Mr. Ashish Chatterjee formulated an Action Plan to improve accessibility of public buildings for aged citizens of Chennai.

1. The City

Chennai is India’s fourth largest city, with a population of 4,946,343 people in 2007. Current life expectancy is 68.1 for females and 65.8 for males. The census of 1991 showed the total number people aged over 65 in Chennai city to be 238,071 (6.3% of the population). This number had increased by the 2001 census to 354,147 (8.2% of the population). The old age dependency ratio (number of old persons over 60) to the working age group (aged 15-59 years) had also increased from 9.8% in 1981 to about 12.6% by the year 2001. 

All aged in the city are treated free of cost by government hospitals in Chennai, and the city’s Government General Hospital was the first in India to have a separate Geriatric wing exclusively for sufferers of diseases related to old age. Six of Chennai’s elderly homes are maintained with aid from the government, and senior citizens are provided with tax benefits higher than that of general taxpayers. 

As in the rest of India, Chennai’s demographic profile has changed greatly over the last few decades, with better educational standards, opening up of the economy, and sources of livelihood leading to migration. However, changing urban lifestyles, with excessive consumerism, shrinking living spaces and the emerging mindset of cherishing material & economic rather than human values, are creating many transitional issues to be urgently addressed, and one of society’s neglected groups is the aged. 

The Government of India’s National Policy for Older Persons (NPOP) of 1999 promotes the health and welfare of senior citizens to safeguard their financial, health and welfare, legal, social and psychological security interests. It envisages a productive development partnership with the aged, by creating their engagement and employment opportunities. It enables and supports voluntary and non-governmental organizations to supplement care to vulnerable elderly people, and has a main objective to make older people fully independent citizens leading a fulfilling life. 

The NPOP is strengthening the primary health care system to meet the needs of the aged, and has also resulted in the Integrated Programme for Older Persons, providing financial assistance for old age homes, day care centres, mobile Medicare units and non-institutional services. Additionally, The National Housing Bank will introduce a 'reverse mortgage' scheme, a monthly stream of income against mortgages of home-owning senior citizens; and The Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Act of 2007 ensures dignity with social security for neglected elderly people. This act also provides elderly homes, parental support, medical care and protection of life and property. 

These developments, promoted by the city government, are accessible to all aged in Chennai, aiming to get them on the path to a better, peaceful and financially sound life. The main challenge is to realize that demographic profile and economic changes are part of a transition from established ways to new paths. Civic society has to provide legislation, programs, schemes, and health and civil infrastructure to support the aged to live a dignified life. Policy makers and implementers have be sensitive to this change and strengthen social infrastructure, especially in urban areas, with special focus on shelter, financial assistance, health care, retirement adjustment counseling and loneliness prevention. 

Sensitivity to the needs of the aged, and awareness of social duties and obligations towards the aged should be developed. Government efforts have to be complemented to enable the aged to live a fulfilling and complete life.

Chennai’s position in Tamil Nadu Province of India

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1. The Proposed Action Plan

Despite the national government promulgated 1999 elderly policy being adopted by local governments, urban infrastructure is still not elderly friendly in terms of accessibility, and care workers in the city are also largely untrained to provide care for elderly. The plan by Mr. Ashish Chatterjee aims to increase the independence of elderly citizens in Chennai, by providing more elderly-friendly infrastructure in government buildings in the city, as well as more are workers specifically trained to provide care for the elderly. 

Elderly-friendly and accessible modifications (such as the fitting of ramps, accessible toilets, handrails, wheelchairs and accessible footpaths) will be made to 400 public buildings such as city hospitals, as well as private buildings. After preparing estimates and informing citizens of the plan, construction bids will be invited. 

Training on care provision to the elderly will be provided to care workers in consultation with the City Health Department, which oversees 1,500 paramedical staff and six government homes for the elderly, as well as 75 dispensaries. In the first phase of training, three or four master trainers will educate groups of 50 care workers. The city already has training centers, and no extra equipment is required, just the addition of a component on geriatric care. 

As such, the cost of the training should not be high, and once the first phase of the project begins, a system will be in place to provide further training to more staff, and the project can be expanded.

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Chennai Action Plan Time Frame: November 2008 – December 2009

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