TEHRAN — Ten percent of the senior citizens in Iran live in Gilan Province, director of the State Welfare Organization said in a ceremony on Thursday marking the International Day of Older Persons, Mehr reported.

Currently senior citizens population stands at 6 million and most of them are supported by organizations such as the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee, State Welfare Organization, Pension Funds and Social Security Organization, Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpey explained.

Gilan Province with 10 percent and Sistan and Baluchistan Province with 4.7 are the cities with most and least senior citizens in terms of population density, he added.

Mentioning the high costs of taking care of senior citizens in nursing houses, Mohseni warned against the negative consequences of leaving the elderly alone and away from their families.

To encourage families to take care of the old people, Welfare Organization will pay subsidy to them, he said.

MQ/PA