Global initiatives:
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- The Madrid International plan of action which focuses on three priority areas: older persons and development; advancing health and well-being into old age; and ensuring enabling and supportive environments should be the need of the hour
- We need timely action based on the existing global framework and ensure that action should not fall behind this demographic trend. Increased investments, political will and addressing gaps in data and statistics are key to concerted response
Collective efforts:
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- Stronger partnerships between civil society, community and families are necessary to complement the actions taken by Governments in this regard, she added.
Income/Pension:
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- Issues of poverty, migration, urbanization, ruralisation and feminisation compound the complexity of this emerging phenomenon. Public policy must respond to this bourgeoning need and mainstream action into developmental planning.
- Gender and social concerns of elderly, particularly elderly women, must be integrated at the policy level. The elderly, especially women, should be represented in decision making.
- Increasing social/widow pension and its universalization is critical for expanding the extent and reach of benefits.
Health:
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- With the WHO declaring 2020 to 2030 as “Decade of Healthy Ageing”, there is a need for Institutes like AIIMS to be in the forefront in promoting healthy ageing.
- Government must proactively work on life style modification, non-communicable disease management, vision and hearing problem management and accessible health care through Ayushman Bharat.
- We must better equip people in earlier age cohorts, so that they remain in good physical and mental health and continue their involvement in family and community throughout the ageing process.
- With a lot of youngsters staying away from parents due to career reasons, there is a constant sense of concern and stress about their parents’ health. It is therefore crucial and the need of the hour to shift the focus from reactive care to proactive and holistic care.
Insurance:
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- Health Insurance companies need to take a ‘Health First’ approach to engage with senior citizens and come up with a holistic health support system. The industry needs to serve as an enabler and influencer of health and healthcare choices that customers make, in addition to being a payer of healthcare expenses.
Digital initiatives:
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- Provision of Customer service centers at the rural areas for digital assistance of the aged.
- Digital financial literacy will help in financial inclusion, which is abysmally low among aged women.
- Digital literacy among the elderly would help the population in getting government benefits on financial inclusion schemes, chatting with friends and relatives, internet banking, online payment of utility bills, getting gainful engagement, online entertainment, among others.
Innovative schemes:
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- Innovative and Inclusive measures like the ‘Bell of Faith’ scheme in Kerala must be implemented for senior citizens staying alone in villages.
