By Rajit Mehta,
Seniors in India are fast evolving. With time, they are becoming more lifestyle conscious, and their needs are no longer basic and focused on survival. They are now looking to thrive in their silver years and are willing to spend on themselves and pay a premium amount to get an experiential lifestyle.
Antara’s 1st edition of State of the Senior Survey, 2021, had revealed that seniors were keen on living an independent life and were interested in trying new and different things. However, in the second edition, the survey showed drastic changes in the needs and wants of seniors.It was recorded that the number of seniors living independently has gone down drastically from 77% (1st edition) to 25% (2nd edition). After the second wave of COVID, seniors became more dependent on their families both emotionally and financially.
The second wave of the pandemic had put enormous pressure on the healthcare system of the country and seniors had to struggle a lot to even access basic healthcare facilities. The geriatric care system also crumbled and the news of thousands of infections and deaths on a daily basis during the second COVID wave, made the elderly population extremely vulnerable. Majority of the seniors in India experienced some form of mental health problem during the pandemic.The nation’s fatigued healthcare infrastructure uncovered the hard digest of the truth that India is not ready to keep up with the demand and the growing needs of seniors, yet.
Today’s senior population in India has evolving needs and aspirations. They want to be active contributors to the economy, lead a life with dignity, and become more independent but the pandemic has brought about notable shifts in their living patterns and preferences, along with a rise in health concerns.
As seniors become a larger part of the Indian population, their evolving lifestyle needs offer greater economic opportunity for the country. We need to create an environment conducive to it. As seniors evolve, India, as a country, needs to progress with them, providing tailor-made solutions that cater to their growing interest in newer areas. We need to promote and support the need for an independent and dignified living for seniors to age in peace and good health.Senior Living Communities prove to be one of the most dependable options for seniors in such situations. They provide 360-degree solutions specific to every senior. Essential requirements are taken care of for seniors by the team members at these community set-ups. On-site health services have all health and wellbeing facilities that seniors will need, starting from emergency support to fitness centres, they have everything a senior would need to monitor their health. Not only physical, but these communities cover the social and mental aspects of health as well.
As we move ahead in time, community living set-ups could be the robust senior care solution one needs. The situation demands the development of such dedicated services and increased awareness of the ones that exist. They will not only ensure benefits for individuals but also help to fuel long term economic benefits. This will also help reduce the burden on the government in terms of resources and spending on geriatric healthcare. In a country that is not designed for seniors, senior living communities are the place to be.
(The author is MD & CEO, Antara. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of FinancialExpress.com)
