NEW DELHI: Experts pointed out that as India’s population ages at an unprecedented pace, geriatric care must be recognised as a core public health priority, on par with mental health and non-communicable diseases.
Highlighting the growing challenges confronting the country’s elderly population, experts said there is an urgent need for more responsive and inclusive approaches to geriatric care, and it can no longer be optional but must serve as a national imperative.
As age-related health conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's and disabilities rise, there are significant gaps in the geriatric healthcare infrastructure.
This, experts said, becomes sharper as it is coupled with an urban-rural divide in access to medical services, followed by mounting economic pressures driven by inadequate social security and rising healthcare costs.
India's senior citizen population is projected to surge to around 230 million by 2036, making up about 15 per cent of the total population.
“Geriatric care cannot remain confined to a few tertiary hospitals or centres of excellence. In a country as large and demographically diverse as India, care must begin at home and be strengthened through district-level systems,” said Rajesh Bhushan, former union health secretary at the Illness to Wellness Conference on “The Role of Geriatric Care in Promoting Healthy and Graceful Ageing.”
He also highlighted the need to repurpose and upskill general physicians, integrate social care with medical services, and draw lessons from countries such as Japan and South Korea to create unified, one-stop elder care models that combine healthcare, rehabilitation, and social support.
“Many elderly health needs do not require hospitalisation but can be effectively managed through trained caregivers, home-based services, and coordinated community support. The real challenge is scale, integration, and last-mile delivery,” said Bhushan, who is Chairperson, Governing Council, Illness to Wellness Foundation.
Anil Rajput, Chairperson, Advisory Council, Illness to Wellness Foundation, highlighted the growing national focus on strengthening healthcare systems to address the evolving needs of India’s ageing population, with increasing attention to geriatric and mental healthcare.
“As India undergoes a significant demographic transition, ensuring that longer lives are lived with dignity, independence, and good health is becoming increasingly important. The Union Budget’s emphasis on strengthening healthcare systems, expanding geriatric and mental healthcare, and building caregiver capacity is a timely recognition of these emerging needs,” he said.
At the same time, however, changing social structures-from joint families to nuclear households and increased migration-are reshaping how we care for our elders, he added.
“Preserving dignity, intergenerational responsibility, and emotional support must remain central to India’s approach to healthy and graceful ageing, and translating this intent into coordinated, on-ground action will be key to making a real difference in the lives of senior citizens,” he added.
Speaking on the evolution of geriatric medicine, Dr AB Dey, Founder and Former Head of Department, Department of Geriatric Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, and Chairperson - Geriatric Medicine, Artemis Hospital, Gurugram, said the discipline has moved from the margins to the mainstream of clinical practice.
“Three decades ago, geriatrics was barely understood as a discipline. Today, we are witnessing an overwhelming and growing demand for skilled geriatric care—far greater than the training and systems currently available. Healthy ageing is not merely about the absence of disease; it is about independence, purpose, and the ability to do what one values in everyday life. Ultimately, the most meaningful marker of good care is not a test result, but whether the person feels better, lives better, and ages with dignity and grace,” he said.
Dr Rajinder K Dhamija, Director of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi, emphasised that elder care must move beyond episodic treatment.
“Ageing is not just about adding years to life, but adding life to those years. Geriatric care must be coordinated, continuous, community-based, and compassionate. Mental and emotional well-being are as critical as physical health, especially in an era of nuclear families and increasing social isolation. Geriatric care is not a luxury-it is a necessity,” he said.
Prof. Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, Former Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research, noted that ageing outcomes are deeply influenced by social engagement, mental stimulation, and timely management of chronic conditions.
“Age is truly just a number. Mental engagement, social interaction, and proactive management of vision, hearing, balance, and chronic diseases can dramatically improve quality of life. While challenges such as dementia, diabetes, and hypertension are rising, advances in technology and medical science offer real solutions—provided they are made accessible and equitable,” he observed.
Dr Arun Agarwal, Chair of the FICCI Task Force on Active and Healthy Ageing and Former Additional DGHS, Government of India, emphasised that longevity must be accompanied by health, dignity, and grace.
“Healthy ageing must go hand in hand with graceful ageing. While medical science has helped us add years to life, our larger responsibility is to ensure those years are lived with strength, purpose, and self-respect. Stories like Fauja Singh's remind us of what is possible when health, resilience, and a positive mindset come together. Our collective goal should be to create systems and environments that enable every senior citizen—not just a few—to age actively, independently, and with dignity,” he said.
The experts also pointed to a widening digital divide, with many seniors struggling to adopt technology due to limited access and lack of age-friendly training, as well as physical infrastructure -- public spaces, transport systems and emergency response mechanisms that remain ill-equipped primarily to support the safety, mobility and independence of older persons.