Senior citizens living alone in Goa hit hard by lockdown blues
Goa has a sizeable number of elderly people who livealone as their children are based abroad.
Divar Island, located across the Mandovi river nearPanaji, is one such place where several senior citizens havebeen living alone in their Portuguese-era houses.
The island is water-locked from all sides andaccessible only through ferry boat service. During thelockdown, those residing on the Divar Island have been facingsevere difficulties to get the essential items.
Mafaldin Almeida, 70, a cancer survivor and mother ofthree daughters, has been living alone on the island since herhusband died six months back.
"Two of my daughters live in Goa's Taleigao and Mercesvillages while the third one is in Dubai. They cannot reach medue to the lockdown, Almeida told .
"The advisory mentions that senior citizens should notmove out of their homes as they are most vulnerable, but thereis no help coming in," she rued.
Almeida is now worried as her stock of medicines andessentials is exhausting.
"No one has come to enquire about me. Nobody is movingout of their houses. How will I get help?" she wondered.
Another elderly woman residing in Almedia'sneighbourhood said she is facing similar problems. But, sherequested anonymity, fearing that she might be targeted forher statements.
Both the women say they try to console each other bychatting over phone.
Jerry DSouza, a wheel-chair bound differently-abledman, who lives on the island with his cancer survivor wife,said he was stuck at home without essential items for daysbefore he approached the Disability Rights Association of Goapresident Avelino DSouza, who managed to reach out to him.
"Efforts should have been made to help those who aremore in need," DSouza said, adding that as of now one of hisfriends, who is a former local sarpanch, has come forward tohim at this crucial time.
An organisation working to fight discrimination ofpeople on the basis of age said many elderly people are facinga similar situation across the country.
With the lockdown in place, a majority of Indians areexperiencing isolation for the first time, CHAI Kreative andReturn of Million Smiles director Kewal Kapoor said.
"While people below the age of 60 have jobs andfamilial responsibilities to keep them busy, senior citizensare struggling to cope up with the uncertainty, anxiety andfear that comes with the isolation, he said.
Kapoor said many senior citizens "live on fixedpensions with undiagnoseddepression:, and the lockdown mayend up amplifying their existingproblems.
"While aggressiveisolation is necessary to keepseniors safe from coronavirus, we need to make sure they stayconnected and active," he said.
Elderly people get along well with children, who canreally help the senior citizens stay active and in goodspirits during the lockdown, he added. RPS GK GK