Emerging geriatric challenge.

ABSTRACT

India is a vast country with diversity, both physical and cultural. 72% of World's second largest population live in rural experiencing varying degrees of socioeconomic change. However, there is no nationwide registry of older people and exact statistics about elderly population is not available. Community-based data on morbidity and disability are also not available. India is one of the few countries in the world where men out number women at all ages till about 70 years and only in very old age (80+) there are more women than men. One of the main social effect of extension of life in later years is the extended period of widowhood for women mainly due to cultural practice of men marrying younger women and widow marriage as well as divorce are uncommon. Much progress has been made in the health care services in the last 50 years giving much emphasis to mother and child programme with special emphasis on controlling population. But elderly population has been neglected, there is no separate ward for elderly in hospitals, no specialized courses in the Universities for training doctors and nurses for elderly care. Recently, Indian Medical Association has organized an ambitious project for rural elderly with emphasis on Geriatric care. Still recently, emphasis has been given for developing infrastructural facilities including creating training, courses on Geriatric Medicine and integrating with alternative system for better care of elderly. However, due to increasing awareness of policy makers to multiple issues related to aging, some progress has been made like old age pension scheme, income tax rebate for elderly, old homes and day care centers and law to help retired citizens in evicting tenants etc. but environment is not as elderly-friendly as in European countries, as the State is not likely to have adequate resources in the presence of other priorities in the country.