An increased life expectancy, chronic illnesses, dwindling support systems and lack of care continuum make the senior care landscape a space that demands an immediate overhaul. The space in recent times has been through a renaissance where new-age startups and businesses are putting their minds into dealing with surmountable challenges that this segment faces. Start-ups and businesses are beginning to think on their feet by integrating technology to create seamless and user-friendly solutions and services for India’s senior citizens helping them to live a life of dignity and independence.
By Sonali Patranabish
Loneliness, neglect, the empty nest syndrome and a host of other factors have gripped the aged in our country. A combination of factors like limited mobility, dementia and cognitive decline as well as unique challenges like social, healthcare and economic underscore the need for focus on the well-being of senior citizens.
With India's ageing population expected to touch the 319 million mark by 2050, the sector presents countless opportunities for businesses to target.
India is being touted as the fastest growing ‘silver economy’ due to a recent report by CBRE South Asia which states that the upsurge in the elderly population is expected to touch 17 per cent of the world's population by 2050. The senior care system is in urgent need of an overhaul given the crisis that the elders in our country are facing. With children staying in distant countries and surmounting challenges in the form of chronic illnesses, financial dependency, rising medical expenses, limited mobility and an imminent digital divide exemplifies the need for an immediate transformation in the elder care landscape in India.
Technological innovations - Paving inroads into the elder care tribe
Technology is turning the tables around for the senior care ecosystem with telemedicine, wearables and digital and remote monitoring devices hogging the limelight. These advancements have led to personalised services and solutions to meet the special needs of the aged which in turn are empowering the aged. Technology has ushered in and triggered a sense of independence with tools like cognitive fitness apps, online shopping, online pharmacies, net banking and tech awareness workshops. It almost seems like technology has a quick fix for every old-age challenge.
From smart homes equipped with devices, assisted technologies and automation systems to even medication reminders, fall detection sensors, home security solutions and voice-activated assistants all these revolutionary devices are ushering in a wave of self-sufficiency and independence amongst the elderly.
Telemedicine, a new age healthcare delivery model, proves to be a blessing for seniors with reduced mobility and accessibility to geriatricians and specialists. The adoption and integration of telemedicine have helped seniors and healthcare professionals to make timely interventions especially while dealing with chronic illnesses. Telemedicine proves to be a cost-effective, convenient and readily accessible treatment modality to avail intervention of medical expertise for senior care.
Wearables equip seniors to make informed decisions on vital health parameters like heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns and blood glucose levels. Wearable technology not only enhances health but can also be used as a personal emergency response system (PERS). There has been a paradigm shift in how the elderly have adopted this technology which is enabling them with an added layer of safety. These wearables even help seniors remain active, to keep the aged mobile, fitness wearables motivate seniors through their in-built fitness tracking features.
“Wearables and remote monitoring devices now enable the continuous tracking of vital signs such as heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, SPO2 levels, temperature, and ECG. Point of Care Devices (POCD) offers immediate diagnostics and bedside monitoring,” opines Mudit Dandtwe, CEO and Co-Founder, Dozee.
Ruxum is a wearable device designed to provide emergency service alerts to caregivers and families in distant locations through SMS, notifications as well as Whatsapp messages. Ruxum also boasts of various other services like handling medical emergencies, and wellness monitoring that monitors health parameters while in walking, breathing as well and resting states. Telemedicine and wearable devices also aid in the continuous monitoring of health vitals in senior patients with chronic illnesses, with data from health reports being generated from devices and linked to an app for further assessment by a doctor.
Harnessing technology to enable independence amongst seniors has become the USP of most startups. AI, ML, IoT, robotics and analytics are being leveraged to devise innovative solutions for elders. Start-ups like Dozee are proving to be market disruptors in this space.
Dozee has been a pioneer in creating India’s first AI-powered contactless remote patient monitoring and early warning system, providing real-time monitoring. They have also introduced a ground breaking Fall Prevention Alert (FPA) system, offering real-time bed exit logging and customisable alerts for high-risk patients.
The Alpha monitor is yet another wearable transforming the lives of the elderly afflicted with Alzheimer's. This new-age variable devised by a teenage prodigy uses long-range technology (LoRa). The alpha monitor has amazing coverage with the ability to detect a patient who is almost a mile away. This wearable comes with a plethora of features like monitoring the wandering, pulse and temperature of the patient alerting the caregiver in any event of abnormal conditions of the patient, a camera even monitors any signs of physical aggression, a built-in fall detection system, medicine reminders as well as an algorithm to predict wandering.
Antara AGEasy is yet another brand that is committed to bettering the quality of life of seniors in India. They offer a range of innovative products to navigate chronic health issues like joint pain, fall management, and respiratory rehabilitation like cotton-lined knee caps and a pocket-on-the-go nebulizer.
Holistic care to address social, emotional and physical needs of older adults is gaining immense traction. Such services are all-encompassing that provide mental health services , outlets for recreational activities as well as palliative care.
Emoha , a senior care brand in India offers holistic services and home based care to senior adults above 55 years of age. Their repertoire of services includes 24/7 emergency support, expert geriatric care, diagnostic services, as well home based care services like telemedicine, doctor and physiotherapy home visits and home nursing.
Emoha in partnership with SIS alarms has launched GoSecure an emergency response service that equips seniors with a panic button that provides connections to a network of 15,000 ambulance partners and geriatric care specialists.
Strategies to streamline senior care: Upskilling of the healthcare workforce
Skilled workforce for elder care needs to be top priority if we need to turn around the current state of affairs around elder care. Strengthening the geriatric care system can only be achieved by ensuring that caregivers and families are empowered with accessible resources, knowledge and opportunities about senior care.
“There is a growing need for more trained geriatric care professionals, enhanced accessibility to quality care in rural areas, and innovative solutions to address the financial aspects of elder care,” opines Neha Sinha, CEO and Co-founder, Epoch Elder Care.
Rahul Mishra, Founder, Vesta Elder Care opines that well trained elder care personnel is an extremely crucial component. Well-rounded training programmes according to him must include treatment of chronic illnesses, end-of-life care and issues around mental health. He ardently believes that it is imperative to allocate resources toward the ongoing education and training of nurses, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals.
According to Saumyajit Roy, Co-Founder and CEO, Emoha, establishing 100 specialised training centres with formal certification programs for geriatric care will address the shortage of skilled professionals in the sector.
Sinha further goes on to add, "Chronic conditions like dementia and Parkinson’s becoming more prevalent, there is a greater emphasis on strengthening our caregiver ecosystem to better support families in managing elder care at home.”
Awareness on schemes and policies
The government has made many provisions for senior care which when taken advantage of can help create a holistic plan. Schemes like the AYUSH mission which when integrated can address the nutritional needs and inadequacies of the aged while also working as a preventive and therapeutic tool.
The Government of India has charted out policies and programmes for the benefit of the silver population such as the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE), the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), the Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and the (Amendment) Bill, Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana’ (AVYAY), and Elderline - a national helpline.
“Investing in our geriatric workforce, enhancing accessibility, and leveraging technology are essential steps forward for ensuring our elders lead dignified, fulfilling lives,” opines Sinha.
Digital literacy among the elders
A crucial step towards helping the elderly lead a fulfilling life would be to make them digitally equipped and literate. Conducting literacy campaigns by liaising with local organisations can empower the elderly by reskilling them.
To foster increased adoption of digital tools, organisations need to offer discounts on digital tools. These initiatives can stimulate increased digital engagement among seniors giving them added confidence and a spring in their feet.
Roy says that PPP will largely benefit retirees from PSUs, Defence, Central, State, and banking sectors. He further goes on to add that CSR investments should be incentivised to drive innovation and improvement in elder care services.
User-friendly devices and innovations
Organisations while rolling out innovations and devices need to address the unique challenges regarding the usage of these high-tech innovations by incorporating user-friendly designs. Elements like the usage of larger screens and layouts for the digital interface, continued support during times of troubleshooting and installation as well as a toll-free digital assistance are essential prerequisites to keep in mind while creating user-friendly devices for seniors. Privacy and data security issues needs to be also paid heed to, to ensure better adoption of digital tools.
Challenges and gaps in the geriatric care sector: Shortage of geriatric expertise
The gaps in the geriatric care ecosystem stem from the lack of a comprehensive care system.
Capacity building to deal with geriatric illness management, monitoring and emergency response systems are a few of the glaring voids in the geriatric care ecosystem.
“One significant issue is the lack of comprehensive fall prevention programmes, despite falls being the second leading cause of death from unintentional injuries according to the WHO. In India, 1.5–2 million older adults suffer fall-related injuries annually, with 1 million fatalities,” opines Dandwate.
Other gaps and challenges include a lack of awareness about the services and policies offered by the government, inaccessible infrastructure, lack of digital inclusion, availability of affordable healthcare services and the lack of insurance for elders.
Roy states that severe shortage of geriatric professionals and carers comes across as a pressing concern. According to him, very few hospitals have geriatric departments, he also expresses his concern over the lack of geriatric expertise which takes 30 years to develop in comparison to paediatric professional who require just five years of training.
