publications

The abuse of senior citizens in their family is a major social issue that usually goes unnoticed. One of the most prominent form of abuse that the elderly population is forced to endure is financial abuse at the hands of close relatives like children and partners. This chapter attempts to throw some light on various forms of financial abuses that senior citizens face in domestic settings, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kerala, with its significant population of the elderly was chosen for the study. It is based on a case study among 40 senior citizens, who narrated various types of financial and psychological abuses they were subjected to at the hands of their own kith and kin. The study reveals that most of the financial abuses occur in the form of usurping property through fraudulent means, denying pensions and other monetary benefits. In the absence of a national database recording the abuses on the elderly population, this chapter calls for a nationwide database recording the instances of financial as well as other forms of abuse that the senior citizens are subjected to. The authors also call for a concerted action to ensure that the senior citizens are taken care of in their family settings.