Rising demand for community based long-term care services for senior citizens in India

Pages: 921-924
Ritu Sharma (Department of Psychology, Aditi Mahavidyalya, University of Delhi. New Delhi)
Ekta Bhambri Marwah (Department of Psychology, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College, University of Delhi, New Delhi)

The aim of this paper is to understand and meet physical and emotional needs of senior citizens. Freedom and concept of nuclear family have resulted in the demand for formal care of elderly, which involve a strategic approach. The India has a culture of home based care, but the changing family value system, economic pressures of the children, neglect and abuse has caused the elders to fall through the net of family care. Researches show that living arrangement has become an important constituent of well-being of elderly. Thus, there is a need for a model which would provide better care and take into account their well-being. Institutionalization of older people is not popular in Indian society; one reason behind it is that culturally family is the prime institution to take care of older family members because of which older people have no mind set for old age homes as care giving institution in later life. Secondly, the population size of older people is so high that care homes cannot accommodate them well. Lack of proper infrastructure and skilled workforce in elderly care is another big reason for the low popularity of institutionalization. Above all is the social stigma for institutionalization for the rising demand of community based care system. Older people feel most satisfied and happy around the globe when they are in their homes with their family members. This paper is an attempt to highlight the need for long term care services asa support system for senior citizens in the community.