The privilege of ageing

 

For ageing, one has to live, and when one lives with satisfaction and happiness, there need be no regret

“Sir, you don’t look a day older than 50!” This was the optician, while going through the date of birth entry in the form I was required to fill. My wife, who was with me, immediately whispered into my ears that I should take this remark merely as a marketing strategy.

Not having any requirement of strategies, marketing or otherwise, she was in no frame of mind to have me harbour any grandiose delusions of my age! Be that as it may, I was left wondering why should people get concerned if they get old or look as old as they are. The desire of getting to be told that they look younger than they are is, perhaps, an understandable variant of vanity.

One often comes across observations such as “He/she is so graceful even at his/her age” or “He/she has aged gracefully.” I presume the observation, at least in part, is based on seeing people who have accepted old age with dignity and a measure of calmness. On the other hand, there are people who appear tormented and beleaguered by age and show it too and when that happens, we say, “He/she looks so much older than he/she is.”

Ageing is a natural process and not a matter of choice, but how we handle it, is! There is no known elixir bestowing on humans youth and vitality which will defy and reverse the process of ageing. And thank god for that! Imagine a world bursting at the seams with young “old” people who have defied ageing!

A wise man had once said, “A beautiful face in youth is the result of fortune; a beautiful face in old age is earned by kindness and wisdom.” There are, of course, challenges in how parents and senior citizens are treated by their children. Some cases of “seniors” being ignored or being stifled financially or emotionally or both are dark and sinister facts of today’s times, and though laws such as the Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (awaiting passage in Parliament) are on the anvil, what is required is understanding and empathy, not limited to finances alone, from the kin of the seniors.

Since ageing is inevitable in life’s journey, it is important also to explore and find ways and means to enjoy the journey. These days, concepts such as assisted living with regular health check-ups and nursing care have found currency. In such senior citizens’ homes, “seniors” are eased into secured community living sans the hassles of mundane household chores such as dusting, cleaning and even cooking.

For ageing, one has to live, and when one lives with satisfaction and happiness, there need be no regret, for as is said, “Do not regret growing older, it is a privilege denied to many.”

Ashok Warrier

Source: The Hindu, 28/11/21

Pay attention to the needs of the elderly

 About 45 million have cardiovascular diseases and hypertension; about 20 million suffer from diabetes; and 24% of the elderly have difficulty in performing daily functions

About 75 million elderly people in India suffer from chronic diseases, shows the first part of The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), released last Wednesday. About 45 million have cardiovascular diseases and hypertension; about 20 million suffer from diabetes; and 24% of the elderly have difficulty in performing daily functions. With the demographic transition underway, from 9% in 2011, the 60-plus population is likely to go up to 20% in 2050.

The LASI study is a pressing reminder that India needs to invest substantial financial and human resources in geriatric care. Traditional support systems have weakened over the years due to fewer children in each family, increased employment opportunities for women, and the rise of nuclear families. According to another study by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, there is no specialised training in geriatrics in most medical schools. And whatever little geriatric care is available, it is restricted to tertiary hospitals in urban areas and is prohibitively expensive.

The Centre’s National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly in 2011 promises preventive, curative and rehabilitative care, specialised training of health professionals, and aims to ensure full participation of the elderly in society. To meet this objective, geriatric health care services must be made part of the primary health care services. Importantly, as the PGIMER report says, the Centre must come up with a comprehensive preventive package, which provides awareness regarding common geriatric problems with a focus on nutrition, exercise, and the promotion of mental well-being.

Source: Hindustan Times, 10/01/21

A Shrinking Table

As the elderly population grows, India faces new questions, must find new answers.

During my childhood, we had a rather strict rule about having dinner together as a family. My grandparents were close to my father, and he to them. The cacophony of cross-conversations between grandparents, parents, cousins bore testimony to filial responsibility that had been deeply internalised by every generation.

For a society in the throes of turbulent change, however, even the most sacred of relationships has come under pressure. The share of the elderly in India living alone or only with a spouse increased from 9 per cent in 1992 to 19 per cent in 2006. The modernising forces of demographic change, growth-induced geographic mobility and a sense of individualism, have transformed society within a span of one generation.

First, growing life expectancy and lower fertility rates mean an increasing share of elderly in the population, putting additional pressure on a smaller number of children. Since 1991, the number of households has grown faster than the population. Nuclear families now constitute 70 per cent of all households.

Second, better economic opportunities mean that children are leaving home earlier than they used to, migrating not to the neighbouring town, but across states and countries. According to the 2017 Economic Survey, 90 lakh people, on average, migrated between Indian states for either work or education each year between 2011 and 2016. Urban living is predominantly nuclear, and only 8.3 per cent of the urban elderly live in joint families.

Third, and perhaps most important, direct or indirect exposure to the Western way of life has given this generation an alternative idea of family responsibility and how to organise care. The share of adult children who said that caring for their elderly parents was their duty fell from 91 per cent in 1984 to 51 per cent in 2001.

The Government of India in 2007 enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, which made it a legal obligation for children to provide maintenance to parents in the form of a monthly allowance. In 2018, the revised Act seeks to increase the jail term for negligent children, broaden responsibility beyond biological children and grandchildren and expand the definition of maintenance to include safety and security. This law will ultimately safeguard the rights of those elderly who have seen abuse and help them pursue legal action.

But when financial needs are met, and social ones remain, the bite of law is limited. Isolation and loneliness among the elderly is rising. Nearly half the elderly felt sad and neglected, 36 per cent felt they were a burden to the family. One in every five people will be above the age of 60 by 2050. As the trends of smaller families and reductions in the cost of mobility continue, it is our values that will determine what the future looks like.

For both my grandparents and me, dinner together grew to be a meaningful exchange of lives lived in very different times — my displays of what technology could do, their stories about what the Partition meant. But in the face of change, our generation will face a unique problem in how it approaches the filial contract.

On one hand, sociologists have predicted the rise of modified extended families to replace joint families. This hybrid structure of nuclear families enmeshed in large kinship networks is characterised by close familial bonds despite geographic distance — manifested in frequent visits to parents, and participation in events such as births, marriages and festivals.

An alternative future is one where social support comes from other elderly. Facing greater competitive and economic pressures, young Indians may create a tipping point where old-age homes become the norm, and there is no longer any stigma or guilt associated with them. In Kerala, there has been a 69 per cent increase in the residents of old age homes in 2011-15.

For a society caught between greater economic opportunities and individual freedoms on one hand and traditional values and moral responsibilities on the other, finding a balance is not straightforward. With the passage of time, the values that were once internalised at the dining table might become too distant a memory to check the opportunities and freedoms of the day.

Source: Indian Express, 10/09/2018

Ageing with dignity

We may be a young nation, but we need to gear up to meet the needs of the elderly

While India’s celebrated demographic dividend has for decades underpinned its rapid economic progress, a countervailing force may offset some of the gains from having a relatively young population: rapid ageing at the top end of the scale. This is a cause of deep concern for policymakers as India already has the world’s second largest population of the elderly, defined as those above 60 years of age. As this 104-million-strong cohort continues to expand at an accelerating pace, it will generate enormous socio-economic pressures as the demand for healthcare services and tailored accommodation spikes to historically unprecedented levels. It is projected that approximately 20% of Indians will be elderly by 2050, marking a dramatic jump from the current 6%. However, thus far, efforts to develop a regime of health and social care that is attuned to the shifting needs of the population have been insufficient. While more mature economies have created multiple models for elder care, such as universal or widely accessible health insurance, networks of nursing homes, and palliative care specialisations, it is hard to find such systemic developments in India. Experts also caution that as the proportional size of the elderly population expands, there is likely to be a shift in the disease patterns from communicable to non-communicable, which itself calls for re-gearing the health-care system toward “preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of health”.

Advocacy and information campaigns may be necessary to redirect social attitudes toward ageing, which often do not help the elderly enjoy a life of stability and dignity. As highlighted in ‘Uncertain Twilight’, a four-part series in The Hindu on the welfare of senior citizens, the ground realities faced by the elderly include abandonment by their families, destitution and homelessness, inability to access quality health care, low levels of institutional support, and the loneliness and depression associated with separation from their families. On the one hand, the traditional arrangements for the elderly in an Indian family revolve around care provided by their children. According to the National Sample Survey Organisation’s 2004 survey, nearly 3% of persons aged above 60 lived alone. The number of elderly living with their spouses was only 9.3%, and those living with their children accounted for 35.6%. However, as many among the younger generation within the workforce are left with less time, energy and willingness to care for their parents, or simply emigrate abroad and are unable to do so, senior citizens are increasingly having to turn to other arrangements. In the private sector, an estimated demand for 300,000 senior housing units, valued at over $1 billion, has led to a variety of retirement communities emerging across the country, in addition to innovations in healthcare delivery for this group. Yet the poor among the elderly still very much depend on the government to think creatively and come up with the resources and institutions to support their needs.

Source: The Hindu, 23-02-2017

Proportion of elderly rises across all communities





Census Shows Drop In U-20s In All Communities

Muslims in India have the highest share of children and teenagers among all religions, at 47%, compared to 40% for Hindus, according to Census 2011 data released on Tuesday . If all communities are taken together, around 41% of the country's population is below 20 years old and 9% above 60 years, leaving 50% in the intervening 20-59 age group.Overall, life cycles of different religious communities in India have shown common trends of declining proportion of children and increasing shares of elderly while also showing marked differences in average life span.
The share of the young population has declined since the previous Census in 2001 when it was 45% for the whole country , 44% for Hin dus, 52% for Muslims and 35% for Jains. This is a reflection of across-the-board declines in fertility rates -number of children born -leading to a slowing down of the respective population growth rates. The decline is the least for Hindus and highest for Buddhists and Christians, at seven percentage points, followed by Sikhs and Jains at six percentage points.
At the other end of the life cycle, the proportion of elderly has risen across all communities as life spans have generally increased. The elderly , 60 years and above, make up about nine percent of the country's population.
Across religious communities, there is considerable variation in the share of the elderly population, which can be directly linked to economic status and access to healthcare. In the Muslim community, just 6.4% of the population is over 60 years, almost 50% lower than the national average. In 2001, this share was 5.8%, indicating only a marginal increase. Among Jains, and Sikhs, the share of elderly is 12%, over 30% more than the national average. These shares are more also because the younger generation's numbers are less. The Hindu community is close to all national averages because they make up nearly 80% of the country's population.
Age-wise population shares reveal another important aspect of the lives of people dependency . Both chil dren and the elderly are dependent on the able and adult population. Overall, the young dependency ratio -number of children aged up to 15 dependent on every 1,000 members of the working age population -has declined from 621 in 2001 to 510 in 2011.This is a direct consequence of declining number of children.
At the other end of life, the old dependency ratio has increased from 131 in 2001 to 142 in 2011, in accord with the growing elderly population.
If we add up both young and old, in 2001, 752 people were dependent on every 1,000 persons in the working age population of 15 to 59 years. Compared to that, in 2011, this ratio has come down to 652. Across religious communities, Muslims have the highest total dependency ratio of 748 compared to the lowest ratio for Jains which is just 498. For Hindus, the ratio is 640. All these ratios have declined since 2001.





Source: Times of India, 13-01-2015

Sep 10 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)

India no country for old men, Switzerland the best: Report

Kounteya Sinha

London:





Indians Score Lowest In Healthcare For Elderly

India has emerged as among the worst places in the world to grow old.The country has ranked 71 among 96 countries -much lower than most of its Southeast Asian neighbours -in the Global Age Watch Index by Britain's University of Southampton and Help Age International.
It scored lowest in healthcare for the elderly. An average 60-year-old in India is expected to live only 12.6 years in good health. Almost one in two elderly in India don't have relatives to count on, while two in five don't feel safe walking alone at night. One in three is not satisfied with the freedom of choice in their life while 30% aren't happy with transportation system.
The index found Switzerland the best place for older people to live, followed by Norway and Sweden.
Asghar Zaidi, professor at University of Southampton, told TOI, “India's low ranking is mainly due to health status of older population. Health, when measured using the life expectancy at 60 is seven years less tha what we experience in th UK. The income security o the elderly is also a concer For example, the pension coverage for Indian elderly is very low (28.9%) as opposed to China's 74.4%.“

Elder abuse lowest in India among other Asian countries

The study found that elder abuse is common among community-dwelling older adults and is especially prevalent among minority older adults.

India has the lowest prevalence of elder abuse in Asian countries, according to a new global review which found that 14 per cent older adults in the country may face psychological, physical, and sexual abuse and financial exploitation compared to 36 per cent in China.

The researchers said that in Asia, the highest prevalence of elder abuse was found among older adults in China (36 per cent), while the lowest was reported among older adults in India (14 per cent).

The study found that elder abuse is common among community-dwelling older adults and is especially prevalent among minority older adults.

Older adults with cognitive and physical impairments or psychosocial distress are also at increased risk of elderabuse.

In North and South American epidemiological studies, the prevalence of elder abuse ranged from about 10 per cent among cognitively intact older adults to 47 per cent in older adults with dementia, researchers found.

In Europe, the prevalence varied from 2 per cent in Ireland to 61 per cent in Croatia.

In Africa, the prevalence ranged between 30 per cent and 44 per cent.

“The epidemics of elder abuse and our societal inability to sufficiently protect the most vulnerable population are only compounded by their increased risks for premature death, psychosocial distress, use of emergency departments, hospitalisation, and nursing home placement,” said Dr XinQi Dong, lead author of the review published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

“Systematic, coordinated and targeted research, education, advocacy, and policy efforts are needed to protect, prevent, and serve our golden population in diverse communities,” Dong said.

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Delhi most uncaring of elderly: Study





Delhi has emerged as most uncaring of the elderly with a multi-city survey , finding that 92% of young Delhiites were not willing to act to prevent the abuse of senior citizens, reports Durgesh Nandan Jha.Across cities, the study found that 73% of working adults accepted the problem of elderly abuse but few were willing to take steps to stop it. These included 62% of those surveyed in Chennai, followed by Hyderabad (45%), Ahmedabad (41%), Bengaluru (37%) and Mumbai (35%).

CARE FOR ELDERS - Law not friendly to elderly

Abhinav Garg & Manash Pratim Gohain

New Delhi: TNN





Abused By Own Family, Lack Of Awareness Keeps Them Away From Justice

The murder of a 94-year-old and his 64-yearold daughter-in-law in Patel Nagar on the eve of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day has reinforced the opinion that India is no country for the elderly . Even though there are laws that protect them, these are so badly publicized and implemented that a large section of those suffering cruelty at the hands of friends or strangers don't get any reprieve.Take for instance the case of late Lotika Sarkar. The noted academician's property was grabbed by an IPS officer. But she was plain lucky , as the media and a whole lot of well-wishers came forward to help her. Ultimately ,a tribunal under Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Citizens Act, 2007 cancelled the `gift deed' that formed the legal cover for dispossessing Sarkar of her south Delhi house. That was in 2009.
But even today , say lawyers, awareness about the law and its provisions remain abysmally low. And because of this, senior citizens continue to suffer mental and physical abuse from their children or kin.
Earlier this year, one Sudeshna (80) approached the south district tribunal, seeking relief against her daughter-in-law who forcibly grabbed her three-storey house. In her complaint, she narrated how her signatures were forged and the house transferred in the younger woman's name.
Advocate Ashutosh Lohia, who helped Sudeshna prepare the brief, said, “First of all, there has been a crumbling of social structure due to advancement of technology. Earlier, society provided protection to elders as it boycotted those who maltreat their parents. Now, husband and wife work and want to become social butterflies, but can't spend time with the elderly . The Maintenance Act was enacted precisely to prevent this.“
While Sudeshna at least managed to fight it out legally , an informal study by Agewell Foundation found that majority of such cases go unreported as the victims fear retribution, isolation and neglect from their kin if they go out to complain. “One of the most common reasons is the old person's fear of losing family members or support. Heshe fears that reporting the crime will result in tension and stress in old age, as the abuser may discontinue relations once accused, charged, or convicted,“ said Himanshu Rath of Agewell Foundation.
World Health Organization's report on `Missing Voices' stated six key categories of elder abuse: structural and societal abuse, neglect and abandonment, disrespect and ageist attitudes, psycho logical, emotional and verbal abuse, physical abuse and legal and financial abuse.
An India-specific part of the report also stated: “He (a case study) has lost his freedom of choice around meals, bedtimes, housekeeping, etc.If he makes suggestions, he is told to mind his own business. Although he has asked his son and his family to leave, they have refused. In fact, he has even suggested that he would like to remarry for the sake of a companion so they must leave the apartment for his exclusive use. They do not move out of his apartment but continue to neglect him. The problem of adult children living with their parents in their accommodation is worse for lower income families, because lodgings are smaller.“
Lohia also said that quite often it is the outsider who takes advantage of breakdown of communication between a senior citizen and his adult children. “Parents are easier to manipulate in old age. A third person brainwashes them and gets them to sign papers, evicting both the children and parents and grabbing the property ,“ he added.
Delhi high court lawyer Ajay Verma said, “There is no awareness among elders That is also because rules law is not highly promoted Only literate people may be aware but what about the illit erate? They suffer badly . The government must advertise widely , hold special camps and come up with an online case filing system.“
Though lawyers have been kept out of the mainte nance tribunals, many argue it has its disadvantages be cause the process remains technical. Once a complain is filed, notices are issued statements recorded and evi dence gathered--all these re quire legal assistance.

Oct 01 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

15m elderly Indians live all alone: Census

Rema Nagarajan





75% Are Women; TN Has Most 60+ Singles

Almost 15 million elderly Indians live all alone and close to three-fourths of them are women. In some states like Tamil Nadu the proportion of such `single elders' is even higher with one in 11 of those aged above 60.One in every seven elderly persons in India lives in a household where there is nobody below the age of 60.In states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, a quarter of the elderly population lives in such all-elderly households.
This was revealed in Census 2011 data on the number of elderly people (above 60 years) and household size released this week. Of the nearly 250 million households in India, 31.3% have at least one elderly person.
If we take away those elderly living alone or in elderly-only households from this number, just over 27% of households or 68 million households have elderly living with younger members. In almost 70% of households there is nobody above the age of 60.
In rural areas, almost a third of the households (32.5%) have at least one elderly person, whereas in urban areas that proportion is somewhat lower at about 29%.
In rural areas, 28 lakh elderly women live all alone, while in urban areas about 8.2 lakh elderly women live alone. About 12 million elderly live in all-elderly households in rural areas, while 3.7 million elderly live in such households in urban areas.
Among larger states, Jammu & Kashmir has the lowest proportion of elderly living in all-elderly households, just 5.8%, followed by Assam and Haryana with 6.5% and 8.7%, respectively.
J&K also has the least proportion of elderly living all alone, just 1.6%, followed by Haryana and Punjab.
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have the highest proportion of elderly living in households comprising only those over 60 years.
Chhattisgarh follows close behind with 24.2% of the elderly living in such households.
These three states also have the highest proportion of elderly living all by themselves in single-member households with Tamil Nadu having the highest proportion 9.2%.

ct 01 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Justice delayed remains justice denied for older population

Sushma Batra





Today when we celebrate the International Day for the Elderly do we really have respect for them which they command because of the productive servings done by them by being a contributory member to the society as well as to this Nation? The age at which they become vulnerable is actually an age when their persona needs to be respected. The loneliness and vulnerability is likely to increase with the increasing age. The loved ones and significant others have left by now for the heavenly abode and those who remain and become old are at the mercy of their own children.With the increasing disability with age and inability to meet their daily living requirements many of them are at the mercy of the care givers and the family members. As the joint family system is breaking down, the problem is further aggravated because in a number of instances you find the people known to them waiting for an opportunity to grab their hard earned possessions, by hook or crook. As a result, the older people remain vulnerable and fail to fight their battle. Especially at this age, they look towards the state and its legal machinery which should ideally serve as a means of solace.Unfortunately, often the elderly pass through a difficult and tedious process. Though in the metropolitan cities, the tribunals as well as the National Council for Senior Citizens are in existence but they are hardly efficient in providing relief to our older people.
They are treated at par with other citizens by the courts and there is a long gap between subsequent hearings. They are charged heavily by the so-called lawyers for meeting their legal fees. The entire life's savings which should ideally have been spent on their own maintenance are spent on lawyers. Alas! Courts and legal machinery can wait but life does not wait. This issue can be well explained by the trauma being faced by 88-year-old widow Gian Devi Mehta. Two years ago, this fragile `super-senior-citizen' received a copy of an ex-parte stay awarded by High Court to a trespasser `goon', who had forcefully occupied her house where she lived alone. This stay was like end of the road for her. Gian Devi Mehta has served the society for forty long years as a school teacher by imparting good teaching and values to the upcoming generation and she herself is counting days by lying down in the hospital waiting for the end to come while judiciary takes its own course and goons continue to occupy her sole belonging, that is her house. In her case and in number of so many instances other senior citizens the justice delayed remains justice denied in their life time.
The relevant questions that arise are: How are stays granted to unrightful people without listening to the other party when it is well known that the legal process takes more than `one life time' to decide? Is it not a case of justice delayed is justice denied? What is the relief to senior and super senior citizens at courts? How is the legal system protecting the senior citizens viza-viz their life and property?
Over the last few decades the length of human life has increased most dramatically. That is to say, the better education, health facilities and increase in life expectancy, the percentage of elderly population (60+) has gone up from 5.3 to 5.7 percent and 6.0 to 8.0 percent during the periods of 1971 to 1981 and 1991 to 2011. This has mainly been possible because of the medical advances made in extending better care facilities to our senior citizens.The average longevity has gone up.Though the average age has gone up, the existing health facilities have not been able to keep pace with the provision of appropriate care to our older population. With the breakdown of the joint family norm and values in our younger generation, the old people on occasions also receive neglect, abuse from their own children. As they age, issues faced by them increase many fold. Those who provided care to their children all their life by remaining productive become vulnerable at an age. And here it becomes necessary for the state to ensure economic, social and legal protection so that athey do not become the most vulnerable section of the society.
(The writer is Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Delhi)

Jun 24 2014 : The Economic Times (Delhi)

PUBLIC HEALTH - The Ageing Imperative: India Needs to Act Now

Jack Watters





An Indian born in 1950 could expect to live for a mere 37 years. Today, India's life expectancy at birth has risen to 65 years and is projected to be 74 years by 2050. Indians are living longer -that's the good news. The bad news is the number of older Indians who will be affected by long-term, chronic conditions will increase, leading to serious economic, social and healthcare policy consequences.By 2030, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will account for almost three-quarters of deaths in India and the years of life lost due to coronary heart disease will be greater than in China, Russia and the US combined.
In a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, the economic burden of NCDs in India will be close to $6.2 trillion during 2012-30.
Rapid urbanisation in India, associated with unhealthy nutrition and physical inactivity , may also contribute to the increase of age-related, infectious diseases such as pneumonia and influenza, as well as non-infectious chronic diseases such as stroke, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, mental illnesses, cancers and respiratory infections, adding to healthcare costs and impacting productivity and the need for support. The disquieting feature of population ageing in a place such as India is that ageing is taking place at lower levels of socioeconomic status, and the gap in health-related outcomes between the rich and the poor is widening.
This will result in greater demand for healthcare, but older Indians may not be generating as much income as before to support it, leading to greater pressure on the working-age population to support senior members of the family financially and through care. This phenomenon puts added pressure on India's healthcare systems. So, how do we ensure the healthcare system can cope with the extra burden an older society poses?
Much is being done through civil society and institutions but more is needed. India as a nation needs to find ways to approach healthy and active ageing by promoting a healthy life course. With Indians living longer lives and India being the secondmost-populous nation in the world, the future of the country depends on healthy , active and productive ageing of its people. First, there is a greater need to educate citizens about preventive measures such as optimal nutrition, regular exercise, screenings and vaccinations.
A public health imperative to focus on preventive care and managing lifestyle factors should be the need of the hour for the new government. This will address some of the psychosocial factors and the productivity of ageing societies. For example, in the US, strategies to reduce salt intake to help address obesity and to control tobacco use cost as little as $1-2 per person and avert millions of deaths and billions of dollars of loss in economic output. Second, preventive care programmes must be supported by all stakeholders and integrated into national healthcare systems to be successful. The work by institutions such as the Public Health Foundation of India, among others, is key .
There needs to be an industry-wide coalition of governments, care providers and businesses to create methods to promote wellness and enable healthy living. India should encourage research to translate knowledge into innovative and effective products, strategies, interventions and services that help prevent disease and improve well-being while being cost-effective. For example, this could include tackling communicable diseases through new prevention frameworks, including immunisation programmes for children and adults.
If the needs of older people are properly recognised, this newly-burgeoning population need not be a demographic catastrophe, but can become a demographic dividend. Everyone should collaborate to ensure that barriers to the healthy ageing of society are eliminated. The clock is ticking.
Western and developed nations are preparing for the demographic transformation; and India, as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, can't afford to fall behind.
Ageing and prosperity can go hand in hand and a life-course approach to healthy ageing is the most reliable way to ensure that India takes its rightful place in the world.
The writer is vice-president for external medical affairs, Pfizer