The National Human Rights Commission organized the first meeting of its newly constituted Core Group on protection and welfare of elderly persons on the 9th June, 2011. The meeting was chaired by Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC. Some of the important issues discussed during the meeting are as follows:
o Persuading the States to notify the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007;
o Sensitizing the civil society, NGOs and the government machinery on the issues of older persons for taking prompt action against the person abusing their rights;
o Standardization of old age homes and social auditing of programmes and services meant for the welfare of elderly persons;
o Abuse of elderly persons by their close relatives mainly sons and daughters-in-law and non registration of complaints against the abuser and the reasons thereof;
o Abandoning older persons on the streets;
o Dementia and Alzheimer related health problems of the elderly persons; their treatment and available facilities;
o Creating appropriate health and other infrastructural services for the elderly.