Difficulties faced by older persons in India

In the case of ensuring social and emotional security for elders, India has a long way to go. Although elders make up a sizeable chunk of the Indian population, there is nothing much done for their welfare. There is no system to take care of them during the sunset years of their lives. As such, in most cases, they are left to fend for themselves.

Specialized Elder Health Care Services

Whatever little welfare schemes and measures are in place, seldom reach the beneficiaries. This is mainly due to the apathy of the establishment. The fact that most of the elders are unaware of their rights also contributes to their dismal condition in the country.  As a result, the extended lifespan, which should have been a blessing, is now another factor that adds to their woes.

Below are some of the common difficulties faced by the older persons in India. These can be discussed broadly as under:

Elderly Healthcare Services India

Health and care

The absence of dependable physical and mental health care availability is the most common difficulties faced by the older people in India. In addition, the lack of community and social care for the elderly makes their lives difficult. They face many health and nutritional problems due to lack of proper support from all quarters.

Income and housing

Although the lifespan of people has increased, it has created problems for the elders in the form of less or nil employment opportunities. As on grow old, transportation, housing and income (or lack of it) are major concerns. Many of the senior citizens are forced to live under inhumane living conditions.

Taking care of parents in Kerala

Social networks and customs

As a society, Indians place a lot of importance on traditions and customs. As a result, the elders are often forced to keep up the social interaction with family and friends. Elders without families face social alienation and may end up depressed and lonely. Furthermore, the customs and beliefs prevalent in the society also put a limit to their aspirations and ambitions. Fitting into the predetermined pattern of living – like the thought that once you are old, you shouldn’t concern yourself with what is going on around you or that one should say his prayers and sit in a corner minding his own business - could be difficult for an elderly who was active in his early life. Under such circumstances, he could even lose the will to live.

Other concerns

There are many more problems like lack of educational access and opportunities, the absence of leisure opportunities, harassment from family members because of money, dependability on others, lack of information on the rights and privileges and the like.  Lack of societal and family support is one of the leading reasons for increasing incidents of crime against elderly in India.

Solution

There is no single solution for these problems. However, an empathetic family and society can make a huge, positive change in the lives of the elderly. In addition to this, the government and the administration should take senior citizen friendly measures to improve their quality of life.

Until that change happens eventually, you may have to hire the services of special caregivers like NRIServicefirst to take care of the elderly, especially if you are an NRI. 

Home medical care services for elderly parents from NRIservicefirst

“Loneliness is my least favorite thing about life. The thing that I’m most worried about is just being alone without anybody to care for or someone who will care for me.”

-      Anne Hathaway

Ageing is a slow, irreversible process in the life of all living things. As the life expectancy increases, the proportion of the elderly also increases. According to reports, by 2050, 20% of India’s total population would be above the age of 60. In Kerala, the old age dependency ratio (seniors/working people) has already reached a high figure of 16.5.  

Specialized Elder Health Care Services

Caring for ageing parents in India

As we become old, we will gradually become dependent on others for most of our needs. Loneliness is one of the most common conditions that could affect the elderly. Youngsters should be ready to give moral support to the elderly parents to ward off the loneliness creeping into their minds. Ageing brings along a number of unexpected medical problems too.

Although there is the government sponsored NPHCE scheme, which is aimed at the welfare of elderly parents, in most cases it is insufficient. Many private hospitals and agencies have also come up to cater to the needs of elderly parents. But for NRIs, who live far away from their parents, offering immediate help or care to their parents in case of medical emergencies is an impossible task.

nri parents care

Challenges in caring for the elderly

Caring for the elderly is not always an easy task. If you live far away from your parents, caring for them gets even more difficult. In the case of NRIs, attending to the medical emergencies of a dependent parent is often very stressful. In most cases, you wouldn’t have anyone reliable to take care of them, especially when an emergency arises.

A solution

But, things are getting better. NRIservicefirst, a one of its kind service provider for the NRIs, is creating a positive change in the lives of NRIs who wish to arrange for specialised care for their aged parents.

This Cochin based service provider offers specialised service to the elderly parents of NRIs. Whether it is support for Medical Consultation, Laboratory Investigation, and Medicine Delivery, trained personnel from the service provider would be at their side, helping them out.

Apart from these, plans are afoot to offer Medical Emergency support as well as In-patient support.

How can you avail the services of NRIservicefirst?

As the name suggests, this is an exclusive service for NRIs. You can visit the site http://nriservicefirst.com/membership/ and follow the instructions to sign up for membership. You may choose Gold or Silver memberships. The terms and conditions are transparent and fair. The service provider also offers a provision for withdrawing the membership.

As India lacks strong social initiatives for the welfare of elderly, often the individual have to care for the parents and other elderly in the family. Traditionally it was the duty of younger generation to take care of the old. However, as people have moved out of their hometowns to different parts of the world, they are seldom able to do it. It is in such circumstances that the services offered by NRIservicefirst come as a blessing to the NRIs.

Keep the elderly fall-safe

One of the leading causes of injury and even death among the elderly is fall. It is estimated that one out of three senior citizens suffer falls every year.  Fall related injuries are one of the most common conditions encountered in the emergency rooms as far as senior citizens are concerned.

The question is can this be avoided?

Well, the answer is – largely, YES!

Before we get on to know how to prevent the falls, let us try to understand the factors that lead to these dangerous falls.

• ·         The most common reason for fall is the lack of physical activities. As people grow older, they are more prone to lesser exercise, as well as lesser movement. This results in poor muscle tones and decreased bone mass. Consequently, they are more likely to experience loss of balance and flexibility. 
• ·         A weak sight could add to the woes of the elderly, which might result in falls. They are prone to impaired vision and may not always wear glasses, leading to poor sight.
• ·         After effects of medications is another reason for falls. Most of the elderly would be under some medications, which might include sedatives, anti-depressants and anti-psychotic drugs that lead to higher risk of falling.
• ·         Health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s diseases, arthritis and the like could cause weakness in the elderly. This would affect their ability to grip things, balance stuff as well as their overall cognition. Apart from these, surgeries are also known to leave the senior citizens weak and prone to falls.
• ·         Other factors such as hazardous conditions at home such as poor lighting, saggy carpets and lack of general safety features also could lead to falls.

However, the good news is that most of these causes can be avoided. We can make our homes safer and elderly friendly.

Elderly Health Care Services India

Specialized Elder Health Care Services

Here’s how:

• ·         Fix handrails or safety bars in the shower and bath
• ·         Install anti-slip tiles in the bathroom
• ·         Use a stool riser seat to make getting on and off the toilet easier
• ·         Install handrail on the stairways. Make sure that it extends beyond the first and last steps
• ·         Keep the stairs and corridors well lit. Motion sensing lights could be a good idea. So is night lamps
• ·         Ensure that the rugs and carpets are not saggy or slippery. Give special attention to the ones on the stairs and steps
• ·         Get rid of clutter. Throw out/stack away any unused/surplus furniture. Make sure the corners of the furniture are not sharp
• ·         Move the furniture to ensure easy walking around the house
• ·         Tuck away the electric cords and ropes so that they don’t trail along the floor
• ·         Encourage the elderly to wear non-slip shoes or slippers
• ·         Arrange the frequently used items in easy-to-reach cabinets
• ·       Give special care to the heaters and make sure there are automatic cut-offs to avoid burns and scalding
• ·         Wipe away any spills and remove broken glass right away

nri parents care india

Apart from these, encourage the elders to remain as physically active as possible. Let them undertake small walks and exercise according to their physical conditions. Also, whenever possible, encourage them to stay away from unnecessary medication and drugs.

Malayali nri parents health care

Through these small, but actionable steps, we can make sure that our elders are less prone to falls. 

Not old anymore – Does life begin after sixty?

There was a time, not long ago, when old age meant you are past sixty, suffering from illness, dependent on others, feeling useless and lonely in life and in need of special care. For, in those days, very few people made it past sixty. Now, thanks to the advanced medical facilities and better living standards, sixty is no longer old age. In fact, today, many people consider sixty as a new beginning and the right time to live the life to the fullest. In a way, they are right – sixty seems to be the right age to start living again. Confused? Well, don’t be. Read on to find out why becoming sixty could be the best thing that happened to you.

nri parents care

Newfound freedom

A vast majority of people retire from their active professions by the age of 55 or 60. With this, they often face the dilemma of having enough time at their disposal. Perhaps after decades of doing so, now there is no need to hurry to the office or work every morning. The work pressures are gone forever. All the day and night are yours.

Nri parental care India

Although retirement was often dreaded earlier, nowadays, people often take voluntary retirement to pursue their hobbies and interests. As a result, now more and more elderly people are taking up traveling, writing, learning new things or engaging themselves in a whole lot of activities. Most of these people are discovering life a new.


nri parents care india

There is no work pressure, little or no liabilities/responsibilities as the children have gone ahead and made their own lives. There is no dearth of money, thanks to the meticulous budgeting and financial planning. One begins to feel like a free bird once again and life seems to be calling…

Chasing the dreams

Elderly people are using their post-retirement time to have some fun. In their youth, they had struggled hard to keep the family well. They seldom had the time or chance to entertain themselves. Now, they have the time and resources to go ahead and chase their dreams. Whether it is traveling around the world, writing a book, growing a garden, raising a farm, learning new things, or any other dream they had to give up in their youth, they can pick up now. Many of them are taking wings and flying towards their dream.

Age is a number

Such people would tell us that age is just a number. When you live life to the fullest, there can be nothing that stops you from enjoying it. With the right attitude, one can see through difficult times and come out smiling. The moment you turn 60, you don’t cease to be the person you were yesterday. Instead, it has opened a new door to you – open it and explore what life holds for you.

Be active and happy

An idle mind is devil’s workshop. The key to happiness is to keep yourself active and healthy. Pursue what gives you joy and stay away from what drags you down. You have given almost an entire lifetime for others, now is the time to live for yourself. Yes, life begins at 60. Open the door of your heart and know life holds much more surprises for you. Don’t let it go just because you think you are past 60. Life is calling – heed it. 

Care for the parents in your absence

Very often, you would be living away from your parents. No matter how much you wish to provide them company and care personally, many a times, it would be impossible to attend to their needs in person. If you can’t be there to take care of things personally, the next best thing would be to arrange for some Specialized Elder Health Care Services for them. However, it might be stretching things a bit ahead as your parents are still independent and do not need any special care. All they might need at this stage could be some financial and medical assistance.

Under such circumstances, it would be wise to let your parents be. As long as they are physically fit and able to care for themselves, you don’t have to worry about them. However, it doesn’t mean that you can just forget about them.

nri parents care

Here are few pointers that could help you keep them safe and healthy even when you are not staying close to them: 

Be in touch – No matter where you are, make it a point to keep the lines of communication open. You may not only talk to them as often as you can, but also chat or video conference with them if they are techno savvy. Make sure they know what is happening in your lives and you know what is happening in their lives. It would brighten up their days.

Arrange for medical care – Elderly people might not be keen to go for their annual/periodic check-ups. Make sure that you have an eye on their medical care and arrange for service providers to get them to their appointments on time. If they have trouble getting medicines, order them online and arrange for doorstep delivery.

Encourage social activities – It is always a good idea to be engaged with some work – especially something that one loves. It could be meeting friends, being part of some club, gardening, farming or any other activity that help them to pass time in happiness. Encourage them to visit relatives and to host them occasionally if they are up to it.

Regular visits – You should visit them regularly. If they are up to it, encourage them to come visit you. It would give them something to look forward to – a welcome change from the routine.  If you are unable to visit them, make sure you tell them the reason why it is not possible to visit them. Always encourage your kids to talk to them.

Have a local guardian – Although it might sound absurd to have a local guardian for grownups, it is always a good idea to ensure that you have someone nearby who can be relied upon in case of an emergency. It could be a friend or a relative, or even a professional agency. The important thing is to ensure that they will have him/her at their side if necessary. Make sure that your parents have the person’s contact number.

Caring for the parents is a duty that one cannot shy away from – most people are worried about caring for the parents in their absence. The above-mentioned pointers could help them in finding a workable solution. 

Health and Nutrition for Aging Parents - NRIservicefirst

Health and nutrition for aging parents - NRIservicefirst

“We must not take the faults of our youth with us in to the old age, for age brings along its own defects.”-  Goethe

The old age is the most difficult stage of the human life. Most of us have to depend on others even for our daily routines. This fear of the loss of independence, the anxiety and the uncertainty about the future lead to depression and some other mental disorders. Aged is also prone to variety of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and high blood pressure. Once bedridden, a full time attendant will be required to look after their needs.

Caring for aging parents in India

The population of the old is increasing steadily in India. In a developed state like Kerala, the number of people aged above 65 has crossed 320 million mark in 2015. Aging parents should be given special consideration in all the homes. Young members should spend some time with the aged parents to ward off their fear of loneliness. They need special diet and nutrition supplements to keep good health. In the case of NRIs who have settled abroad for better job opportunities, the aged parents live alone. If they are sick the treatment becomes tedious as their NRI children are not around for any help. There are few agencies to help such dependent parents. The ‘NRIservicefirst’ is one such organisation catering to the needs of the dependent parents of the NRIs.

Medical care service for elderly parents

NRIservicesfirst is a Cochin based service agency formed for helping the dependent parents in their health care activities. The home nurses and maids can take care of their daily routines. However, in case of medical emergencies external help will be needed for arranging consultations with doctors, getting medical checks, collecting reports and procuring medicines. If you are a member of the NRIservicesfirst, they can give your parents the necessary assistance. The agency presently offers the following services.

1. Medical Consultation support
2. Laboratory Investigation support
3. Medicine Delivery support

Other services being planned are Medical Emergency support and In-patient support  

  

Elder care in Kerala

In India the government has implemented the NPHCE (National Programme for the Health Care of the Elderly) in many states. Primary health centres, community centres, district hospitals and medical colleges are involved in this massive programme by the health department of the central government. Being a state sponsored programme it has its own limitations. There are umpteen private hospitals and agencies working in the field of geriatric health care. But for the dependent parents whose wards are abroad, the best solution is NRIservicefirst.  

NRIservicefirst.com for the senior home care service

For taking care of the seniors of the family whose children are away, the best option is the agency ‘NRIservicefirst’. Get registered at the registration page of the site NRIservicefirst.com. The registration will be open to the public shortly. The fee structure is Rupees 87,562 for the Gold and Rupees 32,480 for the Silver memberships.

Common Illness Among Seniors

“Those who love deeply never grow old, they may die of old age, but they die young”

-      Benjamin Franklin

Ageing is an inevitable phenomenon, which is irreversible. Like in the developed countries, the growth rate of the population of the aged is steadily increasing in Kerala. Around 13% of the population is above 65 years of age as per the 2011 census. In 2015, the number of Keralites above 65 was nearly 320 million with females outnumbering the males.

Aged and diseases

When you get older, a stage will come when you will have to depend on others for everything. The feel of loneliness combined with the loss of independence lead to many mental diseases. As the age catch up with you, various types of physical and mental disorders will start appearing.  Arthritis, heart diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, obesity, depression, renal problems and diabetes are some of the common diseases that elders suffer from. Many above 80 suffer from eye diseases and a good percentage aged above 60 suffers from diabetes.

Elderly health care support

The elders of a family require special attention. Sometimes the children will be NRIs who cannot attend to the needs of their parents. In such cases, arrangements are to be made to provide all necessary facilities especially in the field of health care. The ‘NRIservicesfirst’ is such an organization helping the elders of the NRI children. The Cochin based establishment gives all the medical help needed for the lonely parents of the NRI children.  

Health care for the aged in Kerala

In Kerala, the government health department system consisting of primary health centres, community health centres, district hospitals and medical colleges is one of the best in India. There are many private clinics and hospitals where the aged can get medical attention. However, to take appointments, to visit the doctors, to be checked by doctors, to get laboratory reports and to get medicines is a tedious job for elderly. The NRIservicesfirst can play a major role in such cases.

Dependent parents

In a state like Kerala, the parents are often left alone as the children migrate to foreign countries for better jobs. Sitting far away, they may not be in a position to look after their parents’ welfare. A home nurse or a maid can attend to their physical needs. For their medical needs, external help may be required at times. What one can do is to arrange with an agency, which can help them in their medical needs. The NRIservicesfirst is the best among such agencies as it caters exclusively for the dependent parents of the NRIs.

NRIservicesfirst.com

The NRIservicesfirst gives medical consultation, laboratory investigation and medicine delivery supports presently. The membership will be open to the public shortly with the fees for the Gold and Silver memberships Rupees 87,562 and 32,480 respectively. A membership here will be the best gift you can give to your dependent parents. For clearing your doubts contact us at NRIservicesfirst.com.