Elderly population is no more an insignificant number in the larger landscape of India, they are now a sizeable force to be reckoned with.
While there are numerous projections as to how 1 in every 5 Indians will be above 60 years by 2050, but then are we prepared to handle such a large population boom of Older People in the next 25 years?
The dynamics of Indian family structure will drastically change in the next 20 years, as a result there will be more Elderly living alone, especially older women.
The larger point of debate is, are these population demographics meant only for the census data or we do we see them as living beings who need and will need care?
India has approximately 1 Lakh Senior Citizen Care Homes Beds (0.10 million) for a Elderly Population of 140 million, which means there is 1 Bed for every 1400 senior citizens.
The stark reality is that, if as a country we do not start creating infrastructure and facilities which can cater to the growing population of Senior Citizens then we may have a big task at hand at a later date.
Today’s reality is tomorrow’s future which will not only affect the poor and underprivileged but also the middle class and the rich.
Pankaj Mehrotra