To ensure the support and palliative care for the elders the union government has provided for a legal framework for the care of senior citizens. These are, the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, making the care for and support to parents and grand parents obligatory on children failing which penal action like imprisonment or fine or both may follow. But there is little or nil awareness about the laws and government intervention. In such scenario, the elders continue to suffer facing abandonment and abuse. According to a 2020 report by the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI), 77.3 percent senior citizens felt ill treated in one way or the other. This reveals that the efforts to alleviate the problems of the elders are dismal. Government is all for Aging At Home. Besides, process for making accessibility for elders and disabled in urban areas is underway.

While the two mentioned laws are well meaning and well intentioned for the overall wellbeing of the old and ailing population, there is negligible implementation by the government, much less any public awareness about them. Meanwhile, there is a growing awareness in the middle class and upper middle class in urban conglomerates for care homes for the elders. In major cities, a number of care homes has come up for the senior citizens where all types of supportive cares like food, comfortable living rooms, round the clock health care facilities, reading room facilities, entertainment, facilities for gym, jogging and related exercise and fitness are provided depending on variable income and assets of the elder inmates. Besides, there are free care homes for the poor elders provided by some leading NGOs and philanthropists. Such facilities are scant and insufficient without state interventions. Added to this, state governments do provide some pension or other sops to the elders. But such welfare measures are a pittance and insufficient. Whatever it is, it has been noticed that the elders separated from their loved ones do die early compared to those in family care.

Taking advantage of the market economy, government is promoting private sector to provide necessary market stewardship to ensure the highest quality of service delivery in senior citizen homes. For this, Seniorcare Ageing Growth Engine (SAGE) has been launched to provide one time equity support to startups that develop business ideas on the needs of senior citizens. Under the scheme, entrepreneurs are encouraged to provide out of the box solutions for the overall wellbeing of the elders so that the combo of government-private participation could help alleviate the miseries of the elders. Besides, a Union Social Welfare Ministry data indicates only 12 percent people are aware of the legal frame for their support and care. To deal with such crises like situations, a national helpline No. 14567 has been set up to provide informations about welfare schemes for the elders that include healthcare facilities and bridges information gap.

According to LASI report 2020, more than 50 percent elders are determined to remain active. To ensure this, it is crucial for the society to recognize the contributions of its senior citizens and work collectively for wellbeing and dignity of the elders in their golden years. Entrepreneurs and businesses looking for experienced and able manpower may like to leverage the cumulative experience, time and expertise of senior citizens to ensure such opportunities for participation in labour activities, access to social protection, security in old age and positive work culture that may help achieve a productive ageing society for the elders. While the government in the Social Welfare Ministry is not maintaining data on its positive interventions to smoothen the lives of the elders, the long road India needs to traverse involves taking more accommodative approach to palliative care, softening attitudes of resistance to assisted living facilities for the elderly, accepting that ageing could be done smoothly if only the people knew how.

India is facing a piquant situation where childcare is perceived to be a more rewarding goal, while elder care is considered managing decline, which is dispiriting for the care giver. It is in this backdrop that a strong social security and pension system that uphold the right to a life of dignity for the elders is called for. In this connection, a robust public-private support services for senior citizens that provide both physical and emotional assistance, encouragement and training for those taking up careers in geriatric care, gerontology and allied fields, general guidance for households at large, and a comprehensively crafted palliative and elderly care policy will go a long way towards helping the country’s aged live well with attendant health and happiness. This will also help women caregivers pursue career in geriatric care. We must plan for the needs of the silver generations that have contributed immensely for the growth and prosperity of the nation!