking for partners at all. Anubandh, for instance, which has held 41 matchmaking sessions across states in its 15-year existence, has 8,802 men on its register but only 982 women. "Of the women, 70 per cent want a live-in relationship to avoid the hassles of marriage," Patel said. Of the 600 over-50 clients registered with Rajeshwari's five-year-old organisation, only about 200 are women. Most of her 150 clients who are seeking a live-in partner are women, Rajeshwari said. It's a trend that prompted Anubandh to start facilitating live-in relationships since 2011, after exclusively promoting marriages in its first 10 years. "We realise that some of the participants may choose to live in for a few years before taking the next step," Patel said. The agencies promoting elderly marriages offer their services free and take care to ensure that the women are not exploited, Patel said. All participants must register by producing valid identity proof and a copy of their divorce papers or the death certificate of their spouse. Patel, a former central government employee, seeks CVs and then organises group meetings. The matches are made through a process similar to speed-dating and personal interactions. Both Patel and Rajeshwari said they wanted more 50-plus women to come forward to seek a partner - whether a husband or a live-in boyfriend. "I think it's society that holds them back. I want to tell single women to seek a companion who will be their friend for life, even if they don't want to marry," Patel said. He listed companionship and sex as the primary reasons the elderly marry, citing how his organisation helped an 83-year-old former professor, who has 15 grandchildren, acquire a 61-year-old bride last year. It has been a tough journey: over 15 years, Patel has aided 95 marriages and 23 live-in relationships. "I want to tell single women that marrying or living in at an older age is not a stigma," Rajeshwari said. "Staying alone can be extremely lonely." V.B. Sharan, 69, a former CRPF commandant who had married at 62 after his first wife's death, offered his own experience as example. "I married because I needed a companion. Today, I have six children, three from each of our previous marriages. I took care of my (current) wife's three children, who were still studying, after we married. Now, we are a happy family." Sharan runs the Senior Citizen Forum, which is helping Patel organise his matchmaking session in Delhi. Patel, however, has a word of caution for the over-50 men seeking matrimony: three such marriages he has organised have ended in divorce. He now counsels the couples in the dos and don'ts. "One of the marriages broke up because of this and I had to speak to the man. Companionship should be the goal," he said. The other two broke up because of property issues and family problems, Patel said. "So, the bottom line is that the elderly too get into similar problems in marriage as the young," he laughed. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160911/jsp/frontpage/story_107594.jsp#.V9vOZ_B961v

Raghuram Rajan's IIT prof quit job to work for downtrodden tribals

Alok Sagar, social activist and former IIT professor.

• Shruti Tomar, Hindustan Times, Bhopal
 |  
• Updated: May 11, 2016 15:37 IST
• At a time when media is inundated with mudslinging over the qualification of leaders, the story of a former IIT Delhi professor who has spent the last 32 years in service of the downtrodden in Madhya Pradesh is a breath of fresh air.
  Alok Sagar, a resident of New Delhi, did his bachelor in electrical engineering from the prestigious IIT Delhi and got his masters degree from the institute in 1973. He went on to complete his PhD at Houston University in Texas, US, before returning to India to become a professor at his alma mater.
  However, it later dawned on him that he would be able to better contribute to the growth of the country and its people by working on the ground. So, in 1982, Sagar resigned as professor and began working with the tribals in Betul and Hoshangabad districts, helping save the environment — one tree at a time.
  He has planted more than 50,000 trees in Betul district. And in association with the Shramik Adiwasi Sangathan, Sagar works for the welfare of tribals. Today, he can be seen riding bicycle, in line with his green endeavour, collecting and distributing seeds among tribals at a reasonable rate.
  Over the more than three decades, the memory of his degrees faded, and no one would have ever known of the great mind in their midst had it not been for the election in the district’s Ghoradongari assembly constituency.
  Unable to trace his background, the Betul district administration grew suspicious of Sagar and ordered him to leave, citing security reasons. It was only then that the former professor revealed his enviable qualifications.
  “Unlike the baseless fight over degrees of politicians, Sagar has set an example of being a true social worker,” said Anurag Modi, an activist who works with Sagar.
  During his time as a professor in the 1980s at IIT Delhi, he taught Raghuram Rajan, the present governor of the Reserve Bank of India, but Sagar says he doesn’t need a degree to serve people, only will power. “In India, people are facing so many problems, but people are busy proving their intelligence by showing their degrees than serving people,” he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bhopal/mp-this-iit-prof-quit-job-to-work-for-downtrodden-tribals/story-CFUa47OhFyCYHTAZdmaVYM.html

Soon, Aadhaar must to avail rail concession

THE HINDU, NEW Delhi, September 12, 2016

The Indian Railways may soon make it mandatory for senior citizen passengers to provide their Aadhaar numbers to avail concessions on rail tickets.

To begin with, senior citizens will be able to get ticket concessions only through Aadhaar from December this year, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Chairman and Managing Director A.K. Manocha told The Hindu.

At present, male senior citizens can avail 40 per cent discount on ticket fares and female passengers 50 per cent reduction on ticket fares on all trains including Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto. Railways provides 53 such concessions, including those for the differently-abled and patients, incurring a loss of Rs.1,500 crore every year.

From December

“The Railway Board has taken a decision to give discount on fares to senior citizens only on the basis of Aadhaar numbers from December,” Mr. Manocha said.

He further said that IRCTC was likely to incentivise all passengers to book rail tickets through Aadhaar by offering them several sops.

“For instance, an IRCTC user can only book six tickets in a month, as per the present rules. However, we may do away with this norm as we will get to know if you are misusing the tickets or not through the Aadhaar number of the user,” Mr. Manocha said. The Railways is also planning to extend the passenger insurance scheme to passengers travelling by unreserved tickets, by linking it with their Aadhaar and bank accounts.

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/soon-aadhaar-must-to-avail-rail-concession/article9100907.ece

At 100, Assam woman wants to run old-age home

• Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times, Guwahati
 |  
• Updated: Sep 06, 2016 18:12 IST

How old is too old to start a project?

Ask Aruna Mukherjee, who celebrated her 100th birthday on August 31, and she will tell you she is capable enough to run an old-age home.

The Guwahati-based centurion baffled the civic administration by seeking permission for the home a few days ago.

“The mayor asked who will run the home. I said I will, and loved the look on his face,” Mukherjee told Hindustan Times.

City mayor Mrigen Sarania said the rule books do not have any age bar on humanitarian ventures. “But the zeal of a woman, who at 100 wants to do what many in their youth won’t, is admirable,” he said.

Mukherjee hopes authorities will speed up the formalities for her to start the home in October.

Born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mukherjee came to Assam 80 years ago after her marriage. Her deceased husband Jadulal Mukherjee was the head of the chemistry department in Guwahati’s Cotton College, the most sought-after higher education institute in the northeast.

The philanthropist in Aruna emerged in 1947 after she met hungry refugees of Partition from East Pakistan (today’s Bangladesh) at Guwahati Railway Station close to her residence in the city’s Paltanbazar area.

“I felt sorry for the refugees and began feeding many of them, but members of my family objected. So I decided to give up my share of food to continue feeding the people as long as they could not be rehabilitated,” she said.

She has since been living on arrowroot biscuits and tea since besides seasonal oranges. “The citrus fruit, perhaps, gives me the energy to work,” she said.

She has outlived most members of her family, including three sons who were scientists abroad. The fourth son and a daughter live in Canada, visiting her occasionally.

The reasonably agile Mukherjee has refused to budge because she runs several schools for the underprivileged from her residence. She teaches painting, music, knitting, sewing, embroidery and soft toy-making.

An aide said Mukherjee has never suffered from any ailment but has of late been struggling with failing vision and hearing. “But she insists on doing the household chores,” Ganga, the aide, said.

Mukherjee has inspired filmmaker and former beauty pageant winner Bobbeeta Sharma to make a documentary.

“The film is dedicated to her spirit that makes her, at age 100, help people in distress,” Sharma said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/at-100-assamese-woman-wants-to-run-old-age-home/story-lp14TIFlSQCJWwacPwyDWP.html

The policy on senior citizens must have a longer outreach

• Hindustan Times
 |  
• Updated: Aug 31, 2016 18:25 IST

The government’s draft National Policy on Senior Citizens, though well-intentioned, can be described only as a statement of wishes and without the backing of legislation this will not result in much. We have the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, which mandates that children shall be legally bound to provide for their parents. Some lacunae had been observed in the law and this led to the National Policy on Senior Citizens set out in 2011, which took into account the constitutional diktat given to the State to make “make effective provision for securing the right to public assistance in cases of old age”. The policies also talked about the “right to equality” and social security as being the “concurrent responsibilities of the central and state governments”. It acquired even greater importance when seen in the light of the fact that India was a signatory to several international covenants on the subject. But the fact that the government had to again bring out a draft policy in just four years proves that the previous one did not make much headway.

Read: India washes hands of rights for the elderly

A close look at the two policies — 2011 and 2016 – shows many similarities between them. Even the enumeration of the senior citizens of India stands at the same number — about 100 million. Both talk about the health needs of the elderly and health insurance for them. Both take into account the breakdown of the joint family system as a reason for the plight of the elderly. The 2011 policy also considered the fact that since men and women grew old in different ways, women deserved more attention because they were more prone to chronic illnesses. Though we in India have a tradition of respecting our elder citizens, such respect does not always go further than someone sacrificing his seat in a bus or a metro train in their favour. There have been instances of old men and women being abandoned at places such as the Kumbh mela. At home too, old people are looked upon as a burden. Changing these things does not only require a mindset change. It requires the strong backing of the State, which the current policy seeks to provide.

Read: At old age, they beg to run families

The most important reason for the ineffectiveness of the 2007 legislation was that it was difficult to execute because of the difficulties in apprehending the guilty. And in many cases the extent of guilt cannot be established. True, our society is not as harsh as that depicted in The Ballad of Narayama, in which once a person turned 70 he would be forcibly taken to a location and left to die. Within a structure of family relationships there are many cracks and crevices that the law may not be able to reach. So the wiser policy for the State would be enhance the social-welfare schemes for the old, particularly women, and create a lot more amenities for them. This must be written into the law.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/the-policy-on-senior-citizens-must-have-a-longer-outreach/story-qfpi6PeCC32NP0wJisdwoL.html

Turning 60! Get these benefits for yourself, parents.

By 

Sunil Dhawan

, ECONOMICTIMES.COM|

Aug 31, 2016, 11.2 AM IST 

Age is just a number. Just ask someone nearing 60, and you will probably get this response. As a senior citizen, one gets numerous financial benefits from the government and even private companies. Some advantages kick in after you turn 60, while some at 65. Let's look at some benefits for senior citizens under various categories. 



Higher limit of deduction for medical insurance premium 

It is widely believed that for senior citizens, the probability of higher medical expenses is more than younger family members. Seniors get extra tax benefit on buying health covers. 
Premium paid towards a health insurance policy (including critical illness or any other health plan) qualifies for tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act. The premium paid towards health riders in a life insurance policy also qualifies for tax benefit under the section. 

The benefit is available to individuals on the premium paid for self, spouse, children and also includes parents. Importantly, the benefit is available irrespective of whether or not the children or parents are dependent. 

The quantum of tax benefit, however, depends on the age of the individual who is medically insured. On the premium towards self, spouse, children and parents, the maximum deduction that can be availed is capped at Rs 25,000 a year, provided the individual's age is not above 60. If the premium paid by individual is towards a health policy for his or her parents (senior citizens in the 60 or above bracket), the maximum is capped at Rs 30,000. 
A taxpayer may, therefore, maximise tax benefit under Section 80D to a total of Rs 55,000 if he is below 60 and his parents are above 60. For those taxpayers who are either 60 or above and who are also paying premium for their parents, the maximum tax benefit under Section 80D would, therefore, be a total of Rs 60,000. 
In most health insurance plans, the maximum entry age is 65. But it's better to buy before that age as, by law, all plans are now supposed to run for lifetime. 

If you're retiring with an employer provided health cover, try to port it rather than go for a new one. If you buy a senior citizen health plan, the entry age may be higher but the plan could be restrictive, i.e., the sum assured could have a lower upper limit and there may be co-payment clauses. 

Higher tax exemption limit 

For income tax calculation purpose, the Income Tax Department considers 60 as senior citizens age and 80 as very senior citizens age. 

In case of a resident senior citizen (who is 60 or above at any time during the previous year but less than 80 on the last day of the previous year), income up to Rs 3 lakh is exempt from tax, income from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh is taxed at 10%, from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh at 20%, and above Rs 10 lakh at 30%. 

In case of a resident super senior citizen (who is 80 or above at any time during the previous year), income up to Rs 5 lakh is exempt from tax, income from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh is taxed at 20%, and above Rs 10 lakh at 30%. The amount of income tax and the applicable surcharge (15% of such tax, where total income exceeds Rs 1 crore) shall be further increased by education cess and secondary and higher education cess totalling 3 per cent of the total tax payable. 

For those whose birth date falls on April1, there was confusion for quite some time. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recently clarified that while considering the higher exemption limit of tax liability for senior and very senior citizens, a person will be considered to have attained a particular age on March 31 if his or her birth date is a day later on April 1. 

Avoiding tax at source 
Senior citizens who maintain fixed deposits (FDs) with a bank need to be careful. If the interest income earned on a bank deposit (including recurring deposits, deposits in other branches of the same bank, deposits in a minor's name) exceeds Rs 10,000 in a financial year, the banks deduct tax at source (TDS) of 10 per cent on the entire interest income. In case of company FDs, TDS is applicable when interest income exceeds Rs 5,000 a year. 

To avoid TDS and in instances where the income is less than the exempted limit, one can fill a bank declaration. This benefit is applicable to all, but the declaration has to be in a different form. 

As a senior citizen, if the total income in a financial year is within the exemption limit, Form 15H (Form 15G is for non-senior citizens) may be submitted by the depositor to the bank for not deducting TDS. Remember, if the deposits are for more than a year, one has to submit these forms every year ideally in April.

Senior Citizens' Saving Scheme 
Probably the first choice of most retirees, Senior Citizens' Saving Scheme (SCSS) is a must-have in most retirees' investment portfolio. As the name suggests, this scheme is available only to senior citizens or early retirees. SCSS can be availed from a post office or a bank by anyone above 60. Early retirees can invest in SCSS, provided they do so within three months of receiving retirement funds. SCSS has a five-year tenure, but it can be extended for three years after the scheme matures. 

Currently, the interest rate in SCSS is 8.6 per cent per annum, payable quarterly and fully taxable. The rates are set each quarter linked to the G-sec rates with a spread of 100 basis points. Once invested, the rates remain fixed for the entire tenure. SCSS, perhaps, currently offers the highest post-tax returns among all comparable fixed income taxable products. The upper investment limit is Rs 15 lakh and one may open more than one account. The capital invested and the interest payout, which is assured, has sovereign guarantee. What's more, it also offers tax benefits under Section 80C and allows premature withdrawals.

Extra on bank FDs

 
Bank FDs offered to senior citizens who are 60 and above come with additional interest. Most banks offer 0.5 per cent extra on the rack rate of the duration chosen by them. The higher rate is also for any tax-saving deposit opened in the bank. At the time of initial deposit, proof of age is required to be submitted to the bank. Similar to SCSS, the interest rate is fully taxable but option to take monthly interest exists in them.

Passports

 
Normally, police verification is done before the passport is issued. In case of senior citizens, it can be done post-issuance subject to condition. Senior citizens can be issued a passport on post police verification basis if they submit a copy of the passport of their child (above 18) staying abroad (with a page having their name) as an additional document along with their application form. 

In some Passport Seva Kendras, senior citizens who have applied for fresh or re-issue of passports are allowed to submit their applications as 'walk-in' applicants. They do not need online appointment but are required to register their applications online and obtain Application Reference Number, or ARN, at least 24 hours in advance. No prior appointment is needed but the applications are accepted on first-come, first-serve basis.

Life pension certificate

 
Pensioners drawing retirement pension or family pension need to mandatorily submit a life certificate. It has to be produced before November 30 each year at the pension drawing banks or the respective post offices. 

In 2014, Jeevan Pramaan, an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate for pensioners, was introduced. The certification was launched to do away with the requirement of a pensioner having to submit a physical life certificate each year to ensure continuity of his or her pension. Jeevan Pramaan is an optional system and about 9.27 lakh pensioners have already registered for it, according to an official data. However, the programme may soon be scrapped owing to privacy issues.

Loans

 
Several banks offer home loans to senior citizens provided they maintain a pension account. Typically, loan amount is equal to about 50 times of monthly pension/income (in case of pensioners and salaried persons) or 4 times average gross annual income (in case of pensioners who later become professionals and self-employed persons) with a maximum of Rs 75 lakh. Banks ensure that Equated Monthly Installment, or EMI, remains at about 50 per cent of net take-home income. The loan tenure is mostly a maximum of 15 years or up to the age of 75 of borrower (whichever is earlier). There could be lower processing fees for them as well.

Some banks even offer personal loans to mainly government pensioners provided they maintain a pension account. Generally, depending on age, the loan amount equals to 18-36 months' pension with a cap of about Rs 14 lakh. 

Flights 

Discounts for seniors in flights may not be a permanent affair. Airlines do, however, keep coming out with offers. SpiceJet's on-going offer is a flat 15% off on the base fare for senior citizens. The booking and travel period for the offer is scheduled between July 15 and September 30, 2016 and is applicable for senior citizens above 60. 

Railways

 
When it comes to commuting by trains, Indian Railways provides a flat 40 per cent rebate to male senior citizens and a flat 50 per cent rebate to female senior citizens on fares in all classes, i.e., Sleeper Class, First Class and First Class AC in all trains, including Shatabdi and Rajdhani. The minimum age defined for male senior citizens who can avail this particular rebate is 60, while for female senior citizens it is 58. 

Eager to reduce its huge subsidy burden, Indian Railways has now given senior citizens the option of foregoing concession on purchase of reserved class tickets. A senior citizen would automatically get the concession upon filling up age-related information in the form for buying tickets, but now they have the option of giving it up.

Conclusion

 
Senior citizens need to be careful when offers and discounts are offered to them, especially from private institutions. Prominence should be given to the safety of their money and not short-term advantages. There could be several fly-by-night operators looking for them to fall prey to their deals. Remember, it's their lifetime earnings which will be at stake if the offers are not properly evaluated. 

 

Read at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/53940773.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst