During my studies in Switzerland, I rented a house near my school. My landlady, Christina, was a 67-year-old single elderly woman who had worked as a secondary school teacher before retiring. Switzerland’s pension system is very good, and it provides her with enough support in her later years so she does not have to worry about food and shelter.
This was the first time I had heard of the concept of a “Time Bank.” Curious, I asked her to explain more. The “Time Bank” is described as an elderly care pension program developed by the Swiss Federal Social Security system. People save “time” by caring for elderly individuals, and when they themselves grow old, become ill, or need assistance, they can withdraw that saved time.
Applicants must be healthy, good at communication, and caring. They provide daily or weekly assistance to elderly people in need. Their service hours are credited to personal “time” accounts within the social security system.
She worked twice a week, spending two hours each time helping the elderly man — doing grocery shopping, cleaning his room, taking him out for sunlight, and talking with him.
After one year of service, the “Time Bank” calculates the total hours and issues a “Time Bank Card.” When she needs care herself, she can use the card to withdraw her accumulated “time and interest.” After verification, the Time Bank arranges volunteers to care for her either at home or in the hospital.
One day, while I was at school, my landlady called to say she had fallen off a stool while cleaning a window. I immediately took leave and sent her to the hospital. Her ankle was fractured, and she needed bed rest for some time.
As I was preparing to apply for leave from school to care for her, she told me not to worry because she had already submitted a withdrawal request to the Time Bank. Within less than two hours, the Time Bank sent a nursing caregiver to look after her.
For the next month, the caregiver visited daily, talked with her, and prepared nutritious meals. With attentive care, my landlady soon recovered. After regaining her health, she returned to her “work,” saying she intended to save more time in the Time Bank while she was still healthy.
Today, in Switzerland, using “Time Banks” to support old age has reportedly become common practice. It not only reduces pension expenses but also helps solve other social issues. Many Swiss citizens support this model of elderly care.
According to surveys by Swiss pension organizations, more than half of Swiss citizens are willing to participate in such elderly care services. The Swiss government has also passed laws supporting the Time Bank pension model.
With the growing number of elderly people living alone in many Asian countries, this Swiss-style “Time Bank” system could serve as a useful option.
Please share this concept widely so that the Indian government may also consider implementing a similar scheme in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment