INDIA: It's Time to Change Age-Old Attitude

BHUBANESWAR, Orissa (NewindPress), June 30, 2007: Medical science has increased the ranks of elderly. But can it make the old-age easier? Though the new interventions have improved the quality of life and effectively treated many ailments, are all the challenges being addressed properly? As geriatric care involves conflicting zones like assessment of decisions, capacity and competence, identification of decision makers, resolution on options about care, insurance cover and termination of life support or treatment process, the physiological, psychological and social reserves have placed it at greater risks. Even at times elderly lack the support of their families and it makes them vulnerable to the ‘automatic’ and at times ‘unthoughtful’ process of health-care delivery system. Various schemes covering health insurance which belie hopes should be detected early for effective legal interventions if needed, says Major General (Retd) Dr Bikas K Mohanti, Medical Superintendent of Kalinga Hospital here. As quality of life is an intensely personal and variable concept, the clinician should evaluate ‘health related quality of life’ for elderly according to ‘proper judgment’, he says adding adequate scope should be given to practise religious beliefs as medical evidence shows that religion is associated with better mental health and greater ability to cope with illness. There should be a practice of actual ‘discounted’ services for the elderly so that they can be encouraged to come to day-care centres and hospitals for general consultation, the health expert feels. On geriatric care at government facilities, Dr Loknath Acharya, CMO, Capital Hospital says as such there is no provision by the State Government for it as it is an ‘emerging field’. However, he points out that free treatment and investigations are being provided to ‘deserving’ senior citizens. ‘‘Life expectancy has gone up and so the loneliness of the elderly as many children are staying away from parents for professional and personal compulsions. So there is an urgent need for specialised geriatric care facilities at major centres including medical colleges’’ Dr Acharya admits. On health-care insurance cover for the elderly, there is a good provision under ‘Varistha Nagrik Swasthya Vima’ (VNSV) from National Insurance which covers senior citizens above 60, says Ramsish Pati, State head of TTK Health-care Services Private Limited. Earlier, the insurance companies were denying facilities for senior citizens, but now under this policy one can even convert the earlier health-care policies to VNSV which has insurance cover upto Rs 5 lakh with critical illness and organ transplant options, Pati adds. However, the policy does not include conditions like diabetes, asthma, bronchitis and day-care facility, he clarifies. Express Network Private Ltd.