Ageing India lonely, resigned: Survey

Nearly three-quarters of all old people in the country are ready to move to a community that offers them special services, said the survey, whose results were released Wednesday, adding that a large number of them feel lonely, though they are also resigned to their fate.

Today's seniors are living alone in an environment where they are not satisfied with the current security options. Eighty percent of the seniors surveyed were concerned about the possibility of theft and violence, as they lived alone.

The three-month survey, conducted between October and December 2012 by AZ Research, a firm that ran the survey in 12 cities of India and questioned 1,900 elders, showcased interesting trends.

"The need for a comprehensive senior living community in today's day and age is increasing. Three out of every four seniors are open to moving to an assisted senior living community and seniors are increasingly seeking and willing to pay for residential communities with housekeeping support and leisure avenues," Sujay Misra of AZ Research said.

Security are one of the top three requirements from a living space.

The survey indicated that about eighty percent of senior citizens are not satisfied with current security options and were concerned about the possibility of break-ins and stealing.

"Six out of ten elders do not wish to live in a home that does not have guaranteed security. Most of them fear for their safety. The seniors seek high-end security systems that structured homes offer," the survey said.

Nearly eighty percent of the seniors surveyed said they would like to continue working after retirement to sustain their lifestyle or improve it.

"Most of the elders do not want to relax. Many aspire for a new career. Those who are above 70 years old expressed a desire for new hobbies. Many wish to socialize, visit clubs and party. They also wanted exercise, games and shopping," the survey showed.

Help Age India, an NGO working for the elderly holds that currently, India has 98 million elderly citizens (over the age of 60). The figure is expected to touch a whopping 118 million by 2016.