Care for elderly population in India- Explained Pointwise

The care for elderly population in India is an emerging challenge with the rapid growth in the number of elderly population in India. With all the focus on demographic dividend, India is also witnessing a silent rise in the elderly population in India. The need of the hour is to provide adequate care for the elderly population in India.

What is the Status of Elderly Population in India?

The number of elderlies (persons above 60 years) is set to increase from 100 million in 2011 to 230 million in 2036. By 2050, the elderly population is expected to constitute nearly one-fifth of the total population.

Increase in the old age-dependence ratio- The old age-dependence ratio denotes the number of persons aged 60-plus per 100 persons in the age group of 15-59 years.

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MOSPI) ‘Elderly in India 2021‘ report, the old-age dependency ratio is increasing in India. The old age-dependence ratio has increased from 10.9% in 1961 to 14.2% in 2011 and is projected to increase to 15.7% in 2021 and 20.1% in 2031 respectively.

What is the need for taking care of the Elderly Population in India?

1. Channelization of experience- Elderly peoples carry an immense personal and professional experience. We need to channelize these experiences by taking care of the elderly population.

2. Generational Link- The elderly citizens provide a vital generational link for the upcoming generation, such as providing support and stability to families and society at large. For ex- Grandparents in joint families provide a crucial link for transferring values and morals to the younger generation.

3. Social Harmony- The deep cultural impressions and social experiences of the elderly population in India provide the necessary buffer against intolerance, violence and hate crimes.

4. Moral and ethical responsibility- It is the moral and ethical responsibility of the society to care for its people beyond their prime. This helps in reciprocating their lifetime of physical, social, emotional, and economic investment in the society.

What are the Challenges Faced by Elderly Population in India?

Social Challenges

1. Social Neglect- Elderlies are increasingly being neglected by the younger generation due to various social reasons such as western education, globalisation, nuclear family structure.

2. Abuse of the elderly population- Elderlies in India face various forms of abuse such as physical, sexual, psychological or financial. They suffer from emotional harm that emerges from verbal or emotional abuse.

3. Intersection of Caste and Elderly- The lower caste elderly have to keep on working for livelihood even at old age due to financial issues. While for the upper caste elderlies, good jobs become less available and they hesitate to take menial jobs which creates a feeling of ‘worthlessness’ amongst them.

4. Feminisation of ageing- The life of elderly widows is riddled with stringent moral codes of the society. Social bias against elderly women results in unjust allocation of resources, neglect, abuse, exploitation, gender-based violence, lack of access to basic services and prevention of ownership of assets.

Economic and Financial Challenges

1. Lack of Income & Poor financial status- According to PFRDA report on Financial Security of India’s elderly, a large elderly population which remains outside the pension safety net. Furthermore, the pension provided to them remains very low for their proper sustenance.

2. Low funding by the government- India spends only about 1% of its gross domestic product on pensions. India’s income support systems in their current form remain incapable of catering to the old age population.

3. Lack of housing and other basic amenities- The housing available to a majority of the senior citizens are sometimes inappropriate and unsuitable to their requirement.

Health Issues and Challenges

1. Rise in age-related chronic illness- According to the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI) in 2021, One in five elderly persons in India has mental health issues and around 75 per cent of them suffer from a chronic disease.

2. Increasing need for geriatric care- Increased health-related expenses for the treatment of diseases like Non-Communicable diseases, cataract, hearing loss etc. creates financial problem for the elderly population.

What are the Government initiatives for elderly care in India?

What should be the Way Forward?

1. Formalization of caregiving economy- According to a NITI Aayog report, healthcare offered at home can replace up to 65 per cent of unnecessary hospital visits and reduce hospital costs by 20 per cent. Well-trained caregivers possesing empathetic outlook towards elderly need to be provided formal and better work place conditions. Recognition of  “home” as a place for providing care and as a “place of work” for caregivers will be the first step towards elderly care.

2. Comprehensive policy on home based care- This policy must include within its ambit the streamlining of vocational training, nomenclature, roles, and career progression of the caregivers. It must also streamline the registry of caregivers, ensure transparency and accountability and establish grievance redressal mechanisms.

3. Passage of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019- The next session of the parliament must aim to pass this bill which seeks to regulate home-based care for older people.

4. Strengthening pension systems- The government must allocate a special budget for the elderly population to strengthen the pension systems through better funding and coverage.

5. Replication of Switzerland’s time bank initiative- Under this initiative, the younger generation start to save ‘time’ by taking care of senior citizens. Later, they can use the saved ‘time’ when they get old, sick, or in need of someone to take care of them. This initiative must be applied to Indian setup.

6. Raising of retirement age- India should raise the retirement age in the future, in a phased manner so as not to jeopardize opportunities for younger generations.

7. Proactive government policies- The Government should proactively work on lifestyle modification, non-communicable disease management, vision and hearing problem management, and accessible health care of the elderly population in India.