The human attitude to ageing is ambivalent. The final phase of life is often marked by a decline in utility, health and mobility. While in certain communities seniors are revered, many languish in neglect.
In ancient India, vanaprastha was the stage of life when after discharging their family duties, elders were expected to embrace austerity and contemplation by entering the forest. In today's time, while a retreat to the forest does not happen, most cultures tend to marginalise and invisibilise the elderly. However, due to the growing elderly populations across the globe, their problems and efforts to address them have gained visibility.
Globally, the population of the elderly is on the rise. The cohort of people over the age of 60 in India is around 150 million. By 2050, the numbers are expected to cross 350 million. Over the years, there is documented increase in abuse faced by senior citizens and in the numbers being abandoned in public places by family members.
In response to this, several NGOs committed to caring for abandoned elders have emerged. The government of India enacted the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act as early as 2007. But often, blatant disregard for the rights and dignity of the elderly continues unabated. Several courts have intervened to uphold the property rights of senior citizens and their right to maintenance by family members.
Over the past decade, retirement homes have mushroomed across the country, especially in south India. These provide residential accommodation for senior citizen without the hassle of running a household. Such communities, with opportunities for social interactions, access to on-call medical facilities, and security are gaining popularity among retirees who seek to reduce dependence on family support.
While the demand for such homes is increasing, their availability and affordability is an issue. The Maharashtra government’s 2025 housing policy has taken a step forward by reducing the stamp duty on properties for senior living to facilitate purchase by elders. There is also a growing preference for multi-generational living communities which mirrors the multi-generational homes of earlier decades that could be beneficial to residents across ages.
The lack of an adequate number of caregivers to cater to the ageing population is a persistent problem across the globe. In many countries, technological, robotic, and artificial intelligence solutions are entering the care economy to supplement human care—from predicting falls to reminding popping pills, from wearable monitors to physically assisting the elderly. Automated mobility devices have also reached the market.
Solutions are being tailored for the elderly. Recently, a teenager of Indian origin was featured on the cover of Time magazine for her innovation to help senior citizens vulnerable to digital and cyber fraud. While tech solutions serve to complement the elder care system, it is necessary to guard against undue commercialisation and profiteering.
The size of the global elder care products and services industry is expected to grow to $1,400 billion by 2030. This provides opportunities for entrepreneurs. The demand for specialised geriatric care is growing, mainly due increasing life spans, prevalence of chronic diseases and cognitive decline among the elderly. An emerging trend is that many elderly prefer home care solutions rather than institutionalised care.
There is also a requirement for planning and allocating resources to meet future demands. Financial planning by families and availability of affordable insurance, especially for home care, is the need of the hour. The government has started a scheme for free treatment of up to `5 lakh for citizens above 70 for critical illnesses requiring hospitalisation.
Kerala, which has a large population of seniors, has come out with an ambitious draft policy for elder care that proposes to strengthen community care systems. The concept of the elderly continuing to live in own homes with accessible healthcare, financial assistance, and care is being proposed. Local governments are required to maintain a database of eligible elders requiring assistance and allocate a minimum of 10 percent of their annual budgets for elder care. This model, when implemented, could provide a prototype for the rest of the country. The Kerala government has also recently constituted a Senior Citizens’ Commission to look into specific issues.
The representation of elders in media and culture needs to be sensitive and appropriate, avoiding stereotypes. Elders are not always dependent and helpless. It is necessary to remember and acknowledge that the world we live in today owes everything to the ageing members of the previous generation. There is also another side to the story: many senior citizens are still fit, capable and ready to make valuable contributions to society.
Professionals continue to practice well past the official age of retirement. For many, age is just a number. American humourist James Thurber said, “I’m 65 and I guess that puts me in with the geriatrics. But if there were 15 months in every year, I’d only be 48. That’s the trouble with us. We number everything.”
With better nutrition, preventive healthcare and fitness routines, many people are beating the predicted life expectancy. Genetic rewiring also promises to further extend health spans. Integrating the elderly into the mainstream and not measuring the value of their existence solely through the lens of economic utility would enrich the lives of entire communities.
(Views are personal)
Read all columns by Geetha Ravichandran
Geetha Ravichandran
Former bureaucrat and author, most recently of The Spell of the Rain Tree
