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News: According to the UN World Population Ageing Report, India’s ageing population (those aged 60 and above) is projected to increase to nearly 20% by 2050 from about 8% now.
Also currently, as India becomes increasingly urbanised, families are breaking up into smaller units which has lead to several homes for the elderly coming up in various cities.
How capable are the old age homes for taking care of the needs of elderly?
Typically, such homes are run by NGOs, religious or voluntary organisations with support from the government, or by local philanthropists. But as there is a lack of regulatory oversight the quality of service is not uniform.
Basic Healthcare– Some recent research has pointed out that these homes lack in fulfilling even the basic health needs of their elderly residents.
These health issues though if properly taken care of require some very basic treatment, but if left unaddressed can be the cause of problems like depression in the patient.
Our homes, buildings and social environment are not built keeping the elderly (or people with disabilities) in mind. In such scenario, in order to prevent them from injury, their mobility is reduced. This reduces their sociability, their sense of independence and well-being — all leading up to mental health issues and depression.
What can be done to make elderly care better?
Screening-There is need for basic health screening at homes and public health facilities. This can include screenings for blood sugar, blood pressure, periodic vision. Such interventions hardly require some big sum of money, but go a long way in identifying health issues and offering support.
The next step would be to build formal pathways to address any health issues that such screenings identify.
There is also a need for robust public policy to support homes for the elderly. A comprehensive policy will guide elderlies to make their facilities, buildings and social environment elderly- and disabled-friendly.
Source: This post is based on the article “A new Vision for Old age care” published in The Hindu on 10th March 2022.
