In my native place we all grew up with the maxim ''grandfather is the first friend of a child and for him that is last.”
NFHS 5 suggests the total fertility rate at 2.0. Known as replacement level of fertility. This decline spread unevenly across the community and evenly in the country. With the falling dependency ratio, India is in the middle of a demographic transition. Currently, India’s population is among the youngest in the aging world. However, a major portion of India's population will be aged by 2050. Amid this elderly are the fastest growing, but unutilized resource. Re-integration of the elderly into the community is the need of the hour. It may save humanity from mindlessly changing into a technology-driven industry.
ISSUES RELATED TO THE ELDERLY POPULATION IN THE INDIA
The report released by Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and a national survey carried out by the NGO HelpAge India suggests
Financial issues
- 52% of elderly people surveyed reported inadequate income
- 40% said they don't feel financially secure.
- 57% of the elderly said their expenditure was excess than savings; and
- 45% claimed that the pension amount was not enough for survival.
- Migration of young working-age persons from rural area have negative impacts on the elderly, living alone or with only the spouse usually poverty and distress.
Health issues
- Health issues like Mental ailment arising from caducity and neurosis.
- Absence of geriatric care facilities at rural areas’ hospitals.
- Health issues like blindness, locomotor disabilities, and deafness are more prevalent.
- Diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer's are expected to almost double every 20 years, as life expectancy increases.
Social issues
- The report highlighted the way elder abuse is perceived and reported.
- Indian society is undergoing a rapid transformation under the impact of urbanization, technical and technological change, education, and globalization.
- Accordingly, the traditional values and institutions are in the process of erosion and adaption, performing in the decaying of intergenerational ties.
With this, they felt feelings of powerlessness, loneliness, uselessness, and isolation which ultimately leads to generational gaps. As a signatory to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA), India has the responsibility to formulate and apply public policy on population aging.
In developed nations, this shift has already happened. Poor countries like India will carry the double burden of caring for older people with chronic disease, as well as dealing with continued high rates of infectious disease.
Constitutional provisions
The welfare of the elderly is also mandated in the constitution of India under Article 41: “The state shall, within the limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for securing the right to public assistance in cases of old age”.
ROADMAP FOR ELDERLY CARE OVER TIME
- Gender and social concerns of seniors, particularly senior women, must be integrated into the policy position.
- The seniors, especially women, should be represented in decision timber.
- With the WHO declaring 2020 to 2030 as the “Decade of Healthy Ageing”, there's a need for institutes like AIIMS to be in the van in promoting healthy aging.
- Renewed sweats should be made for raising wide mindfulness and access to social security schemes Similar to National Old Age Pension and Widow Pension Scheme.
- Government must proactively work on lifestyle revision, non-communicable complaint operation, vision, and hail problem operation, and accessible health care through Ayushman Bharat.
- Healthy senior citizens can partake their wealth of knowledge with young generations, and help with childcare, and levy or hold jobs in their communities.
- We need to accelerate the perpetration of programs similar to the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE).
- Supported living installations for penurious seniors, particularly those with age-related issues like madness, which needs policy focus.
- Further duty benefits, or at least removing duty on deposit interest for seniors.
- Enhancing the senior care health structure, especially in the pastoral area.
- Allocation of a special budget for the senior population in both situations.
- Furnishing entertainment installations like libraries and clubs at panchayat position.
CONCLUSION
Globalization, technological developments (e.g., in transport and communication), urbanization,
migration and changing gender morals are impacting the lives of aged people in direct and circular ways. Consequently, a public health response must take stock of these current and projected trends and frame programs.
“Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being.” — Margaret Mead.
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About the Author
Rahul Budania is the CMO & Co-Founder at Happy Digital Media. He is also a Writer & Keynote Speaker.