Ageing Issues in India—Practices, Perspectives and Policies: Introductory Comments

Abstract

India is an ageing society and soon would have a third of its population above 60 years of age. There are many emerging key issues which require urgent attention in terms of wellbeing of older people, for instance social and health concerns related to ageing women, to retirement issues, to ageing in specific regions of the country—remote, tribal, slums, conflict areas, to socioeconomic challenges, health factors, upcoming epidemiological problems with ageing like dementia related, sexual matters, mental healthcare aspects, physical activities, need for geriatric professionals, services and practice, institutional care, age specific policies and programs, rights of older people, addressing elder abuse concerns, and meeting social, emotional, psychological needs of older people. India is also a country where research on ageing issues is limited but there is need for more data, analysis and reforms, legal, economic, health, social and cultural, to view older people as a resource from a development perspective. Increased longevity of the population brings with it various socioeconomic challenges along with other demographic factors such as feminization of ageing, changing family structures, intergenerational equations and family as well as community support systems, migration patterns, urbanization, emergence of chronic health issues. All these pose various problems but at the same time also are opportunities for addressing concerns of ageing from a sustainable perspective. This chapter reviews the challenges, opportunities and way forward to deal with ageing issues in India.