Kochi: Many elderly people in Kerala live at the mercy of their offsprings, mainly sons, Department of Social Justice’s National Helpline for Senior Citizens said, media reports said.
According to the 2023-24 annual report, 38 percent of the elderly are mistreated by their sons, while 15% suffer abuse from daughters-in-law.
The abuse includes physical and mental mistreatment and neglect, the findings based on complaints received by Elder Line during the last financial year said.
Fortythree percent of seniors experience neglect, 28 percent experience physical harm and 21 percent suffer verbal abuse. A total of 62 percent individuals suffered mistreatment. The victims were in the age group between 65 and 75.
Twenty percent of cases were related to property, while 30 percent to other causes.
The perpetrators are predominantly aged between 31 and 50. The report notes that some cases were resolved through phone interventions, while others required action by field officers.
During the last financial year, Elder Line received a total of 2,11,108 calls. Among the callers, 60 percent were men and 40 percent were women. The highest number of calls were from Thiruvananthapuram, followed by Ernakulam, the report said.
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