Answer: 

Introduction:

Life expectancy has improved as a result of advancements in medical care, social conditions generally, and healthcare accessibility. From 50 years in the 1970s to around 70 years since 2015, India’s life expectancy at birth grew by about 20 years over a 45-year span.

Body:

This increase in life expectancy has shed light on some new health challenges such as:

• Lifestyle diseases: As people live longer, they may be more prone to developing non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. These diseases can have a significant impact on the quality of life of older people and can also place a burden on the healthcare system.
• Geriatric care: India lacks the geriatric care speciality, which focuses on the medical requirements of the old. This may include the provision of long-term care, rehabilitation services, and palliative care.
  • According to the National Commission on Population, the share of the elderly in India’s population, close to 9% in 2011, is growing fast and may reach 18% by 2036 and Indian Medical Science does not even provide geriatrics as a subject of study.
• Mental health problems: The increase in life expectancy leads to an increase in the prevalence of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. This is a bigger issue given the fact that elderly people are becoming more isolated and lonelier and are increasingly susceptible to mental health problems.
• An increase in the expense of healthcare: Many older people do not have health insurance and are probably too old to be eligible for one. For instance, compared to non-elderly households, the cost of healthcare has climbed by 3.8 times more for older households.
• Scarcity of public health resources: Extra burden on the already stressed public healthcare system. Accelerated utilisation of resources leading to issues in their distribution and management.

Steps to be taken:

• Healthcare: Through Ayushman Bharat, the government must aggressively seek to improve health care accessibility, non-communicable disease management, vision and hearing problem management, and lifestyle change.
• Sources of finance: Direct contributions from corporate social responsibility programmes toward the needs of the elderly through a well-organized framework. This along with insurance schemes can be used to provide free medical care for the elderly.
• Better facilities: Allowing seniors to age in place while maintaining their physical and mental well-being and remaining engaged in their families and communities.
• Proactive care: Since many children distance themselves from their parents for professional reasons, there is a constant worry and tension about their parents’ health. Therefore, it is essential and urgent that the emphasis be changed from reactive care to proactive and holistic care.

 Conclusion:

Investing a little to engage the elderly in communities can improve their health and well-being of the elderly. It can also improve the health and well-being of communities. Additionally, there is a need to increase awareness and understanding of the health challenges faced by older people, and to develop targeted interventions to address these challenges.

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