Abstract
As India stands in the 70th decade of its independence it has travelled a long way with life expectancy at birth drastically increasing from 36.2 years in 1950 to 69.7 years in 2020; this is further projected to rise to 75.9 years by 2050. The Indian subcontinent is known for its rich heritage and culture. It is one of the most diverse countries in the world with its varied religions, ethnicities, languages, customs and social structures. The most unique feature of India is its unity in diversity. It is home to 1.3 billion people of which more than 8% being elderly making India an ageing nation. As diverse as India is, so is the situation of the elderly in India. The health and wellbeing of the elderly is determined by multiple features ranging from individual risk factors to the socioeconomic, cultural and environmental milieu in which the elderly reside. Their level of education, working environment and living conditions have a detrimental impact on the lives of the elderly. The immediate family, social and community networks of the elderly play a crucial role in providing not only physical but also mental support. This rich social capital is considered most often as the only social security measure that the elderly in India have. Even though there is a national policy and program with many elderly friendly initiatives in place there still exists a huge gap in services that needs to be addressed. This chapter aims to provide a holistic overview of the life of an elderly in India emphasising the need for healthy aging for a healthier tomorrow.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acts retirement-life communities. (2021). The emotional stages of retirement [WWW Document], n.d. URL https://www.actsretirement.org/latest-retirement-news/blog/2019/5/23/the-emotional-stages-of-retirement/ (accessed 3.4.21).
Admin. (2010). Collective and individual responsibilities for health, both physical and mental [WWW Document]. Health Knowledge. https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/disease-causation-diagnostic/2h-principles-health-promotion/responsibilities-health-physical-mental (accessed 3.3.21).
Ahlin, T. (2018). Only near is dear? Doing elderly care with everyday ICTs in Indian transnational families. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 32, 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/maq.12404
Ahmad, I., & Khan, B. A. (2011). Indian migrants in Gulf States: Issues and problems. Indian Journal of Political Science, 72, 1143–1164.
Akenji, L., & Briggs, E., & United Nations Environment Programme. (2015). Sustainable consumption and production: A handbook for policymakers.
Ali, H. M., & George, L. S. (2019). A qualitative analysis of the impact of Kudumbashree and MGNREGA on the lives of women belonging to a coastal community in Kerala. Journal of Family Medicine Primary Care, 8, 2832–2836. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_581_19
Berkman, L. F., Sekher, T. V., Capistrant, B., & Zheng, Y. (2012). Social networks, family, and care giving among older adults in India. In Aging in Asia: Findings from new and emerging data initiatives (pp. 261–278). National Academies Press.
Bhasin, H. (2016). Change in family structure in the modern times. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3(4), 66.
Century, I. (2002). Models of health determinants, The future of the public’s health in the 21st Century. National Academies Press.
Chadda, R. K., & Deb, K. S. (2013). Indian family systems, collectivistic society and psychotherapy. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 55, S299–S309. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.105555
Charles, S., & Carstensen, L. L. (2010). Social and emotional aging. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 383–409. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100448
Davidson-Rada, M., & Davidson-Rada, J. (1993). The rainbow model of health as ongoing transformation. Journal of Holistic Nursing, O11, 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/089801019301100105
Dey, S., Nambiar, D., Lakshmi, J.K., Sheikh, K., & Reddy, K.S. (2012). Health of the elderly in India: Challenges of access and affordability. In Aging in Asia: Findings from new and emerging data initiatives (pp. 371–386). National Academies Press.
Dongre, A. R., & Deshmukh, P. R. (2012). Social determinants of quality of elderly life in a rural setting of India. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 18, 181–189. https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-1075.105688
Figueira, D. A. M., et al. (2017). Retirement decision-making influenced by family and work relationships. Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia, 20, 206–213. https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-22562017020.1601
Fiske, A., Wetherell, J. L., & Gatz, M. (2009). Depression in older adults. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 5, 363–389. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.032408.153621
Flint, A., Merali, Z., & Vaccarino, F. (Eds.). (2018). Substance use in Canada: Improving quality of life: Substance use and aging. Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
George, L. S., Deshpande, S., Kumar, M. K., & Patil, R. S. (2017a). Morbidity pattern and its sociodemographic determinants among elderly population of Raichur district, Karnataka. Indian Journal of Family Medicine Primary Care, 6, 340. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.220025
George, L. S., Deshpande, S., Kumar, M. K., & Patil, R. S. (2017b). Utilization of health services and its determinants among elderly population of Raichur District, Karnataka. National Journal of Research in Community Medicine.
Government of India. (2000). Annapurna scheme guidelines.pdf, n.d.
Ingle, G. K., & Nath, A. (2008). Geriatric health in India: Concerns and solutions. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 33, 214–218. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.43225
International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), National Programme for Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE), MoHFW, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Southern California (USC). (2020). Longitudinal ageing study in India (LASI) wave 1, 2017–18, India report. International Institute for Population Sciences.
IPOP. (2016). A central sector scheme to improve the quality of life of the older persons.pdf document.pdf, n.d.
Jazwinski, S. M., & Kim, S. (2019). Examination of the dimensions of biological age. Frontiers in Genetics, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2019.00263
Kerala Social Security Mission. (2021). [WWW Document], n.d. http://www.socialsecuritymission.gov.in/index.php/vayomithram1. (accessed 3.4.21).
Kulkarni, S., Raju, S., & Bammidi, S. (2020). Social security for the elderly in India 56.
Lakshminarayanan, S. (2011). Role of government in public health: Current scenario in India and future scope. Journal of Family and Community Medicine, 18, 26–30. https://doi.org/10.4103/1319-1683.78635
Lal, D. S., Adarsh, & Pankaj. (2014). Textbook of community medicine preventive and social medicine (4th ed.). CBS Publishers and Distributors.
Mane, B. A. (2016). Ageing in India: Some social challenges to elderly care. Journal of Gerontological and Geriatric Research, 05. https://doi.org/10.4172/2167-7182.1000e136
Mehrotra, R. P., & Saxena, S. A. (2010). Status and role of Ayush and local health traditions under the National Rural Health Mission: report of a study. New Delhi.
Nehru, J. (2007). Jawaharlal Nehru: A tryst with destiny. The Guardian.
Nethan, S., Sinha, D., & Mehrotra, R. (2017). Non communicable disease risk factors and their trends in India. Asian and Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 18, 2005–2010. https://doi.org/10.22034/APJCP.2017.18.7.2005
Park, K. Textbook of preventive and social medicine – PDF Drive [WWW Document] (2017). URL http://www.pdfdrive.com/parks-textbook-of-preventive-and-social-medicine-e158019079.html (accessed 3.4.21).
Parmar, M. C., & Saikia, N. (2018). Chronic morbidity and reported disability among older persons from the India human development survey. BMC Geriatrics, 18, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-0979-9
Parthasarathy, S. K., Pal, P., Bhattacharya, S., Nandi, S., Bhatla, N., & Kashyap, A. (2018). Kudumbashree state poverty eradication mission 58.
Pendyala, G., Joshi, S., & Choudhary, S. (2014). The ageing nation. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 39, 3. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.126340
Population, N. R. C., & Gilford, D. M. (1988). Social, economic, and demographic changes among the elderly. In The aging population in the twenty-first century: Statistics for health policy. National Academies Press (US).
Raj, U., & Galhotra, A. (2019). The maintenance and welfare of parents and senior citizens act, 2007- helping the conditions of the elderly in India. Indian Journal of Community and Family Medicine, 5, 157. https://doi.org/10.4103/IJCFM.IJCFM_40_19
Rajan, S. I., & Kumar, S. (2003). Living arrangements among Indian elderly: New evidence from National Family Health Survey. Economics and Politics Weekly, 38, 75–80.
Ranjan, A., & Muraleedharan, V. R. (2020). Equity and elderly health in India: Reflections from 75th round National Sample Survey, 2017–18, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Globalization and Health, 16, 93. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00619-7
Rao, T. S. S., & Nagaraj, A. K. M. (2015). Female sexuality. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 57, S296–S302. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.161496
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana | National Portal of India. (2017). [WWW Document], https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/rashtriya-vayoshri-yojana (accessed 3.4.21).
Retnakumar, C., George, L. S., & Chacko, M. (2020). A qualitative analysis of awareness and utilization of social security measures among the elderly in Kochi corporation. International Journal of Medical and Biomedical Studies, 4. https://doi.org/10.32553/ijmbs.v4i4.1085
Saprii, L., Richards, E., Kokho, P., & Theobald, S. (2015). Community health workers in rural India: Analysing the opportunities and challenges accredited social health activists (ASHAs) face in realising their multiple roles. Human Resources and Health, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-015-0094-3
Sivamurthy, M., & Wadakannavar, A. (2001). Care and support for the elderly population in India: Results from a survey of the aged in rural north Karnataka.
Social Justice, Kerala. (2021). [WWW Document], n.d. URL http://sjd.kerala.gov.in/scheme-info.php?scheme_id=MTI3c1Y4dXFSI3Z5 (accessed 3.4.21).
Stree Shakti- The Parallel Force. (2016). Innovative practices for care of elderly women in India_final.pdf, n.d.UNFPA.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2015). World population prospects: The 2015 revision, Methodology of the United Nations Population Estimates and Projections, Working Paper No. ESA/P/WP.242.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2020). World population ageing, 2019 highlights.
Verma, R., & Khanna, P. (2013). National program of health-care for the elderly in India: A hope for healthy ageing. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 4, 1103–1107.
Vikaspedia Domains. (2021). [WWW Document], n.d. URL https://vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/senior-citizens-welfare/concessions-and-facilities-given-to-senior-citizens (accessed 3.4.21).
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). 10-priorities. Towards a decade of healthy ageing.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Decade of healthy ageing 2020–2030. Ageing and Life-Course.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
George, L.S. (2021). Ageing in India: An Intricate Phenomenon. In: Selin, H. (eds) Aging Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76501-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76501-9_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76500-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76501-9
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)