Bengaluru: Elders Helpline (1090), a joint project of the Bangalore City Police and the Nightingales Medical Trust, will work round-the-clock to redress issues faced by senior citizens starting Wednesday.
The helpline, which has been functional since 2002, was operational between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. It has been extended owing to the growing need and demand.
Dr. Radha S. Murthy, Managing Trustee, Nightingales Medical Trust, says that Bangalore has over 10 lakh senior citizens. Of these, about 3 lakh elders face some form of physical, emotional or financial abuse. In addition to this, elders have also become easy targets. Getting reliable help, especially at night, is a challenge for these elders, most of who live alone.
The first project of this kind in the country, the Elders Helpline 1090 has so far received over 1.6 lakh calls in the last 15 years. Around 8,662 complaints of serious nature were registered and over 52 per cent of them were successfully resolved by counselors and social workers.
The helpline usually gets complaints such as ill-treatment by family members, financial exploitation, property disputes and cheating by service providers.
Elders in distress can call the Helpline on 1090 (toll free) or 22943226/9243737230.
