2.13 PM Thursday, 28 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:57 06:11 12:27 15:53 18:37 19:51
28 March 2024

150 elderly parents abandoned on roads this year

Published
By Correspondent

Colombo: The number of complaints of elderly people being abandoned by their families is on the rise in Sri Lanka.

As a result, the National Institute of Social Development (NISD) has formulated a diploma course of study on caring for the elderly.

Dr. Ridley Jayasinghe, NISD, Director-General, told Ceylon Today that the study will help youngsters take it up as a professional career.

Suvinda Singapulli, Director, Social Services Department (SSD), said: “There is a demand for this type of job. They record around 200 complaints from elderly people about children grabbing their property and wealth and abandoning them, he added.

In the first six months of this year, SSD received 150 such complaints, he said.

Today, around 16 per cent  of the Sri Lankan population are over 60 years, and the figure is expected to rise to 22 per cent by 2030, according to SSD.

Felix Perera, Minister of Social Services, said caring for the elderly will soon be a matter of concern.

By 2030, 1 in 5 Sri Lankans is expected to be over 60 years. This is a higher rate compared to other Asian countries, the minister added.

(Home page image courtesy Shutterstock)