(Refer to respective authorities for revised & updated standards)
It is a well-established fact that formulation of national level policies, standards & guidelines help in defining the framework for proper training, effective implementation & safeguarding of stakeholders, yet many countries tend to shy away from this activity.
Developed social economies have well defined legislative acts & standards for care of older people. These standards are normally shared freely for knowledge sharing & also serve as reference guide for all concerned.
India is gradually progressing towards implementation of National Standards for Senior Living, however we still have a lot of work to do on the ground level.
The mantra for successful adherence of care standards will depend upon the quality and ease of understanding the training content along with hand-holding the implementation process for state social welfare departments.
On one hand it may not be fair to compare Indian Elderly Care Standards with Care Standards of socially developed countries, yet in my opinion it is advisable to take que from the well defined policies and guidelines which have worked well for other nations.
The objective of sharing the standards is not to compare as to which country has better standards rather it is to showcase them in a consolidated manner.
Though there is ample reference & training material available on the internet however country specific standards needs to be designed for practical & realistic understanding by all personnel.
Awareness, training & adherence are the foundation pillars for successful implementation of policies, standards & guidelines. In India we need to understand these basic principles & customise content as per the calibre of prospective manpower & not try to download knowledge which is not relatable and difficult.
It is crucial that the concerned staff be educated on the importance of eldercare policies in the overall functioning of service delivery processes.
Some countries have national level policies whereas some are regulated at the state level. In India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) is the central nodal agency for National level standards however the implementation of the central guidelines are the responsibility of the state governments.
Since Elderly Care in India is paving new paths hence it is even more critical that standardization of care policies are implemented by respective States which are in sync with the National Standards.
I have compiled a set of senior living standards of a few countries which were / are used as regulating and monitoring of care delivery. Some standards might have been revised for which updated standards needs to be referred.
Pankaj Mehrotra
