Elderly Care and “ageing in place” 

Ultimate goal of old age is to live a happy, comfortable and healthy life. The concept of “ageing in place” by staying at home is becoming more and more common these days. While the number of senior citizens and elderly continue to increase, various families, social groups and individuals are doing their best to make “ageing” a memorable experience. According to a report, India has approximately 138 million senior and elderly population, commonly above the age of 60 years, constituted by 67 million men and 71 million women. From the past sixty years, the number of elderly people have doubled to account for a total of 10.1% of India’s population in 2021. This number is further expected to increase in the near future.  Hence, we need to create simple and comprehensive solutions for the senior citizens who are “ageing in place”, especially those who are in deliberate need of care-centres like old age homes. 

Ageing in place exactly means to continue to live in a community with limited level of independence rather than shifting to an old age home. Different organisations need to come together to create such spaces which not only offer residential support but also cater to the emotional well-being of the elderly. 

Improving quality of life of the senior citizens 

Pramadaya India Foundation has always focused on improving the quality of life for the elderly. Through our initiatives, we have visited different backward areas and connected with the senior citizens on a personal level. We have provided them with humanitarian support. We’ve also spent time with them to better understand what they face in their daily life and hence work in that direction. We’ve also provided emotional support to them and looked after their mental and emotional well-being on a personal level. 

Pramadaya India believes that one of the biggest issues which these senior citizens face, especially the ones who have been neglected by their families or are living in old age homes, is that of emotional breakdown. Most of the elderly have no emotional support. In a time where they must be holding meaningful conversations with their grand-children and children, they’ve been emotionally brutalised by them. 

Pandemic and The Elderlies 

According to a survey taken by HelpAge India in June 2020 , nearly 65% of the elderly people agreed that their livelihoods were lost or strained during the pandemic. This indicates how crippled our senior care system is. These frameworks have to be re-evaluated and refurbished to empower them in their golden years. 

Re evaluating Elder Care 

Elder care is not merely providing assistance to older people. In recent times, old age homes have become quite popular, but most of them lack what is actually needed by the senior citizens. Current scenario is that many of the older people are requesting elder-care in their homes. As per the study made by Alserv, the top most requested services by the elderly have been home cleaning, healthcare, plumbers, food, maid services. Healthcare topped the list with nearly 65% demanding for it. 

One of the most important things to do is to spread awareness about the subject of elderly care so that they are able to live a dignified and independent life with comfort. Another thing which can be done is to introduce this strata of generation to digital platforms. This will help them to better connect with their loved ones and also spend their alone time with something productive. We need to be considerate, compassionate and more patient while engaging them in something new. 

Free access to basic amenities 

As previously mentioned, food and healthcare have been one of the most requested services by the elderly. However, they are still not able to avail them free of cost. At an age where their physical health takes a toll, they are forced to work in factories and shops just to meet their basic needs. Most of these elderly individuals have no financial support. They are also unaware about various schemes run by governments and different NGOs. Also, to look after their ailments, they require a quantum which costs them a fortune. 

Looking after these issues, our NGO took up the initiative to provide free food and healthcare services to the elderly. We particularly looked after those residing in areas of poor socio-economic status and where resources were poor. During the pandemic, we also distributed free ration, clothes, medicines, masks, oxygen cylinders to support the older people. We also visited different backward areas, especially in Bihar, Kolkata and UP to understand the ground realities faced by the senior citizens of our country. 

Pramadaya India also offered shelter to debilitated senior citizens. Currently, we are working to provide free food and healthcare services to elderly people across different parts of the country. 

Connecting the senior citizens to the digital world 

Digital adoption by the senior citizens has brought a drastic improvement in their quality of life. Earlier, those people who were only able to talk once a month to their children living in foreign countries, are now able to connect with them daily through video calls. Digital media has allowed them to maintain relationships with their loved ones. Additionally, digital platforms are also catering to each and every need of the older people. From ordering medicines, food, clothes to connecting with top-class doctors, all can be done right on their device. But there is still a shortfall in the number of elderly people who are actually connected to the digital world. Most of them don’t own mobile phones, some of them have basic phones and those who have smartphones have no idea about making the right use of it. This gap must be bridged for their benefit. Various researchers are of the view that digital media and platforms can help the elderly to eliminate their anxiety, loneliness and a sense of neglectance which they face. We can also connect them to various online communities and peer groups of like minded people which can help them face the challenges of ageing. According to data, the video platform boosted to over 4 million elderly users globally during the pandemic. This data clearly states that the number of senior citizens finding digital media platforms useful has increased in the past few years. Various media have provided them with their own digital space, connection to the outer world, socialisation, health and fitness knowledge. 

The Institute for Competitiveness recently published the Index on Quality of Life for Elderly in India. Index states that we need to work a lot to improve the quality of life and bring about a massive change with the changing generation. Various resources need to be implemented, elderly people should be provided with a supplementary income source and make sustainable economic opportunities so that they can fulfil their livelihood. 

Mental health issues faced by the senior citizens 

In a recent epidemiological study, it was found out that approximately 21% mental health comorbidities were present in older adults (above 60 years of age). It was also found in the study that nearly 17.13 million elderly people are facing severe mental health issues in our country. Most of them do not share this with anyone and suffer silently. Pramadaya India has listed some of the major mental health issues faced by our senior citizens. These are-

• Anxiety and fear

Nearly 10% of the older adults face problems like anxiety, fear, phobias which disrupt their day to day life. Although fear is an emotion which most of us face everyday, for elderly people it can become overpowering and impede their daily activities. Anxiety is one of the symptoms of the underlying depression faced by these individuals. This in turn aggravates their physical health issues. These can also convert into panic attacks, palpitations, OCDs (Obsessive Compulsive Disorders). For this we need to provide behavioural therapy based on cognizance, drug therapy which can act on both stress and anxiety, and can help them achieve a sense of well being. 

• Depression

         The older individuals who suffer from depression have hindered functioning as compared to those suffering only from physical ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lung disease or cardiac disease. They may not be able to express their symptoms. Often their depression is vented out by means of low mood complaints and irritability. Most of them might also complain of pain, which actually doesn’t exist. There are various factors which contribute to depression in older individuals. These include social negligence, being left alone by their own children, isolation with age,boredom and loneliness. 

• Demented memory

Dementia is a progressive chronic syndrome which is characterised by deterioration of memory, capability to think, decision making, cognizance and behaviour. It also encompasses a series of terminal diseases such as vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease etc. Every elderly individual should be diagnosed for dementia so that necessary steps could be taken within time. Also, they must also be tested for other psychological disorders. Therefore, connecting the senior citizens with a licensed counsellor or psychologist will not only ensure early detection of mental ailments but also improve their health and overall well being. 

Free assessment of mental and physical health by doctors and medical experts 

Pramadaya India Foundation plans to organise free health check-ups and healthcare camps for senior citizens residing in rural areas where healthcare resources are poor. By doing this, we will be able to diagnose non-life threatening diseases from life-threatening ones, and avoid unwanted deaths due to negligence and lack of awareness. Most of the elderly individuals in rural areas never undergo any kind of health checkup. This can be fatal as any kind of underlying disease will not be detected. Hence, Pramadaya India took into account various types of medical services, care and assistance services required by our senior citizens using the SMART method ( specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound). This method ensures timely delivery of various services in a much efficient manner that caters to almost every aspect of elderly healthcare and assistance.  

Pramadaya India’s consistent efforts have been beneficial for the elderly and senior citizens of our country. We are on a continuous journey to make healthcare more affordable and sustainable for the older individuals.