Verbal and emotional mistreatment continues to significantly impact senior citizens in Bengaluru, according to officials at the Bengaluru Urban Elders Helpline. The helpline, managed by Nightingale’s Medical Trust, has reported a noticeable surge in complaints, especially from women.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, the number of formal complaints from senior women about verbal abuse rose to 73, up from 43 the previous year. Swati Bhandary, associate director of the Trust, believes this spike reflects a growing willingness to report abuse rather than an actual rise in incidents. Overall, the helpline received 174 written complaints from women last year related to mental, verbal, and physical mistreatment.
While the helpline handles 13,000 to 15,000 complaints annually via phone and in-person visits, only around 300 are filed formally. Most cases involve disputes over finances or property, with the primary abusers often being sons, daughters-in-law, or both. Neighbours also feature in a smaller number of reports.
“In many cases, we attempt family counselling, which usually resolves issues in three to four sessions,” Bhandary said. When necessary, cases are forwarded to the police or Lok Adalat — 90 and 55 referrals respectively in the past year.
To bolster legal support, the helpline onboarded a full-time legal advisor in 2024. Since then, 139 cases, primarily related to neglect and abuse, have required legal intervention.
Meanwhile, psychologists report an uptick in mental health concerns among seniors, particularly depression and anxiety, with more elderly patients seeking help than in previous years.
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