Agingis natural, what’s also natural are problems that come with it. A senior (60+years old) can experience several problems in their day-to-day life. This couldbe due to physiological changes in their body, lifestyle, or even shifts in technology.All problems of senior citizens in India are not related to health. Let’sexplore these problems of elderly and see how we can address them tomake their life convenient.
Problems of Senior Citizens in India
Chronic Medical Conditions
Agingcauses numerous changes in the body, including weakening of muscle mass andstrength called sarcopenia. This often makes it difficult for older adults towalk and increases risk of falls. Similarly, as people age, they can alsoexperience medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, Chronic PulmonaryDisease (COPD), etc. 70% of older adults in India suffer from one more chronicconditionsprofessional financial planners1.
Chronic conditions can be managed through better care. If you’re a caregiver,you can schedule regular doctor visits, check vitals like blood sugar level (incase of diabetic seniors), take them for physiotherapy sessions, preparehealthy meals, giving medication on time, etc. This will alleviate painful symptomsand make their life a little convenient.
Senior citizens often experience mobility issues due to osteoarthritis or otherconditions. In India, nearly 45% of women (older than 65 years) experiencesymptoms related to osteoarthritis, which makes it difficult for them to movearound. Most of the infrastructure isinaccessible to older adults with mobility issues due to lack of properinfrastructure like a sliding ramp to move wheels chairs, etc.
Solution: Building sliding ramps and installing lifts at home canhelp elders access areas in and around house. Frequent physiotherapies,checkups, and nutrition can help further alleviate mobility issues among olderadults.
Lack of financial planning
Senior citizens often miss out on planning their finances, including theirexpanses, budget, policy renewals, insurance, investments, etc. It is oftenvery difficult for them to pay for their utilities and plan their monthlyexpenditure. Given the changing economy and regulatory guidelines in India, itbecomes extremely difficult for them to plan their finance.
Solution: As adults, we can help them sort out their finances byfiling their taxes, paying for utilities, etc. There are also professional financial planners who specialize in planning for older adults; you can seektheir services.
Financial frauds
Financialfrauds among elderly are growing. Lack of awareness about technology, apps, andinternet-led banking among older adults makes them vulnerable to thefts andscams. Fraudster often scare senior citizens into believing that their bankaccounts are on the verge of being blocked, or their policy may expire, etc.,leading to money being debited from their bank account or unauthorized transactionon their credit cards.
Solution: Financial frauds is one of the major problems ofsenior citizens, especially in India. This is due to lack of awareness.Adults can address this problem by educating elders about security and privacyfeatures available from their bank.
Lack of companionship
Olderadults who live alone, especially NRIs’ parents often lack companionship. Sincethey don’t have much to talk to anyone. This isolation often gives rise tomental disorders and gradual decline in cognitive functions.
Solution:Involvingsenior citizens in chats and getting them involved in activities now and thenhelps. Small physical activities with seniors can help them bond and interactwith each other.
Ageism
Ageism is real. People tend to exclude senior citizens from certain aspectsbecause they are older. We tend to see them unfit for certain work,responsibilities, etc. Research suggests that ageism can affect older people’smental health.2
Solution: We can combat ageism by giving opportunities to olderadults and involving them in various social events. Including them in casualget togethers is another way to do so.
Conclusion
Oldage people’s problems go beyond health issues. While improvinghealthcare can help elderly live a comfortable life. We can help older adultsin living a wholesome life by involving them in our day-to-day activities andeducating them about technology and keeping them up to date.
FAQs
What are the problems with old age in India?
Olderadults in India experience several problems, including chronic medicalconditions, loneliness and depression, financial frauds, ageism, etc. We canhelp elderly
How can I be happy at old age?
Being grateful for what you’ve achieved and making peace with the existing circumstance can help you stay happy in old age.
What is the hardest part of aging?
The hardest part of aging is perhaps deteriorating health. Good personalhygiene, regular exercise, physiotherapy, nutrition, etc. can help in improvinghealth.
How do you solve old age problems?
Old age problems, like health issues, can be solved by taking good care ofolder adults. Issues like inaccessibility can be solved by building necessaryinfrastructure; loneliness and depression can be solved by involving olderadults in our day-to-day activities.
References:
1. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/health/almost-70-senior-citizens-in-india-have-a-chronic-illness-74944
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9008869/
