Azaad आवाज़

MARCH 2021

GERIATRIC CARE IN INDIA : REALITIES OF POLICY AND PRACTICE

In This Issue

Senior citizens are one of the most vulnerable demographic groups in societies worldwide. Most of them are not able to work after they reach a certain age, and are dependent on their offspring for their survival. In India, the population of senior citizens, that is, people aged 60 years and above, was estimated to be 103 million in 2011. Despite this small proportion compared to the entire population of the country that stood at 1.21 billion people at that time, it is important to understand them and address their concerns now because of the imminent drastic demographic shift in population. In this respect, state intervention is necessary, not only in terms of social and economic security, but also to commit a major overhaul in the healthcare industry, especially to take care of senior citizens suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Awaaz in Focus introduces one to the varied perspectives shared by those who are initiating grassroot level changes in and across different local communities in a region. The people interviewed vary from academic scholars to grassroot level activists and practitioners.

In this edition of Awaaz In Focus, we talk to (Dr.) Abhijit Dam, founder of Kosish – The Hospice, about palliative care, how is it currently viewed in India, and why is it important for senior citizens. We also talk about how we, as citizens can take a more accepting view of palliative care and what the Government can do as policy measures to improve palliative care in India.

This month’s opinion piece talks about geriatric healthcare in India. It talks about how gender, caste and economic status play an important role in the health of senior citizens, and how the Indian society views the process of ‘aging’. This opinion piece also talks about lack of awareness of government schemes for the elderly, and discusses many different ways through which Government can intervene to ease the aging process among the senior citizens of India, and adequately address their concerns.

Talk Point is the segment of the Patrika wherein individuals are interviewed based upon their perception and understanding of a certain issue.

This month, Talk point features Dr. Arun Kumar Aggarwal, who talks about palliative care, from the perspective of the care giver. He talks about what a family goes through during the final days of their loved ones, and the stigma that surrounds palliative care.

Vichaar is Azaad Awaaz’s podcast series that aims at engaging with experts and professionals to further the conversation on the marginalisation of communities.

This month’s podcast features Dr. Jayashree Dasgupta, founder of Samvedna Senior Care. She talks about Dementia as a disease, and the socio-economic costs surrounding it. She also talks about the role of gender in care giving, and the stigmas that surround Dementia.

About Azaad Awaaz

Our initiative Azaadआवाज़ aims to tackle an erosion of empathy in our society. This monthly magazine (Patrika) aims to focus on the marginalized sections whose voices are often muted in the cacophony of flashy mainstream media discourse. When referring to the marginalization, this platform does not aim to restrict itself to the traditional focus on social aggregates like caste and race alone but aspires to include a discussion on class, gender, sexual orientation etc.