Geriatric care a national imperative for India’s ageing population, say experts

Amid a rapidly ageing population in India experts on Tuesday February 3 stressed the need for a homebased communityled and integrated elder care model to boost geriatric care in the countrySpeaking at an event held in the national capital the health experts also discussed the growing challenges confronting the countryrsquos elderly population and the urgent need for more responsive and inclusive approaches to geriatric careThe experts highlighted that the challenges for geriatric care are multidimensional in nature These include rising disabilities and agerelated health conditions such as dementia and Alzheimerrsquos significant gaps in geriatric healthcare infrastructure coupled with a sharp urbanndashrural divide in access to medical services and mounting economic pressures driven by inadequate social security and rising healthcare costsldquoAgeing is not just about adding years to life but adding life to those years Geriatric care must be coordinated continuous communitybased and compassionate Mental and emotional wellbeing are as critical as physical health especially in an era of nuclear families and increasing social isolation Geriatric care is not a luxury it is a necessityrdquo said Dr Rajinder K Dhamija Director Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences IHBASAccording to government data Indias senior citizen population is projected to surge to around 230 million by 2036 making up about 15 per cent of the total populationldquoGeriatric care cannot remain confined to a few tertiary hospitals or centres of excellence In a country as large and demographically diverse as India care must begin at home and be strengthened through districtlevel systems Many elderly health needs do not require hospitalisation but can be effectively managed through trained caregivers homebased services and coordinated community support The real challenge is scale integration and lastmile deliveryrdquo added Rajesh Bhushan Former Secretary Ministry of Health ampamp Family Welfare during the event organised by Illness to WellnessBhushan also highlighted the need to repurpose and upskill general physicians integrate social care with medical services and draw lessons from countries such as Japan and South Korea to create unified onestop elder care models that combine healthcare rehabilitation and social supportThe experts also pointed to a widening digital divide with many seniors struggling to adopt technology due to limited access and lack of agefriendly training as well as physical infrastructure public spaces transport systems and emergency response mechanisms that remain largely illequipped to support the safety mobility and independence of older personsProf Nirmal Kumar Ganguly Former Director General ICMR noted that ageing outcomes are deeply influenced by social engagement mental stimulation and timely management of chronic conditionsldquoAge is truly just a number Mental engagement social interaction and proactive management of vision hearing balance and chronic diseases can dramatically improve quality of life While challenges such as dementia diabetes and hypertension are rising advances in technology and medical science offer real solutions provided they are made accessible and equitablerdquo he saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever