Are public spaces friendly to the elderly?

CHENNAI: The city's aged and elderly may be facing their own battles on the home front, but as a city, how friendly are our public spaces for them? Rajagopal (63), a retired Indian Bank Manager and a resident of Medavakkam said, “Post offices and banks are the places that elderly people frequently visit, either to collect the pension or for any other purpose. Every time I go to the post office either in Gowrivakkam or Medavakkam, there is no separate queue for senior citizens, nor are there specific seats, or space to stand. Banks are almost the same. I think they should introduce a separate queue for elderly people, compulsorily.” Banks can even establish a separate senior citizen banking services counter, said Capt Dr M Singaraja, Chairman, Senior Citizens Bureau.While they appreciate the fact that in long distance train ticket booking counters, there is a separate queue for the elderly, along with the differently-abled, they were also quick to point out that local city train ticket counters should also have a separate queue for the elderly.Rajagopal said, “The elderly are dissuaded from using the local trains, because to get the tickets they have to wait in a long queue.” They also suggested that drivers and conductors should be sensitised about stopping the buses exactly at the bus stops.Another suggestion was to have the seats reserved for the elderly closer to the entrance of the buses, which will make things easier for them. Shivashankar (80), who regularly uses the buses said, “It would be great if the buses stop at all stops without skipping minor ones. I end up taking another bus sometimes to reach my destination.” Talking about the woes of the elderly in hospitals, Capt Singaraja said, “Only in the GH in Chennai, there is a Geriatric ward, though there is a GO to bring Geriatric wards in the district government hospitals.Till now, it has not been implemented. And when we go there, they only give us medicines for a week. I hope they stock enough drugs, so that they can dispense drugs for 15 days or a month, which will really help.” S P Ambrose (84), retired bureaucrat and a resident of Besant Nager, said, “Hospitals should not make the senior citizens wait too long for appointments. When they know that the doctor is getting late, they can arrange for a telephonic consultation with the elderly.Many of them won’t be able to remain hungry.” “It is also very important that public places like banks, post offices, hospitals and public transport systems such as buses, and trains be made more accessible for the senior citizens. For example, in train ticket bookings, they should always allot the lower berths to the senior citizens. It is high time the concerned authorities act on making these little changes to make navigation for the senior citizens in public places more comfortable and convenient,” said Indrani Rajadurai, Special Advisor, HelpAge India.