What Are the Factors Contributing To Neglect of the Elderly in India

by Kanan James NGO INDIA

Senior Citizen Homes in India are the need of the hour. Population of the elderly is increasing exponentially due to a massive escalation in the life expectancy over the last few years. A study suggests that by 2025, the geriatric population in the developing countries is expected to reach 840 million. However, in India, the geriatric population is expected to rise to 11.1% in 2025 from 7.5% in 2010. The ageing population is likely to be suffering from a very high rate of mortality and morbidity as well. The basic requirements of the elderly depend and vary according to various other factors such as socioeconomic status, living status, financial status, age, health conditions and others. Elders with a disease or illness require better physical infrastructure both at home and whenever they are in public. However, there are no systems of affordable healthcare facilities in India.

Here are some other factors that have contributed in the need to care for old people more -

The concept of Nuclear families

With the emerging concept of nuclear families, the elders of the family are often exposed to financial, physical and emotional insecurity and crisis. According to studies, care for the elderly needs to be given more importance in the coming years with upcoming economic development and modernization. Statistics suggest that the percentage of the living conditions in the families of India where the elders of the family have been compelled to live in seclusion along with their spouses has seen a great rise from 9.0% in 1992 to 18.7% in 2006.

Inequality in the society 

The conditions of the elderly in the society differs from the one who lives in the urban to the one who lives in the rural. Studies have shown that the elders of India are less vulnerable in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Hence, caring for the elderly is crucial more in the urban areas. According to a survey, the conditions of elderly women are much more vulnerable than that of the elderly men in terms of income, education, physiological conditions, health conditions, health insurance coverage and also they record the lowest expenditure in terms of consumption.

Insufficient Health care availability

In India, the condition of geriatric care still remains to be a neglected sector. With the growing trend of nuclear families, caring for the elders of the family is getting more difficult. The urban health care facilities are however, challenging for the 75% of elders who reside in the rural areas. Some of the key challenges that result in the reduced access to health care of the elderly are structural and social barriers, dependency on family, decline in the social engagement, reduced mobility and so on. 

Aspects such as modernization, a massive change in lifestyle, increased urbanization and life expectancy have resulted in various complications for the elderly in India. A collaboration of the government, family and society is responsible for factors such as comprehensive elder health care and better living conditions for them in the country.

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Created on Jul 25th 2018 06:24. Viewed 447 times.

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