S. Irudaya Rajan
Centre for Development Studies, India
Title: Palliative care for the Elderly in India
Biography
Biography: S. Irudaya Rajan
Abstract
India’s elderly population stands at 123 million in 2018. According to the 2014 round of the National Sample Survey, two million elderly persons in India are bedridden and another seven million are confined within their households. Who will take care of them during their sunset years? The issue of caring for the elderly, and ensuring their dignity at death, should thus receive immediate public attention. In this context, this paper is an attempt to understand the steps taken by government and other agencies in India to cater to the care needs of the elderly. It further looks at the flaws in these mechanisms and offers some suggestions to improve the present situation. We shall use government reports, organisations working in the field of palliative care and Kerala Aging Survey data. Palliative care for elderly in India is still in the early stage of development. Many elderly are not aware of the existing policies on palliative care. Awareness programmes, care training centres, etc. are need of the hour. Though we have multiple mechanisms in the area of palliative care for the elderly, there are many loopholes here which have to be addressed.