Do we need standards, guidelines, processes in the Aged Care sector in India?
Do we need regulatory bodies to keep a check on quality and safeguard consumer rights?
Should we enforce the same standards in private sector and charitable old age homes?
Do we need to understand the importance of having national level rules and policies for Care Homes?
Unfortunately the reality of the Indian Aged Care sector at present is;
1) People or service providers do not want to share information and best practices because it might help the competition.
2) There is limited knowledge about this subject hence there is not much to share.
Due to the above 2 points, we as a Nation are not moving forward nor do we have the state level bandwidth to ensure implementation of best practices.
As a country if we do not wake up to the need for National Standards, Guidelines, SoPs in the field of Aged Care soon, then as a consumer we should not complain in the future.
Pankaj Mehrotra
