June 15 - World Elder Abuse Day
Property disputes, According to HelpAge India's recent survey, 51% of abuse cases of the elderly were property related.
Every day the various helplines for the elderly get many complaints, even of physical abuse, because of monetary or property related matters.
On June 15, World Elder Abuse Day, for instance, HelpAge India's helpline got a couple of complaints.
One was from Mr.Rajesh (name changed) who alleged that his elder brother had been harassing his mother (age 89) and egging her to divide the house that she owns, among the sons.
"My mother owns the house, worth Rs. 3 crore. But my brother has thrown her out. Now my mother & my family are staying in a rented house," Mr. Rajesh said.
Safety Protocols..!
Another complaint that the helpline received was even more shocking. An 84 year old woman was being threatened by her children since 1996. She was allegedly kept in house arrest for a long time. Her youngest son who contacted HelpAge India alleged that his siblings had physically attacked his mother so that she would write off the property to them.
Majority of elder abuse cases in Chennai are related to children pressurising parents to write off property or other belongings in their names. But there are certain safety protocols that elders can follow.
Elder care professionals suggest that while writing a will is absolutely essential it may not be a good idea to share the will or the property before the death of the parent.
Property related abuse is increasing..!
Mr. Himanshu Rath, Founder, Agewell Foundation, said, "Property related abuse is increasing. We advise that everyone should make a will. But it should be kept in safe custody and not reveal the contents to their children. Many a times a family member digs it out & then all hell breaks loose. Most children are not happy with the share they have got. So they start misbehaving"
The elderly can keep their wills with organisations like Agewell Foundation too, who will keep the will safe & hand it over to the beneficiaries after the demise. Or, they can keep their will in lockers or with their family lawyers. In many cases, parents tend to share their will verbally with the children, not foreseeing the dangerous outcome.
Mr. Himanshu Rath also said, "Once the parent has shared their will to give the child a part of the property, they usually create pressure to write it off immediately, within their lifetime. This is dangerous"
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