Issac Thomas Gregor, Ramesh Abhishek, Reddy Shiv Shanker, Sivakumar Palanimuthu T, Kumar Channaveerachari Naveen, Math Suresh Bada
Geriatric Psychiatry Unit, Dept. of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
Dept. of Psychiatry, Vishwabharati Medical College and Hospital, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Indian J Psychol Med. 2021 Sep;43(5 Suppl):S107-S112. doi: 10.1177/02537176211043932. Epub 2021 Oct 3.
The sociocultural changes associated with globalization and development have weakened traditional values and family support systems for senior citizens (age 60 years and above). There is an increase in the prevalence of elder abuse and difficulties in getting appropriate care and support. This has mandated legal measures to protect the rights of the senior citizens and provide them care and support by the family and other stakeholders. Consequent to being the signatory for the "Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, 2002," several countries, including India, have introduced legislation for the social protection of senior citizens. "The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens(MWP) Act, 2007" is an important legislation in India to safeguard the elderly from exploitation and abuse.
This article critically evaluates the implementation of the MWP Act, 2007, and the related challenges in protecting senior citizens from abuse. The article will also highlight the proposed amendments in the Act to strengthen the effective implementation of legal protection for senior citizens and ensure their well-being and dignity.
The MWP act is an important legal measure to ensure mainatinence and welfare of senior citizens and protect them from abuse and neglect. There is an immediate need to incorporate the necessary amendments so that the act gets more pragmatic value and becomes and important tool for elderly care and protection and reduce vulnerabilities and ensure holistic care with support in various bio-psycho-social domains.
与全球化和发展相关的社会文化变革削弱了针对老年人（60岁及以上）的传统价值观和家庭支持系统。虐待老年人的情况增多，获得适当照料和支持也存在困难。这就要求采取法律措施来保护老年人的权利，并由家庭和其他利益相关者为他们提供照料和支持。作为《2002年马德里老龄问题国际行动计划》的签署国，包括印度在内的几个国家已出台了老年人社会保护方面的立法。《2007年父母和老年人赡养与福利法》是印度一项重要的立法，旨在保护老年人免受剥削和虐待。
本文批判性地评估了《2007年父母和老年人赡养与福利法》的实施情况以及在保护老年人免受虐待方面的相关挑战。本文还将强调该法案中拟议的修正案，以加强对老年人法律保护的有效实施，并确保他们的福祉和尊严。
《父母和老年人赡养与福利法》是确保老年人赡养和福利、保护他们免受虐待和忽视的一项重要法律措施。迫切需要纳入必要的修正案，以便该法案具有更大的实用价值，成为老年人照料和保护的重要工具，减少脆弱性，并确保在生物-心理-社会各个领域的支持下提供全面照料。
